Energy resilience and electrification: cornerstones of energy industry development

Ignacio Galán, the Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, returned this year to one of the most important events in the global economy: the Davos Forum 2026, organised by the World Economic Forum between 19 and 23 January. During his intervention, 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 talk. This energy resilience, in a world with an ever-growing demand for electricity, can be achieved through heavy investment in power transmission and distribution networks, as well as in generation through technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels. 

Iberdrola’s Executive Chairman highlighted the investment being undertaken by countries such as the United Kingdom, which has quadrupled its funding 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 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, whose objectives include a firm commitment to strengthening the path towards decarbonisation through a strong investment in upgrading and developing the electricity networks in these two regions.

Ignacio Galán closed by highlighting Europe's commitment to using power that is not sourced 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%. The company continues to work towards electrification to bring power generated from multiple sources closer to supply points.