An overwhelming 90% of global businesses expect to electrify their operations by 2035, according to a survey published Monday. The poll, conducted by consultancy Public First and commissioned by E3G, We Mean Business Coalition, and the Global Renewables Alliance, highlights how geopolitical instability is fueling volatility in fossil fuel supply and prices, accelerating the shift.

The survey, fielded in late April, queried 1,994 business CEOs, VPs, directors, or senior-level managers across medium and large organizations in 18 markets. It covered both advanced economies and emerging markets, though the exact breakdown of responses by region was not disclosed in the findings.

Electrification plans span a wide range of operational areas, from transportation fleets to manufacturing processes. The data suggests companies are not merely talking about decarbonization but are embedding it into their capital expenditure strategies through the end of the next decade.

The findings underscore a structural shift in energy demand away from oil and gas toward electricity, with implications for grid capacity and renewable generation. If even half of these plans materialize, global electricity demand could rise sharply, straining infrastructure that is already under pressure from data center growth and electric vehicle adoption.

While the survey results are striking, they represent intentions rather than firm commitments. Actual electrification rates will depend on policy support, technological costs, and the pace of grid modernization — factors that could slow or accelerate the transition in unpredictable ways.