World Energy Issues Monitor | 2017

Issues Monitor 2017:  Top global energy agenda for emerging disruptive trends and technologies

The 2017 Issue Monitor highlights shifting priorities in the energy sector with an increasing impetus towards a lower carbon future. Disruptive technologies including renewable energies and energy efficiency are impacting top action priorities for energy leaders globally in 2017.

More than 1,200 energy leaders in 95 countries responded to the Issues Monitor survey, identifying renewables with high in impact within every region surveyed. Solar has seen immense growth in installed capacity reaching 227GW by the end of 2015, while global wind power generation capacity increased at a rate of 17.2% in 2015.

In its eighth year, The World Energy Issues Monitor 2017: ‘Exposing the new energy realities’ published by the World Energy Council, provides a snapshot of the current priorities, facing global energy leaders.

Dr Christoph Frei, Secretary General of the Council said: “Our survey shows that energy leaders face and acknowledge disruptive change. The Issues Monitor illustrates that innovation issues such as digitalisation, decentralisation, innovative market design or electric storage rapidly gain traction, while a more difficult growth context and new physical and digital risks are posing ever greater threats to the energy sector. Today defining the energy agenda globally, five years ago these issues were far from being a priority.”

Other findings in 2017 include:

• Commodity price volatility remains number one critical uncertainty
• A shift in economic growth – slow global growth puts greater uncertainty around primary energy demand
• Shifts in geopolitical power – due to a renewed focus on US policy, Brexit and uncertainty over EU cohesion
• New physical and virtual risks – Cyber-attacks are posing ever greater threats to the energy sector
• Talent acquisition and retention will become a major focus as new technologies continue to reshape the energy industry 

Dr Frei commented: “The survey indeed illustrates the tensions that emerge against the context of the grand energy transition. The report does not find reasons why the current high dynamics in the energy sector would slow down. How the different regions decide to address the challenges and tensions identified in our report will define the agendas for the future.”