Energy & Infrastructure Outlook 2026

As we head further into 2026, global energy transition is entering a new, more mature phase despite geographical unevenness. The transition is not linear, however; rapid growth in some sectors is contrasted with stagnation in harder‑to‑abate areas. 

Despite the complex geopolitical backdrop, governments’ focus on energy security, meeting AI‑driven energy demand and climate risk is driving policy clarity and further development of low‑carbon regulatory frameworks. 

Our Energy & Infrastructure Legal Outlook 2026 pulls together the key themes shaping the global energy and infrastructure landscape this year:

• a global reawakening for nuclear
• offshore wind prevailing
• a strategic repositioning for oil and gas
• grid capacity as the defining bottleneck
• a crucial role for BESS and long duration storage
• hydrogen moving from strategy to execution
• data centres reshaping energy policy
• the deepening role of private capital
• CCUS scaling towards global commercial reality
• policy and market frameworks maturing

➡️Energy & Infrastructure Legal Outlook 2026