Energy resilience and electrification: pillars of energy sector development

The Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, Ignacio Galán, attended one of the most important events in the global economy for another year, the Davos Forum 2026, organised by the World Economic Forum between 19 and 23 January. During his participation, he had the opportunity to speak to CNBC about the challenges currently facing the energy sector.

Energy autonomy was one of the main topics of conversation, its importance having grown in recent years as a synonym for security, as Galán explained during his speech. This energy resilience, in a world with an ever-growing demand for electricity, can be achieved through heavy investment in electricity transmission and distribution networks, as well as in generation through technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels. 

The Iberdrola chairman highlighted the investment being made by countries such as the United Kingdom, which has quadrupled its investment in networks, and the United States, where some states have also doubled or tripled their commitment to electrification. This trend towards the electrification of industry is fully in line with Iberdrola's Strategic Plan 2025-2028, whose objectives include a firm commitment to strengthening the path towards decarbonisation through a strong commitment to upgrading and developing the electricity networks in these two regions.

Finally, Ignacio Galán highlighted Europe's commitment to energy consumption that does not come from fossil fuels, where 50% of energy already comes from renewable sources, and nuclear energy, which contributes to decarbonisation targets that are currently close to 40%. In this regard, the company continues to work towards electrification to bring electricity generated from multiple sources closer to supply points.