Schneider & Bloomberg Aim to Future-Proof Global Building

In the current energy landscape, significant investments are being directed towards increasing electricity supply to satisfy the demands of data centres and growing populations.

To assist in accelerating the adoption of new technologies, the Energy Technology Coalition has been launched to bring together global decision makers and experts. This coalition is co-chaired by Schneider Electric and Bloomberg New Economy with the objective of making energy consumption more efficient, resilient and responsive.

The Energy Technology Coalition intends to call together leaders from across the energy, technology and infrastructure sectors. Its specific aim is to identify where and why the deployment of demand-side technologies has been slow.

These technologies include AI-enabled grid management, digital twins and industrial automation systems. The group will also explore how artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could provide solutions to optimise energy use and improve the responsiveness of the power grid.

Through these efforts, the organisation aims to enable the integration of more energy sources, including the use of clean power.

Collaboration for infrastructure resilience

Frédéric Godemel, Executive Vice President, Energy Management at Schneider Electric, says: “Building a resilient and affordable energy future requires strong collaboration across the technology and energy sectors.

“By working together and leveraging innovations like AI and digital twins, we can strengthen the grid, improve reliability and make energy more accessible and cost-effective for everyone.

“Schneider Electric is committed to partnering with industry leaders to deliver solutions that support economic growth and ensure our energy infrastructure can meet the demands of tomorrow, which is why we’re excited to play a part in this new coalition.”

The transformation required to meet global energy demand represents a significant challenge but it also presents a notable economic opportunity. This invitation-only Coalition operates as a working group that aims to help companies, cities and countries navigate the evolving energy landscape.

It focuses on the deployment of new technologies while evaluating what is working and what is contributing to success in the energy transition, alongside factors that may be currently overlooked.

Meeting digital infrastructure demands

Karen Saltser, CEO of Bloomberg Media, says: “We are witnessing a critical moment where digital infrastructure and energy systems are converging at an accelerating pace.

“It’s clear the world would benefit from coordinated action to ensure that surging AI and compute demands are met with clean, resilient and efficient energy for generations to come.

“By bringing together the best minds in this industry, the Energy Technology Coalition will help catalyse new innovations, partnerships and policies needed to power the future responsibly.”

Electricity demand is forecast to grow 34% in the next 10 years and 75% by 2050, according to data from Bloomberg New Economy’s New Energy Outlook 2025. The report suggests that global electricity demand is starting a period of sustained, structural growth.

Consequently, infrastructure must evolve to meet these requirements. The world’s electricity grids face the task of meeting loads from electric vehicles, industrial electrification, digitalisation and the increase in AI usage.

Furthermore, emerging markets are expanding access and adding new demand in areas where more than one billion people still lack reliable access to power.

Technologies for smarter energy

Bloomberg New Economy notes that meeting energy demand will be a challenge, particularly regarding meeting it with a clean energy supply. The proposed solution is to make demand “smarter”, an approach which involves combining efficiency with flexibility.

This strategy involves encouraging the adoption of clean energy technologies and expanding grids to meet rising energy demand.

Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric, says on LinkedIn: “Every conversation about AI eventually leads back to energy, not how much we need, but how wisely we use it.

“The more energy is demanded from our grid, the more important energy technology becomes.

“When energy is made to be more intelligent, we can make practical improvements in how it is managed. Buildings consume less electricity, microgrids create more resilience, digital twins visualise richer data for superior pre-construction planning.”