1、Research|February 2026 1 Where energy meets property The expanding role of real estate to manage,generate and store power in an energy-constrained world Key highlights Todays power crunch is emerging as one of the biggest risks for the CEO communitycould real estate be part of the solution?As power
2、availability moves from a background assumption to a primary driver of asset feasibility,value and operational resilience,four structural themes are reshaping how electricity flows from generation to consumptionexpanding the role of real estate in the energy value chain.Electrification and rapid loa
3、d growth:Electricity demand is rising after decades of stagnation,driven by electricity-bound uses such as data centers,advanced manufacturing,automation and EV charging.These larger,more concentrated loads are making power the binding constraint on growth and are already translating into power prem
4、iums.Legacy grid constraints:Transmission and distribution infrastructure built for slower,predictable growth is struggling to accommodate todays load profiles.Lengthening interconnection timelines,congestion and uncertainty are turning access to power into a gating factor well before development or
5、 leasing decisions are made.Clean power deployment:Clean energy now accounts for the majority of new generation,driven by cost declines and faster deployment.However,uneven regional build-out is creating mismatches between where new power is added and where electricity-intensive demand is growing,re
6、inforcing geography as a defining factor in long-term real estate competitiveness.Digitalization and decentralization:Software-enabled energy management,battery storage and on-site generation are emerging as practical system responsesallowing buildings to manage peaks,improve resilience and reduce e