At the Portfolio Energy Investment Forum, Veres Zsolt, country manager of Schneider Electric Magyarország, argued that the energy industry is poised for a step change driven by AI, IT and electrification — a development he called “energy intelligence.” According to Veres, this approach means systems will not only report faults but predict and prevent failures, and when prevention is not possible, respond faster than any human operator.
The forces accelerating change
Veres identified three major accelerators that will shape energy markets in the coming years:
- the new energy era
- digitalisation and artificial intelligence
- a multipolar world
Together these forces are shifting the traditional operating model of the sector.
Global electrification figures
Veres highlighted comparative electrification rates among large economies: China currently has the highest share at 28%, followed by the United States at 23% and the European Union at 22%. Projections cited in his remarks indicate these shares could rise by 2035 to 37.7% for China, 31.2% for the EU and 27.2% for the US.
Europe’s electricity demand and grid investment needs
Referencing International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts, Veres noted that Europe’s electricity demand — which had been on a declining trend since 2010 with short-term fluctuations — may switch to a clear increase in the coming years. To keep pace with demand growth driven by industry, transport, buildings and data centres, annual grid investment levels must be doubled.
What energy intelligence entails in practice
Energy intelligence can deliver improvements across optimization (software and services), operations (edge control & computing) and deployment (intelligent devices). A data ecosystem made up of enterprise, operational and field data, together with AI applied at all levels, enables these changes.
The traditional model — monitoring and reactivity, siloed systems, manual control and response times measured in minutes — can be transformed into systems characterized by prediction and prevention, a unified situational picture, autonomous operations and millisecond response times.
Creating an ecosystem
The aim is not merely to connect systems but to build an ecosystem where AI, data and people work seamlessly together. The envisaged digitalised, automated and electrified ecosystem would include homes, buildings, data centres, industry and infrastructure, enabling development across all stakeholder groups.
Related event
Portfolio Investment Day 2026 will take place on October 21, featuring market experts discussing investor concerns such as the outlook for AI-driven market moves, likely winners in coming years, expectations for equities, bonds, commodities and crypto markets, and portfolio construction in a fast-changing world.
Tags: green world, energy, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, energy investment forum, Schneider Electric, AI, energy markets, green transition, electrification
