AI for Energy Systems
Unlocking sustainable AI for a resilient energy transformation
This report explores how strategically deploying artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across energy systems can help to deliver significant economic and environmental benefits.
AI: Powering smarter, stronger and sustainable Energy Systems
Energy systems face mounting challenges, including rising demand to environmental concerns and the need for enhanced resilience.
AI offers a key solution that can transform energy systems while saving substantially more energy than it consumes. By optimising operations and enhancing system reliability, AI can help drive energy efficiency, cost savings, and emission reductions.
By 2050, AI could save almost 12,000 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy, and unlock nearly US$500 billion in cost reductions, and avoid substantial annual emissions.
Potential benefits by 2030
TWh
Annual energy savings enabled by AI by 2030—triple its projected use.
Annual cost savings from AI integration by 2030.
Annual emissions avoided through AI adoption by 2030.
Projected impact of AI across 2030-2050: energy savings, economic benefits and sustainability
Key Considerations for integrating AI
Energy companies and industrial manufacturers
Energy and industrial manufacturing companies are the main drivers of AI deployment as the end-users and owners of operational data. Prioritising high-quality data, cybersecurity and governance can help with implementation, while investing in scalable applications like AI-driven asset optimisation, predictive maintenance and real-time system balancing can help to generate rapid returns and resilience.
Technology companies
Technology companies are among the engines of AI innovation and key to tailoring to the needs of the energy sector. By investing in complementary technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twins and collaborating with energy and industrial manufacturing companies they can provide solutions for grid stability, demand forecasting, and predictive maintenance.
Financial services providers
Financial services providers are important for scaling sustainable and resilient AI-driven innovation. They can support the deployment of sustainable, sovereign AI in energy projects that adopt leading efficiency standards and flexible grid integration by deploying innovative financing instruments, such as green and sustainability-linked bonds, concessional loans, and mezzanine financing mechanisms.
Governments and policymakers
Governments and policymakers can play an important role in creating the conditions for responsible sovereign AI adoption in energy systems. By establishing standards, harmonising secure data-sharing, investing in high-quality datasets, building local capacity through education and public-private partnerships, and maintaining flexible regulatory frameworks, they can accelerate innovation in AI and its adoption.
"Beyond its role as an energy consumer, AI can serve as a powerful ally to increasingly complex energy systems, generating greater energy savings than its own use and unlocking significant economic and environmental benefits."
- Bernhard Lorentz, Deloitte Global Climate & Infrastructure leader
