Strategic Conference

Building resilient power and water systems for a rapidly electrifying world

Electricity is becoming the foundation of the global economy. The global electrification ambition is to increase the share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20% today to 35% by 2035, signaling a fundamental shift in how economies are powered. As electrification accelerates across industry, transport, buildings and digital infrastructure - and AI and data centres drive new demand - power and water systems are moving to the centre of energy security, industrial competitiveness and sustainable growth. The defining question for governments and utilities is no longer only how to decarbonise, but how to deliver secure, affordable and reliable power and water at unprecedented speed and scale. Meeting that challenge will draw on every available resource: renewables and storage, modern and expanded grids, and firm, dispatchable generation from gas and nuclear. In an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape, governments and industry are prioritising diversification, resilience and technology-neutral pathways that keep systems both competitive and clean.

Delivering electrification at scale will require rapid infrastructure expansion and modernisation. Grid constraints, from transformer and cable lead times to interconnection backlogs and concentrated supply chains, are already limiting delivery. Expanding networks, scaling storage and flexibility, securing critical equipment and integrating distributed and firm generation will require sustained investment, stronger interconnections and modern regulation.

As investment reaches record levels, affordability and social licence are becoming equally critical. Rising costs and major capital programmes make fair cost allocation between large new loads, such as data centres, and existing customers increasingly important. Fair tariffs, transparency and fit-for-purpose utility models will be essential to maintaining public and customer support.

Water security is equally strategic, particularly in arid and water-stressed regions. The Gulf produces around 40% of the world’s desalinated water, making integrated energy-water planning, investment and regional collaboration critical to long-term resilience.

The World Utilities Congress 2027 Strategic Conference brings together governments, utilities, investors and technology leaders to address these interconnected priorities. Through cross-sector collaboration and clear delivery pathways, the conference aligns policy, capital and capability to accelerate secure, competitive, affordable and resilient power and water systems.

STRATEGIC CONFERENCE THEMES

Electrification is reshaping the energy landscape, creating a pathway to energy security, competitiveness and growth. Global efforts aim to raise electricity’s share of final energy consumption from just over 20% today to 35% by 2035, while emerging economies drive nearly 80% of additional electricity demand through 2030. Demand across industry, transport, buildings, AI and data centres strengthens the case for resilient systems. World Energy Forum’s Energy Transition Index 2026 found only 24% improved across security, sustainability and affordability, requiring investment in renewables, storage, grids and firm generation.

Infrastructure is a strategic asset for energy security, industrial competitiveness and national resilience. As populations expand, economies electrify and advanced industries increase demand, critical systems must adapt to change, withstand disruption and maintain essential services. Climate extremes, cyber threats, geopolitical instability, ageing assets and supply-chain vulnerabilities are reshaping infrastructure planning and operations. Embedding resilience early is more cost-effective than retrofitting or recovering from failures. Future-ready infrastructure requires interconnected grids, resilient water systems, diversified supply chains, digital intelligence and strategic redundancy to anticipate disruption, withstand shocks and recover rapidly.

As variable renewables scale and AI and electrification drive demand, firm, dispatchable capacity is central to system planning. Natural gas and nuclear complement renewables, providing reliable baseload and flexible capacity for system stability. Heavy-duty gas turbines are largely sold out through the decade, while nuclear gains momentum through life extensions, small modular reactors (SMRs) and direct procurement by technology companies to power AI. For the Gulf, operating nuclear capacity and abundant gas offer an opportunity to strengthen energy security and support competitive, lower-carbon electricity systems.

Innovation is redefining how utilities plan, operate and optimise increasingly complex energy systems. As renewables, distributed energy resources and rising demand reshape power systems, flexibility and intelligence are critical to reliability, affordability and competitiveness. AI, analytics, digital twins and real-time sensing enable utilities to optimise assets and anticipate needs, while storage, smart grids and demand flexibility balance supply and demand. Customers are becoming active participants through generation, flexible demand, EVs, smart tariffs and virtual power plants. Scaling innovation requires digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, skilled workforces and enabling market frameworks.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the relationship between energy, water and digital infrastructure. According to the IEA, technology companies invested more than US$400 billion in 2025, with capital expenditure expected to rise 75% in 2026, while data-centre electricity demand grew 17% in 2025. Data centres consume electricity at country scale and place growing demands on water for cooling and critical minerals. Balancing demand with firm low-carbon power, water stewardship and local economic benefit requires governments, utilities and technology leaders to accelerate investment, transparency and cross-sector collaboration.

Water security is emerging as a defining challenge of the energy transition, especially in water-stressed, fast-growing regions. Rising demand from population growth, urbanisation, industry, data centres and the digital economy is straining constrained resources, while climate change intensifies variability and supply risk. World Bank expects global water demand to exceed supply by 40% by 2030. Utilities lead water management desalination, wastewater reuse, energy-efficient treatment and energy-water integration. Scaling investment, regulation and innovation are essential for resilient reuse, circularity and energy efficiency.

Record investment and rising costs are making affordability and social licence as important as engineering and finance. As utilities increase capital spending, key questions are who pays and how costs are allocated, especially between data centres and existing consumers. Rising bills, tariff structures, subsidies and cost competitiveness shape political support and investment. Sustaining the buildout requires transparent cost allocation, fair tariff design, targeted support for vulnerable customers, and utility models rewarding efficiency and outcomes while keeping power and water affordable and maintaining trust.

Delivering the transition at scale will depend on capital and collaboration as much as technology. Financing costs and geopolitical uncertainty are steering capital towards stable markets, mature technologies and bankable projects, while emerging markets face barriers to investment. Global energy investment reached a record US$3.3 trillion in 2025, yet power systems alone require well over US$1 trillion annually through 2030. Stronger public–private partnerships, blended finance, multilateral collaboration and clear policies are essential to reduce risk, mobilise capital and accelerate resilient, investable delivery.

Policy and regulation are increasingly decisive in shaping competitive, resilient and investable energy systems. As countries balance security, affordability and decarbonisation, clear, stable frameworks are essential to unlocking investment and accelerating delivery, while uncertainty and fragmented market design remain barriers, especially in emerging markets. Effective market design, streamlined permitting, faster interconnection, coordinated infrastructure planning and long-term signals for grid, firm and renewable capacity are critical. Aligning industrial, trade and energy policy can strengthen domestic capability, secure supply chains and reduce regulatory bottlenecks.

Delivering the transition at scale depends not only on technology and capital, but on a skilled, adaptable and future-ready workforce. Rapid expansion across renewables, firm generation, grids, digital systems and water technologies is driving demand for new capabilities in engineering, digitalisation and system operations. IRENA estimates the global energy workforce could exceed 40 million by 2050, with many requiring new or upgraded skills. Utilities, governments and industry must build inclusive talent pipelines, strengthen technical training and attract future professionals, enabling faster deployment and a just transition.