Quantum for Energy and Utilities 2026

Foreword The world is facing a tightening “energy trilemma”1 that requires reducing emissions while keeping energy reliable and affordable, in an environment shaped by geopolitical volatility and persistent uncertainty. Progress on transition indicators has continued, but unevenly and slower than required. Meanwhile, electricity demand is accelerating as economies digitize and artificial intelligence scales up, intensifying pressure on grids and bringing infrastructure upgrades, flexibility and security to the forefront of national agendas. Against this backdrop, the limits of conventional computation are becoming more visible. Renewable- heavy power systems exhibit non-linear dynamics that are difficult to model with sufficient fidelity. Breakthroughs in batteries, catalysts, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen rely on molecular interactions that are costly to simulate with classical methods. And across supply chains, trading and network operations, optimization problems grow combinatorially, where incremental improvements in solution quality or time-to-decision can translate into material operational and economic value. Quantum technologies, including computing, sensing and communication, do not replace existing tools, but they can expand what is tractable. Quantum computing may help explore vast design and planning spaces and, eventually, improve materials simulation accuracy. Quantum sensing can increase measurement fidelity for subsurface imaging and monitoring. Quantum communication can strengthen critical-infrastructure security when long- lived assets must remain trustworthy for decades. This white paper has been developed through a strategic partnership between the World Economic Forum and Aramco – part of the industry track of the Forum’s Quantum Economy Network – and focuses on practical paths rather than hype. It draws on expert input, surveys and early projects to highlight use cases across the energy value chain, from generation to transmission and system security. Turning pilots into routine capability will require investment in skills, better data integration and continued progress in hardware reliability. We extend our sincere thanks to the experts and organizations across industry, academia, technology providers and policy who contributed time and insight to this paper. We hope it equips energy and utilities industry decision-makers with a practical basis to prioritize credible quantum opportunities, align stakeholders and investments, and build the technical, security and talent foundations needed for responsible integration in the years ahead.Jeremy Jurgens Managing Director, World Economic ForumAhmad Al Khowaiter Executive Vice President, Technology & Innovation, Aramco Quantum for Energy and Utilities: Key Opportunities for Energy TransitionApril 2026 Quantum for Energy and Utilities: Key Opportunities for Energy Transition 33