Trends for 2026 – energy, security, and technology
The year 2025 brought a sharp shock to global supply chains and commodity prices, while at the same time forcing companies to reassess their existing energy assumptions. High import tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump on goods from countries such as China, Canada, and Mexico also covered key energy raw materials and components, driving up the costs of raw materials, equipment, and technologies used, among others, in the energy sector.
As a result of the import crisis and price pressure, many companies experienced rising component costs – from metals and structural materials, through energy equipment, to cells and storage systems – which increased the cost of investments aimed at infrastructure modernization.
This event triggered a shift in thinking about energy efficiency. Companies realized that uncertainty around access to raw materials, price volatility, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical instability can at any moment turn the profitability of traditional energy models into a cost burden.
Polish and European companies are once again recognizing the importance of energy self-sufficiency and diversification of energy sources. Many facilities that previously relied primarily on external supply and grid energy have begun to seriously analyze investments in cogeneration, renewable energy sources, energy storage, and digital energy management systems as elements of strategic resilience.
The year 2025 became a symbolic turning point – energy began to be seen as an area of significant risk, but also as a potential source of competitive advantage in the global market. In 2026, many industrial companies in Europe and worldwide will approach energy planning no longer from the perspective of short-term costs, but from that of long-term stability, flexibility, and resilience to external shocks.
Technologies such as cogeneration, biogas, energy storage, industrial photovoltaics, and hybrid energy management systems are becoming the foundation of new energy models that increase operational security and flexibility of industrial sites. At the same time, companies should prepare for an extension of audit obligations under the Energy Efficiency Act (commonly referred to as the EED Act, after the directive that required changes in national law – the Energy Efficiency Directive), full implementation of CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), increasing energy efficiency requirements, and changes in emissions reporting systems.
Volatile raw material and energy markets
Europe continues to operate under conditions of heightened energy instability, and industrial companies must function in an environment where price predictability and availability of raw materials are increasingly limited. Volatility on the spot market (where electricity and gas are bought and sold with very short lead times), limited certainty of long-term PPA contracts, and ongoing geopolitical tensions make energy planning highly risk-prone. Companies relying mainly on gas, grid electricity, or imported fuels face growing exposure to price shocks, supply interruptions, and transmission constraints.
At the same time, global challenges – including the effects of tariff changes and disruptions in international trade – affect the availability of energy components and increase modernization costs. As a result, companies increasingly view diversification of energy sources, local generation, and investments in efficiency as key risk mitigation tools rather than merely competitiveness-enhancing measures.
Regulatory changes and pressure for transparency
The steadily expanding regulatory obligations will become one of the most important factors affecting the competitiveness of industrial companies in 2026. The extension of requirements under CBAM, the EU ETS system, and the EED Directive means that companies must implement much more detailed systems for monitoring energy consumption, emissions, and fuel mix – both within their own processes and across their supply chains. In practice, this entails the need for continuous collection of measurement data, energy audits, harmonization of reporting methodologies, and the development of processes that make it possible to document the carbon footprint of products at every stage.
Cost pressure is also increasing for companies operating in international markets. Imports of energy-intensive materials such as steel, aluminum, or fertilizers will, in 2026, be subject to full CBAM certificate settlement, directly increasing raw material costs. At the same time, the EU ETS, through rising allowance prices, affects the cost of electricity and production, particularly in energy-intensive sectors. Companies must not only secure budgets for increasing fees, but also plan modernization projects that reduce emissions in order to remain competitive and avoid emission-related charges.
Growing pressure for environmental transparency is coming from contractors, customers, and financial institutions. International corporations are introducing their own sustainability criteria, requiring suppliers to ensure emissions traceability and present decarbonization plans. Companies that fail to meet these requirements risk losing contracts, facing worse financing conditions, or, in extreme cases, being excluded from global supply chains.
Energy Efficiency First
The full implementation of the revised EED Directive in 2026 introduces the Energy Efficiency First principle as a mandatory element of decision-making processes in both companies and public administration. This means that energy efficiency must be formally analyzed and documented at the investment planning stage, before decisions are made to build new generation sources or expand infrastructure. In practice, large investment projects – particularly those exceeding a threshold of approx. EUR 100 million (EUR 175 million for transport infrastructure projects) – will require energy efficiency analyses, comparisons of alternative options, and justification that the selected solutions comply with the Energy Efficiency First principle.
