Celebrating 100 Years of Impact in Energy

Celebrating 100 Years of Impact in Energy 

The World Energy Council today launched its Centenary Celebrations to commemorate 100 years of delivering impact in energy and shaping the next 100 years of progress. The Council was formed in 1923, ahead of the first World Power Conference which took place in London the following year.  

Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General and CEO at the World Energy Council, said: 

“Few organisations stand the test of time and remain relevant like the World Energy Council. What we have learned from the last 100 years, from an era of energy for peace and prosperity to today’s era of energy for people and planet, is the importance of our organisation’s commitment to independence, impartiality, and innovation to delivering real, lasting impact and progressing successful energy transitions. That is why this Centenary is so momentous; it serves as an opportunity for both celebration and activation as we redesign energy for billions of better lives and a healthy planet.” 

The World Energy Council has been convening global energy leaders in constructive and collaborative dialogue since the first World Power Conference in 1924 and was the first organisation to connect social equity and energy interests in the 1930s. We have driven progress on renewable energy for more than 70 years, since well before governments began investing in research facilities and delivering policies to promote its usage.  

The Council established the world’s first Future Energy Leaders programme over 40 years ago, and our practical World Energy Trilemma has helped measure and manage progress on energy transition by connecting energy security, affordability and sustainability for more than 15 years. Today, it is shaping and informing energy policy in over 120 countries.  

From its first gathering of 41 countries, the Council’s global impact network today works collaboratively in nearly 100 countries, progressing solutions, inspiring leadership action and promoting the sustainable supply and use of energy across the world.   

Through our Humanising Energy vision, we further the role of societal transformation at the heart of clean and inclusive energy transitions. We continue to deliver impactful solutions thanks to our unique position as the impartial and pragmatic voice of the global energy agenda with an unmatched convening power. We bring together global leaders and practitioners from across the full energy ecosystem at the World Energy Congress to drive forward solutions for redesigning energy to meet the needs of modern communities.   

The World Energy Council was formed by visionary leadership in the aftermath of the First World War to serve as a neutral forum for a world energy system reeling from the shocks of conflict. The guiding ethos was to rebuild and revitalise energy systems for peace and to the benefit of all. 

For 100 years the Council has successfully delivered on this foundational goal, weathering international crises and political turmoil in the pursuit of energy systems designed for people and planet. Our Centenary Celebrations are a momentous opportunity to not only reflect upon these achievements, but to bring people together as we look forward to another 100 years of impact. 

Centenary Celebrations will take place across the Council’s worldwide network in the form of convenings, impact projects, and collaborative events between members of the Council and business leaders, policymakers and innovators. Notably, celebrations will take place throughout the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, 22-25 April 2024 – 100 years after the first ever World Power Conference.  

Read more about the Council’s rich and unique history and access archival material from throughout the last century of impact here