AI poses new challenge for global electricity networks: CIGRE

MUSCAT: Artificial intelligence is presenting electricity networks with a new challenge, offering opportunities to improve grid efficiency while simultaneously driving additional demand for power, a senior international electricity official said in Muscat on Monday.

Philippe Adam, Secretary General of CIGRE, the International Council on Large Electric Systems, said the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, renewable energy and electrification was changing the demands placed on electricity infrastructure worldwide.

Addressing the GCC POWER 2026 conference, Adam highlighted a growing paradox facing the industry: artificial intelligence can help optimise power systems, but its expanding use also creates substantial new electricity demand.

He said the challenge comes as electricity networks are already adapting to rising consumption, digitalisation, climate-related risks and the increasing integration of renewable energy.

Addressing these pressures would require stronger international cooperation, faster innovation and continued investment in developing the next generation of electricity professionals, he added.

Adam identified the Gulf as a region undergoing significant changes in its electricity sector, supported by investments in renewable energy, grid infrastructure, regional interconnections and digital technologies.

He said the region also had valuable operational experience to share with the international electricity community, particularly in managing power systems under high temperatures, responding to rapidly growing demand and integrating renewable energy into existing networks.

The GCC electricity interconnection, he said, demonstrated what regional cooperation could achieve in strengthening power systems.

Adam also highlighted the importance of exchanging operational experience between electricity operators, particularly as power systems become more interconnected and face increasingly complex technical challenges.

Referring to discussions at CIGRE’s 2026 Paris Session, he said electricity regulation would need to be reconsidered in response to the growing risks and uncertainties associated with electrification.

The international gathering also examined how artificial intelligence could improve electricity networks while creating additional pressure on power supply.

Adam said CIGRE, founded in 1921, now brings together approximately 25,000 individual and collective members from more than 140 countries, supported by 61 national committees, 16 study committees and around 330 working groups.

The organisation provides a platform for technical cooperation, research and knowledge exchange aimed at improving the reliability, efficiency, sustainability and resilience of electricity systems.

He described GCC POWER as an important meeting point for electricity professionals from the Gulf and beyond, providing opportunities to exchange experience and address common industry challenges.

Adam thanked the CIGRE National Committee of the Arab States of the Gulf and Oman Electricity Transmission Company, the conference host, for supporting the event.

The conference, held in Muscat on November 2–4, brings together electricity industry specialists, policymakers and technology providers to discuss developments affecting the region’s power infrastructure.