Failure to meet these requirements may have consequences on several levels. First, under the national Energy Efficiency Act and implementing regulations, failure to fulfill audit obligations, lack of required efficiency analyses, or incorrect reporting of energy consumption and savings effects may result in administrative sanctions and financial penalties imposed by supervisory authorities. Second, in the case of investments supported by public funds – EU funds, national instruments, financing from the EIB or development banks – non-compliance with the Energy Efficiency First principle may constitute grounds for refusal of financing, suspension of tranche payments, financial corrections, or questioning the eligibility of costs. Energy efficiency is becoming a formal project evaluation criterion, alongside environmental and climate aspects.
Own energy sources as the foundation of operational security
One of the most important elements of companies’ competitive advantage will be energy independence. Companies that reduce their reliance on grid electricity or imported fuels will be far more resilient to price volatility, supply disruptions, and regulatory changes. Own, local energy sources operating in island or hybrid mode make it possible to maintain production even in the event of grid failures, transmission constraints, or sudden price spikes on the spot market. An increasing number of companies view energy autonomy as an insurance policy that determines business continuity in crisis situations. Island-mode sources must also go hand in hand with energy efficiency.
Cogeneration – local production of electricity and heat
Cogeneration (CHP), i.e. the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, remains one of the most effective tools for increasing the energy self-sufficiency of industrial facilities. Gas engine installations, gas turbines, and steam systems can operate in island mode, supplying key production processes even during grid outages. Thanks to high efficiency and heat recovery, CHP systems significantly reduce external energy intake and stabilize operating costs. In industries requiring large amounts of process heat or steam – such as paper, food, chemical, or plastics industries – cogeneration is becoming one of the most cost-effective and predictable energy sources.
We cover cogeneration in several articles in our knowledge base:
Biogas and biomethane plants
Agricultural and industrial biogas plants are gaining importance as energy sources independent of global markets. They enable the use of local organic waste, decoupling energy production from imports of natural gas or coal. In food processing, manufacturing, paper, or municipal waste facilities, biogas can supply cogeneration units, providing a low-emission, stable, and local energy source. Biomethane, in turn, can be injected into the gas grid or used as a process fuel. Such installations have island-mode potential, making them an attractive element of energy autonomy strategies, especially in regions with weak distribution networks.
More about biogas plants and biofuels can be found here:
SMRs – small modular reactors
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are increasingly seen as a future-oriented solution for the most energy-intensive industries – metallurgy, chemicals, fertilizers, or metal production. Although commercial deployment of SMRs in Poland and Europe is expected only after 2030, many companies will begin preparations for such projects as early as 2026 – including site analyses, assessments of impacts on production processes, and initial feasibility studies. SMRs offer the potential for full island operation, stable low-carbon energy supply, and predictable operating costs. For companies consuming hundreds of gigawatt-hours annually, they may become the foundation of long-term energy autonomy.
We explore this topic here:
Renewables and hybrid power systems
Renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics, wind turbines, geothermal energy, and solar collectors, combined with energy storage, are shaping a new power supply model based on local generation and optimized self-consumption. In many industrial facilities, RES installations are becoming the first step toward independence, as they reduce grid electricity consumption and lower operating costs during peak hours. When combined with BESS systems or thermal storage, they enable stabilization of facility operations, load shifting, and production security in the event of short-term disruptions. Hybrid systems (PV + BESS + CHP) make it possible to maintain processes even during more serious grid failures, creating so-called industrial microgrids.
More on renewables and energy storage:
Energy autonomy as the direction for 2026
After the experiences of 2025, companies have begun to treat their own energy sources as a strategic asset. In 2026, this trend will only strengthen – companies that invest in local energy generation, fuel diversification, and digitalized energy management will be far better prepared for future market shocks. Energy autonomy is becoming the foundation of a resilient and modern industrial economy, and island-mode technologies are becoming a crucial element of investment planning in medium and large enterprises.
Summary
The year 2026 will be a period of intensive change for Polish and European industry. The growing importance of energy independence, development of own energy sources, and regulatory pressure will mean that companies that implement these technologies first and improve their efficiency will gradually gain an advantage. Equally important will be preparing organizations for regulatory requirements – precise reporting, emissions control, and the ability to manage supply chains in line with CBAM.
Companies that treat 2026 as an opportunity to strengthen their energy independence will build the foundations for long-term operational and financial resilience. In the face of the global energy transition, this will be one of the most important sources of competitive advantage in the years to come.
