Powering Possible 2026 report highlights contribution of AI to energy resilience

AI investment and adoption are accelerating across the energy industry as leaders increasingly recognise the potential for it to strengthen energy reliability and resilience in the current volatile environment, according to the third annual Powering Possible report from ADNOC, XRG and Microsoft

The report, entitled Energy Resilience in the Intelligence Era, highlights a significant shift from AI ambition to implementation, with AI delivering growing financial returns as well as creating new infrastructure challenges.

Key findings

• AI becomes a top corporate priority: 62% of energy leaders now rank AI among their top two priorities, up from 42% in 2025, while 89% report increased investment over the past year
• AI investments begin to deliver returns: 63% expect returns on existing investments to cover or exceed costs, rising to 89% for future investments
• Energy demand creates new infrastructure challenges: 74% expect AI to increase energy consumption by 2030, yet only 52% are confident existing infrastructure can meet AI-driven electricity demand – unchanged from 2025. Grid modernisation and smart-grid technologies are the leading investment priority for supporting AI growth, cited by 67% of respondents, followed by energy storage at 42%.
• Importance of energy reliability rises as a measure of AI value: 39% identify supply stability and reliability as AI's most important contribution, up from 26% in 2025, reflecting the current supply volatility. While the share giving cost savings as AI's leading contribution fell from 19% to 13%.
• AI has the potential to accelerate sustainable energy production: 71% of energy leaders expect AI to increase the speed at which the energy sector becomes more sustainable, alongside growing expectations that AI can strengthen resilience, efficiency and the ability to meet rising energy demand. 57% of respondents identify the optimisation of power flows, dispatch and balancing as the area where AI could make the greatest contribution to the energy transition.
• AI moves into everyday operations: The share of organisations deploying integrated agentic AI workflows more than doubled from 15% to 33%, while 60% are piloting or deploying robotics in physical operations, from inspecting infrastructure to performing hazardous tasks.

His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, ADNOC managing director and Group CEO and executive chairman of XRG said: “AI is creating significant new opportunities for the energy industry to drive greater value, strengthen resilience and improve safety and reliability. At ADNOC, we are embedding AI, robotics and advanced technology across our operations to optimize every barrel, every molecule and every megawatt we produce. As AI scales, energy and technology must advance together.”

Brad Smith, vice chair and president, Microsoft, added, “As AI becomes embedded in the sectors that underpin the global economy, the measure of progress will not be adoption alone, but whether it delivers lasting value while earning public trust. In the energy sector, where reliability and security are fundamental, that requires strong governance, clear accountability and sustained investment in people and skills. Innovation at scale must be matched by responsibility at the same scale.”

The findings underline the need for investment in energy and digital infrastructure to advance together, backed by strong cybersecurity, trusted AI-ready data, common standards, sound governance and a skilled workforce, so AI can be deployed safely and reliably at scale.

Powering Possible 2026 is being published ahead of the fourth ENACT Majlis in Abu Dhabi and ADIPEC 2026 and is based on a survey of almost 400 senior energy and finance leaders.