The Aims of Schneider Electric’s Energy Technology Coalition

In today’s energy landscape, many investments are being put into increasing the electricity supply to meet the demands of data centres and growing populations.

To help accelerate the adoption of new technologies, the Energy Technology Coalition has been launched, bringing together global decision makers and experts.

The Coalition is co-chaired by Schneider Electric and Bloomberg New Economy, with the aim of making energy consumption more efficient, resilient and responsive.

About the Coalition

The Energy Technology Coalition will call together leaders from across energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.

Its aim is to identify where and why the deployment of demand-side technologies, such as AI-enabled grid management, digital twins and industrial automation systems, has been slow.

It will explore how AI and other emerging technologies can provide solutions to optimise energy use and improve responsiveness of the power grid.

This aims to enable the integration of more energy sources, including the use of clean power.

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.”

All sustainability, net zero and sustainable supply chain leaders should attend:

• Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit - QEII Centre, London, March 4-5
• Sustainability LIVE: The US Summit - Navy Pier, Chicago, April 21-22

Co-located with Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, these events brings together CSOs, ESG leaders and senior decision-makers at a moment when sustainability, supply chains and commercial performance are increasingly interconnected.

Tickets can be booked online today for The Net Zero Summit and The US Summit. Group discounts available.

Why now?

The transformation required to meet global energy demand is a big challenge, however it presents a notable economic opportunity.

The invitation-only Coalition is a working group that aims to help companies, cities and countries navigate the current energy landscape.

It focuses on deploying new technologies, while evaluating what is working and what isn’t in the energy transition, and the factors that are being overlooked.

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.”

A push for smarter energy

Electricity demand is forecast to grow 34% in the next 10 years and 75% by 2050, according to Bloomberg New Economy’s New Energy Outlook 2025.

It says that global electricity demand is entering a period of sustained, structural growth, so infrastructure must evolve to meet it.

The world’s electricity grids must meet loads from electric vehicles, industrial electrification, digitalisation and the rise in AI use.

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

Bloomberg New Economy says that it will be a challenge to meet energy demand, let alone meeting it with a clean energy supply.

The solution, it says, is to make demand “smarter”, which involves combining efficiency with flexibility.

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

Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric, said 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.”