Energy's path to enterprise-wide tech transformation

Energy companies are moving quickly on emerging technologies, but in many cases, innovation isn’t occurring at the scale required to deliver business results. Ongoing cost pressures often force IT teams to focus on maintaining existing operations rather than innovating. At the same time, volatility and long planning cycles can delay scaling new initiatives.

The KPMG Global Tech Report 2026 surveyed 2,500 executives from 27 countries, including 100 executives from energy businesses in the US. The findings highlight where the energy sector has opportunities to scale further and outline actions leaders can take over the next 12 months.

Key takeaways:

• 94 percent say investing in advanced technologies will be their primary driver of competitive advantage over the next three years.
• At the most advanced stages of implementation, the energy sector trails other industries in data and analytics (45 percent versus 60 percent), artificial intelligence (AI) and automation (52 percent versus 57 percent), and cybersecurity (44 percent versus 61 percent).
• 61 percent say market, regulatory, and technology shifts have significant potential to affect them, and 53 percent say ineffective forecasting or scenario planning frequently has negative consequences.
• 67 percent say speed to market is a priority even if it means being more flexible with security, and 23 percent say they’re investing rapidly in AI but not implementing risk focused policies and guardrails at the same pace.
• Three moves for the next 12 months include building the foundations for enterprise level digital adoption, strengthening scenario planning and data driven decision making, and reinforcing governance earlier with clearer AI guardrails.

Download the full report, How energy can scale advanced tech safely, for complete findings and strategies to capture your share of the value.