The Biggest Grid Challenge Is No Longer Renewables. It’s AI. | Philippe Adam, CIGRE

Integrating renewables is virtually solved. The biggest challenge now is powering data centers and AI. Recorded at CIGRE 2026 in Paris, this APC Media power panel features Philippe Adam, Secretary General of CIGRE, joining us on the APC Media platform at the flagship session.

Electricity will remain the main vehicle for power, but the actors are changing. With 5,500 delegates from almost 100 countries, up 1,000 since 2024, plus new members like Microsoft and Amazon, CIGRE is now where grids, vendors, TSOs and large power users meet to solve connection queues, long build times and AI load growth.

Key topics covered:

• Renewables integration is virtually solved with backup, storage, flexibility on generation and consumption, and interconnection
• Inverter based resources no longer block the grid, with inertia and short circuit protection addressed through tests and implemented projects
• Data centers are rewriting grid rules by building own gas supply, operating isolated, then offering extra power back to the TSO
• CIGRE and IEC remain tightly linked from 1921 origins with 330 delegates to joint events and governing body integration today
• CIGRE 2026 set records for delegates and exhibitors, with a queue for 2028 and a first ever visit by the French Minister of Industry

In this video:

Philippe Adam – Secretary General of CIGRE