RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE
Evidence before
assumptions.
A focused reading room for the infrastructure decisions ahead. Each briefing separates published evidence from our planning interpretation.
01 · ENERGY SYSTEMS · 2026 FORECAST
Electricity demand changes the infrastructure brief.
3.6%IEA forecast average annual global electricity demand growth, 2026–2030.
The IEA’s Electricity 2026 report forecasts stronger demand and estimates that annual grid investment needs to rise roughly 50% by 2030 from a USD 400 billion baseline to meet forecast demand.
What to consider
Our interpretation: a project brief should distinguish the energy it needs from the connection capacity actually available. Investigate network interfaces, energisation timing and flexibility alongside generation choices.
Source: IEA, Electricity 2026, executive summary (2026 report). Forecasts depend on stated assumptions and may change; these figures are not a local network assessment.
Read the primary source →02 · CLIMATE RESILIENCE · 9 APRIL 2024
Resilience belongs in the first decisions.
The OECD’s Infrastructure for a Climate-Resilient Future recommends integrating climate resilience into infrastructure planning and decision-making.
What to consider
Our interpretation: ask which hazards, time horizons and service-continuity requirements should shape an option before committing to it. Document assumptions for specialist review rather than treating a generic checklist as evidence that a design is resilient.
Source: OECD, 9 April 2024. A policy and governance framework; not a substitute for local hazard data or qualified engineering review.
Read the primary source →03 · DIGITAL DELIVERY · REVIEWED 11 NOVEMBER 2026
Information has a lifecycle, too.
Bentley’s Infrastructure Cloud describes connecting engineering and construction information through asset delivery and operations.
What to consider
Our interpretation: ask who will operate the asset, what records they require and how those records remain usable after handover. Our planner includes an information-readiness prompt; it does not create a digital twin or connect to Bentley software.
Source: Bentley Systems product page, undated; reviewed 11 November 2026. Company positioning, not an independent performance test. No affiliation is implied.
Read the primary source →