About 40% of Energy Companies Now Use AI to Fuel Key Economic Drivers, New BRG Research Shows

Adoption is picking up in key areas like energy trading, resource forecasting and delivery, yet priorities diverge among fossil fuel and clean energy respondents

WASHINGTON – Surging data center power demand and overloaded grid systems are raising the stakes on energy producers’ implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)—but prominent obstacles and sector-specific divergences persist even as adoption grows, according to BRG’s new research report AI in Energy: A New Imperative.

Drawing on survey responses from leading energy executives around the world, the research finds AI implementation is growing quickly—95% of respondents report having implemented AI to a large or moderate extent—and delivering significant efficiency gains in areas like cybersecurity, energy trading and corporate functions. However, priorities diverge among fossil fuel and clean energy respondents, reflecting fissures that may point to where AI adoption is heading and what may be holding some organizations back.

“AI can make a measurable impact not only in cybersecurity and administrative functions but also energy trading, resource forecasting and delivery—all of which are critical economic value drivers for the industry,” said Christopher Goncalves, chair of BRG’s Energy & Climate practice. “Using AI to understand how to integrate resources optimally into an energy grid, as well as effectively see and respond to real-time insights, will drive tangible competitive advantages now and for years to come.”

Room for progress remains. Fewer than half (46%) of clean energy respondents, for instance, have implemented AI for resource forecasting, while just four in 10 have done so with regard to energy storage and delivery. Only about one-third of fossil fuel respondents have implemented AI in asset operations—and the oil and gas sector may not be prepared for widespread AI adoption in areas like reservoir and well-performance optimization and forecasting.

Top hurdles most likely to inhibit AI’s impact include cybersecurity and data privacy concerns (selected by 55% of all respondents), data availability, quality or accessibility issues (47%) and a lack of skilled talent (38%). As new data privacy and AI laws proliferate, only 41% of all respondents say their AI use policies are comprehensive and adaptable to regulatory changes.

The report’s release marks the second installment in BRG’s AI Industry Spotlight Series. Launched in November 2025 with a look at AI’s influence in the retail sector, this series is part of BRG’s broader research initiative exploring AI implementation, impact and risk across key industries. Upcoming editions will focus on financial institutions and healthcare, continuing BRG’s effort to deliver timely insights that help organizations unlock the value of AI.

To view BRG’s new research report, “AI in Energy: A New Imperative,” click here.

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