Powering Possible 2025 to 2026 Twelve months on, AI has moved up the corporate agenda and agentic workflows are taking the place of pilots. Leaders are starting to measure AI by the reliability it brings, and grid modernization is still their first investment choice. Change | Measure | 2025 | 2026 | (pts) | What it tells us | | What changed | | AI as organization's top priority | 9% | 26% | +17 | AI has returned to the top of the | | corporate agenda | | AI is the top, or one of the top | 42% | 62% | +20 | Almost two-thirds now rank AI in | | two, priorities | their top two | | Organizations running integrated | 15% | 33% | +18 | Agents are moving into everyday work. | | agentic workflows | | Organizations piloting isolated | 35% | 15% | −20 | Fewer than half as many organizations | AI use cases remain at the pilot stage Supply stability and reliability is the 26% 39% +13 Reliability has pulled clear as the test of leading measure of AI's success AI's value Expect AI to have a large impact on 45% 59% +14 Leaders now expect AI to make a substantial grid capacity and reliability difference to the grid Expect AI to reduce national energy 12% 6% −6 Most now expect AI to add load before it use by 2030 saves energy Sensor deployment is the most 31% 24% −7 Attention is moving from gathering data important enabler of AI to governing it What barely moved Organizations that increased 85% 89% +4 Investment momentum continues for | AI investment | a second year | | Confident existing infrastructure | 52% | 52% | 0 | The sector remains split on grid readiness | | can meet AI-driven demand to 2030 | | Grid modernization is the top | 64% | 67% | +3 | The first choice again, by a wide margin | | investment to support AI growth | | Cybersecurity is the leading barrier | 41% | 43% | +2 | Remains the barrier leaders name most | | to AI adoption | | Grid management would gain most | 39% | 41% | +2 | Still the primary beneficiary for most | from shared data standards energy leaders Powering Possible 2026 39