S&P Global Energy Horizons says the coming year will expose the strain within the world’s energy and sustainability systems, as governments and industries try to navigate rapid technological change, shifting geopolitical alliances and mounting climate risks.
The report points to a world moving at different speeds. The US is setting its own priorities as artificial intelligence expands at a startling pace. Europe is trying to balance competing policy goals, and China is pushing further ahead in clean technology, drawing more of the global market into its orbit.
A surge in electricity demand from AI is placing heavy pressure on grids, business models and environmental targets. Whether countries can make headway will depend heavily on how quickly they can expand and modernise network capacity, which S&P Global warns is becoming one of the key barriers to energy security and economic competitiveness.
The geopolitical backdrop is also shifting the direction of renewables, hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), electric vehicles and climate legislation. Supply chain politics and disputes over carbon accounting are intensifying. China’s grip on clean energy technologies continues to strengthen, while Europe and the US deal with policy uncertainty and volatile markets.
Responses
