Powering Performance: Why Operational Electrification Is Now a Competitive Imperative for Irish Business
By Jed Nykolle Harme
June 16, 2026
Photo Credits: Magnific
Energy security has become an operational imperative. A Financial Times survey of almost 2,000 executives across 18 countries, conducted by Public First on behalf of E3G, We Mean Business Coalition, and the Global Renewables Alliance, finds geopolitical instability has made electrification more urgent for four in five executives. Some 91% believe switching to electric alternatives would improve their energy security, and three-quarters expect to replace most fossil fuel-powered equipment by 2030. For Ireland, home to energy-intensive multinationals in pharmaceuticals and technology, this is a direct operational performance question.
The survey is an operational excellence case study as much as an energy transition report. The case for electrification rests on cost predictability, resilience, and continuity in a structurally more volatile energy landscape. Organisations building electrified energy systems now are building durable competitive advantage.
The business case is articulated by those already acting. Dimitri de Vreeze, chief executive of DSM-Firmenich, stated that continued reliance on fossil fuels exposes companies and economies to recurring shocks. Thomas Schinecker, chief executive of Roche, stated that electrification can help strengthen operational resilience and support long-term business continuity. Roche aims to cut absolute operational emissions by 70% by 2029 from 2022 levels, including an 85% reduction in fleet-related emissions, having already achieved full use of sustainable electricity across all sites.
The infrastructure requirement is significant but well-defined. The International Energy Agency estimates annual grid investment must double by 2030 from today's $400 billion (approximately €368 billion), and projects electricity consumption will grow at least 2.5 times faster than overall energy demand over the next five years. In Ireland, where energy demand from technology and pharmaceutical campuses is growing rapidly, grid capacity and renewable supply are the critical enablers of operational continuity.
The survey identifies the primary risk to delivery: 72% of executives said government policies are lagging and hindering the shift to electrification. José Manuel Entrecanales, executive chairman of ACCIONA, stated that businesses need the grids, market structures, and policy frameworks to match their ambition. In Ireland, accelerating grid connection timelines and renewable energy auction certainty are the levers that will determine whether electrification delivers on its operational potential.
Three operational priorities stand out for Irish business leaders. First, build electrification into long-term operational planning as an energy cost and resilience strategy. Second, map fossil fuel equipment exposure and sequence replacement aligned to 2030 targets. Third, engage with grid operators and government on connection timelines and renewable procurement, turning policy gaps into managed operational risk.
The Financial Times survey confirms that electrification is not a future ambition but a present operational commitment for Irish organisations. Those that treat the energy transition as a core operational excellence dimension will sustain competitive performance in a more volatile energy landscape.
(The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)
