Energy Resilience Overtakes Sustainability as Top Driver of Clean Energy Projects
If you’re planning your organization’s energy strategy for 2026 and beyond, there’s a fundamental shift you can’t afford to ignore: Clean energy is no longer just about going green or cutting costs. It’s about staying operational.
Based on a survey of 400 decision-makers across the commercial and industrial sector, PowerFlex’s 2026 State of the Industry Report reveals that energy resilience has moved to the top of the priority list.
Industry Leaders Are Wary of the Grid
The desire for energy resilience stems from dwindling confidence in the nation’s energy infrastructure. According to the report, 87% consider breaking away from the grid a priority — a seven‑point increase from last year.
A familiar set of pressures is driving the shift:
- Aging equipment and congestion
- More frequent extreme weather events
- Growing threats from cyberattacks
- Longer and more disruptive outages
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that power failures already cost businesses around $150 billion each year, collectively. For sectors like healthcare, emergency services, logistics, and manufacturing, outages don’t just mean lost revenue; they can threaten safety, brand reputation, and long-term customer relationships.
Resilience Edges Out Sustainability as the Top Driver
Given the risks associated with grid outages, energy resilience is now the #1 motivation for approving clean energy projects, with 15% of respondents ranking it as their top driver, nearly double last year’s 8%.
Traditional sustainability-related drivers — like achieving net-zero goals, being seen as a sustainability leader, and improving brand image — trended lower on the list, signaling that ESG has moved from a primary justification to a supporting role.
Unsurprisingly, when survey participants were asked to choose the main benefits of adopting clean energy, the top responses were:
- 50% – Energy reliability
- 43% – Decreased reliance on the grid
- 42% – Backup power during severe weather
These all represent year-over-year increases, indicating that concerns around grid reliability, and confidence that onsite energy can provide a solution, are only rising.
Facilities and Fleets Are Ringing the Alarm
This shift is especially pronounced among the people closest to day-to-day operations.
- 55% of operations and facilities leaders now identify energy independence as the single-biggest benefit of clean energy, a 16‑point jump year over year.
- Fleet managers are also feeling the pressure, particularly as more fleets transition to EVs and become increasingly dependent on reliable power to keep vehicles charged and routes on schedule.
These teams experience the impact of outages first-hand: halted production lines, stalled deliveries, stranded employees or customers, and emergency backup protocols that are expensive and difficult to sustain. Clean energy projects that provide more direct control over how and when power is available can mitigate these risks.
Bottom Line: Resilience Is the New North Star
The 2026 State of the Industry Report makes one thing clear: energy independence and resilience are no longer “nice-to-have” add-ons to sustainability programs. They’re central to business continuity, risk management, and long-term competitiveness.
Organizations that recognize this shift and start planning integrated, onsite energy strategies now will be better prepared for the volatility ahead, whether it’s in the form of policy changes, extreme weather, or grid instability.
For more insights into the changing clean energy landscape, including how to secure funding for projects despite funding constraints, download the full 2026 State of the Industry Report here.
