The global political landscape "complicates" the progress of the energy transition, Granholm and Wolf warn.

 

The former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M Granholm, offered an optimistic perspective on the energy sector management, despite the sharp increase in demand driven, among other factors, by the Artificial Intelligence (AI)Granholm highlighted that projections indicate sufficient capacity to meet this demand, noting the significant progress in both the European Union and the United States in adding capacity to the grid, with the expectation that North America will incorporate around 230 additional gigawatts by 2030.

 

However, the expert warned about the urgent need to modernize electricity grids and the crucial role of AI. "It is anticipated that the Household electricity bills are expected to increase by around 20% by 2030This is partly due to the necessary investments in distribution and transmission, in a context where the effective network capacity is barely around 15%. To counteract this, AI is presented as a key factor, capable of speed up the operation of the electrical systemGranholm emphasized that "if we can leverage grid optimization technologies and AI-based tools to better manage energy flows, we will be able to..." extract much more performance from existing infrastructure«.

 

For its part, Martin Wolf, deputy editor and economics columnist at the Financial Times, focused his analysis on the volatile global economic situation and its profound geopolitical implicationsHe acknowledged the existence of a "genuine revolution in the field of energy," but lamented its pace, which he described as "slower than desirable" from a climate perspective, especially due to the slowdown observed under the current US administration.

 

The journalist highlighted a profound transformation in geopolitical history, pointing to a possible point of no return Regarding the role of the United States in the world, in the context of the trade war, he stated that "it can be said that China has not lost; perhaps we don't yet know if it has won, but it certainly has not been defeated."

 

Wolf expressed deep concern about the rise of populism: "We are watching with concern how The international order is increasingly disrupted by the rise of populisma phenomenon that has historically proven to be very damaging to economies.” The expert warned that “if this revolution continues its course, its effects will be very negative for the economic outlook and will have major political consequences."

 

In this context, Wolf criticized the stance of a US administration that, according to him, has shown a "very aggressive attitude toward science" and treats its allies "like vassals," creating a "much more aggressive" international environment. more hostile and complexespecially for Europe."

 

Finally, the columnist of Financial Times He pointed to the economic uncertainties exacerbated by trade policies based on discriminatory, variable, unpredictable and unstable tariffsThese policies "make business decision-making extremely difficult and they weigh down the global economy in the long termFurthermore, he warned about the "real risk of a decline in global trade"And he recalled the climate risk, with temperatures already exceeding..." $1.5\text{ ° C}$ above preindustrial levels.

 

The session was opened by Rafael Villaseca, president of the Naturgy Foundation, who emphasized the Foundation's commitment to disseminating knowledge to "enrich society and support a improved decision-making in this strategic sectorVillaseca concluded the opening by pointing out the significant fractures within the European position and the accentuation of differences with the United States regarding energy challenges, which entails "important economic and strategic consequences."