UNEZA Utilities Lift Energy Transition Investment Plans To $156 Billion A Year

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the 89 members of the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance have raised their combined annual investment plans for grids, renewables and storage to at least USD 156 billion. The group said the total is 5% above last year’s level and 35% above 2024, while members also reported building more than 21,000 km of new grid in 2025.

The update was announced at COP31 in Antalya, where the alliance also formally backed the presidency’s goal of reaching a 35% global electrification rate by 2035. UNEZA said its members’ commitments amount to more than USD 1 trillion in energy transition investment by 2030 from the alliance’s launch at COP28, alongside a plan to more than triple installed renewable energy capacity.

Annual Plans Reach At Least USD 156 Billion Across Three Asset Areas

The new annual investment figure covers three parts of the power system: grids, renewable generation and storage. UNEZA said the latest total reflects a step up from both of the previous reference points it provided, rising 5% from last year and 35% from 2024.

The alliance said those plans come from an 89-member group of utilities. It is co-chaired by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company TAQA and the UK’s SSE, and members serve well over 320 million customers across six continents.

UNEZA linked the higher spending plans to system build-out through the end of the decade. From its launch at COP28 under the UAE Presidency to 2030, the group said the commitments mean members will mobilize more than USD 1 trillion of energy transition investment. It also said the same commitments will more than triple installed renewable energy capacity.

The alliance’s latest figures were set out in the UNEZA delivery and investment update, which combines reported delivery in 2025 with forward investment plans.

Members Report More Than 21,000 Km Of New Grid In 2025

Alongside the investment increase, UNEZA members said they built new grids at a record pace in 2025, installing more than 21,000 km. The alliance described that as enough cable to go halfway around the world and to connect Dubai, Antalya, Baku and Belém, the last four host cities of COP.

The 2025 grid total was 50% higher than the 14,000 km delivered in 2024. That year-on-year comparison gives a direct measure of how quickly network construction increased across the membership.

The figures place transmission and distribution networks alongside renewables and storage in the alliance’s delivery agenda. In practical terms, the 2025 update shows both physical build-out and a larger investment pipeline being pursued at the same time.

UNEZA said its members will now focus on barriers that affect delivery in the real world as they work toward the electrification target endorsed at COP31.

The 35-By-35 Electrification Goal Puts Grids At The Center Of Delivery

At COP31, UNEZA formally backed the presidency’s ambition of achieving a 35% global electrification rate by 2035, referred to as the 35-by-35 Electrification Pledge. The alliance said clean energy infrastructure delivery is a key enabler of that goal.

That framing brings together several parts of the power system. Electrification depends on sufficient network capacity to connect new demand, enough renewable generation to supply it, and storage to help balance the system.

The agency said its own analysis shows global grid investment must more than double, reaching a cumulative USD 10 trillion by 2035. It also said around USD 1 trillion of investment is needed each year between now and 2030 to build out and strengthen electricity grids so they can meet system needs.

Those broader figures provide context for UNEZA’s utility-level plans. The alliance’s annual USD 156 billion covers its members’ combined plans for grids, renewables and storage, while the wider grid requirement cited by the agency refers to global system needs.

Transmission Cable Demand Reaches Close To 90,000 Km By 2030

Earlier in 2026, utilities in the alliance set out joint plans aimed at keeping grid supply chains aligned with rising demand as network development accelerates. In a joint statement, industry leaders said they would work toward providing greater visibility on future demand.

Within that planning exercise, the utilities said they would need close to 90,000 km of transmission cable by 2030. That figure gives a single measure of expected equipment needs as network investment programs move forward.

The same section of the update ties together supply-chain planning and construction activity. UNEZA said it will now focus on addressing barriers to reaching the 35-by-35 target, after formally endorsing the pledge at COP31.

The alliance was established under the UAE’s COP28 Presidency to address bottlenecks in power system transformation. It operates under the guidance of the International Renewable Energy Agency and the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions.

Taken together, the latest update sets out four headline numbers for the alliance: at least USD 156 billion a year in planned investment across grids, renewables and storage; more than 21,000 km of new grid delivered in 2025; more than USD 1 trillion in cumulative transition investment by 2030 from launch; and close to 90,000 km of transmission cable needed by 2030. The immediate focus described by the group is on translating those plans into continued grid, renewable and storage deployment while working through supply-chain and delivery constraints tied to the electrification goal.