Accenture: The AI-Driven Road to Energy Decarbonisation

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global energy demand will increase by 80% by 2050, presenting challenges for the energy sector.

However, the IEA says that AI can unlock major efficiency and operational gains for the energy sector, including reducing costs, enhancing supply and lowering emissions.

Global consulting company Accenture has released its 2025 'Powered for Change' report, which shows how businesses can work towards decarbonisation through cost-efficient and AI-driven projects.

Multigenerational infrastructure approach

In the report, Accenture has proposed a multigenerational approach for infrastructure projects.

This involves companies looking ahead whilst working on their projects, which can lead to a decrease in cost over time.

The report shows that up to 75% of current decarbonisation plans are focused on short-term projects that provide immediate results.

Accenture says that this approach increases both cost and risk in the long term, especially in decarbonisation.

The multigenerational approach works by developing products, services or technologies only once, with future projects improving upon the last.

This means that projects use a flexible, repeatable design that can be continually upgraded and modernised, driving down costs and allocating more resources to low-carbon solutions.

This approach could allow companies to reduce their carbon footprint and adapt and thrive in an unpredictable business landscape.

Accenture has identified four main components that are essential to enabling the multigenerational approach:

• Scale efficient, resilient supply chains
• Foster community support and customer demand
• Reinvent talent, skilling and workflows
• Establish a strong digital core to power AI learnings.

Companies that embed solutions in these areas will deliver short-term results, whilst laying the foundation for long-term advantage, the report says.

Digital transformation and AI

The Powered for Change report highlights the need for companies to have a strong digital presence at the core of their energy projects.

The report says that "many industrial decarbonisation efforts stall due to outdated, fragmented digital systems that fail to capture and apply continuous learning across projects".

By utilising AI within their projects, companies can help automate processes, optimise operations and accelerate decarbonisation.

Accenture encourages businesses to build digital ecosystems that improve workforce collaboration and increase regulatory and ESG compliance.

AI agents can be used to automate decision-making, forecast risks and create fewer project delays, which leads to greater project success rates.

Stephanie Jamison, Sustainability Services Lead at Accenture, says: "Our research shows that bold reinvention changes the economics of decarbonisation.

"Companies can drastically reduce capital expenditure across iterations.

"And AI and gen AI can amplify its effects by capturing learnings across projects and delivering exponential returns."

Strategic supply chain resilience

Accenture claims that short-term procurement leads to inefficiencies in the supply chain.

The solution is resilient supply chains, which can enable the implementation of clean energy infrastructure without disruptions or cost spikes.

Accenture's report says that companies can build long-term supply chain partnerships through strategic investments.

This is expected to lead to a 30-50% cost reduction over successive projects, as well as more reliable and efficient operations.

The report also recommends that companies advocate for and invest in local manufacturing hubs to increase the predictability of their supply and limit geopolitical risk.

According to Accenture, this can bring competitive advantages across project portfolios and increase access to low-carbon power.

"The journey to net zero demands more than one breakthrough," Stephanie says.

"It calls for sustained progress over generations of build that significantly improves the business case."