Insights in the Energy sector – All energy 2026

On Wednesday morning, I arrived at the SEC Exhibition Way in Glasgow to attend the All Energy Conference. It felt like stepping into a beehive – the excitement was palpable, with the venue already busy with people networking and exchanging ideas. This year marked the 25th anniversary of All Energy, which brings together the UK’s renewable and low‑carbon energy community. 

Unfortunately, I missed the chance to enter the main hall to hear Michael Shanks MP Minister for Energy, Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. However, I was still able to catch his fireside chat, on a screen at one of the stands. He highlighted the need to work in partnership and focus on delivery rather than processes. He also noted that future energy needs must be considered when planning the energy mix.  

The event gave a useful understanding of current industry trends. Especially, how businesses are working towards reaching clean energy goals by 2030. Here are my key takeaways: 

It’s not about competing technologies, but working together 

Everyone I spoke to shared the same clear message: meeting the 2030 targets will require a mix of energy solutions, rather than different technologies competing with each other. 

At the “State of the Hydrogen Industry in Scotland” session, speakers highlighted the important role hydrogen can play, especially in areas where switching to electricity is more difficult. While 2025 was seen as a tough year for the sector, there was strong confidence about future opportunities. 

They also said the hydrogen sector is quite complex because it’s still new, and that more investment is needed in research and development. Scottish Enterprise pointed to its SHINe project, which supports hydrogen innovation across Scotland. 

Skill transition 

A key theme throughout the conference was that no one should be left behind in the transition to clean energy. There is a clear need to upskill the workforce to adapt to emerging technologies. 

Speakers noted that the UK already has a strong supply chain, but it needs to evolve to close the skills gap in engineering and technical roles. This creates opportunities for both existing professionals and people entering the workforce. 

Grid modernisation and flexibility 

One of the biggest challenges raised was the need to upgrade the electricity grid to support more renewable energy. 

Transporting and storing energy remain difficult and can affect energy prices. While progress has been made, there is still more work to do to improve the system. There are strong opportunities to: 

Community engagement is key 

Many sessions highlighted the importance of engaging communities early in the development of energy projects.  

Good planning is important, such as carrying out studies to: 

Building trust and showing clear local benefits can help reduce concerns and support long-term success. 

Challenges but mainly opportunities 

Despite the challenges discussed, the overall tone of the conference was optimistic. 

During the session “Clean Power 2030: Are We Still on Track?”, Esbjörn Wilmar, Vice President of Boralex, suggested that the 2030 targets may not be met. However, he expressed confidence that they could be achieved by 2035 if the pace of project development increases. 

Matthew Clayton, Chief Executive of Thrive Renewables, said that as well as building new infrastructure, there is a lot of opportunity to improve what already exists by using the best available technologies. 

Several sessions also emphasised the importance of: 

What next? 

We are currently developing a new Business Sector section on our website. Stay tuned and keep an eye on the Energy sector page for upcoming guidance and updates.