Research
Report: The New Energy Economy
How utilities are moving beyond the energy transition to manage complexity, demand and disruption
July 14, 2025
THE ENERGY TRANSITION IS OVER. WHAT COMES NEXT IS HARDER.
Utilities aren’t debating whether to decarbonize or modernize anymore—they’re trying to keep up. Demand is surging, policies are shifting, and new technologies like AI are becoming essential infrastructure.
But here’s the problem: Knowing what to do isn’t the issue. Doing it is.
Utilities are under pressure from all sides:
- Infrastructure is straining under the surge in demand from data centers, EVs, and extreme weather.
- AI and digital tools are gaining traction, but scaling them across operations remains a struggle.
- Regulatory strategies often miss the mark on what matters most: reliability and safety.
If you’re facing friction between strategy and execution, you’re not alone. Most utility leaders are stuck in the same place: high ambition, low readiness.
This report explores what separates the leaders from the laggards—and what to do next.
Download West Monroe’s Research Report to learn:
✓ Why most utilities struggle to meet state decarbonization goals—even when they know what to do
✓ How leading utilities are scaling AI for real ROI, not pilot paralysis
✓ How to build a regulatory case that gets approved—by leading with what regulators value most
Collaborators: Paul DeCotis, Margaret Oloriz, Estelle Mangeney, Andrew Biondi
