A new Monash University-led report has warned that emerging technologies and shifting everyday practices will place growing pressure on Australia’s electricity systems, as climate risks intensify and expose vulnerabilities across households and key industries.
The study, titled Scenarios for Future Living: Emerging technology innovation and development, identifies major technology trends expected to reshape daily life, including the rise of artificial intelligence, automation, electrified homes, remote healthcare, and hybrid work.
These changes are projected to significantly increase demand for reliable electricity and digital connectivity at a time when climate-driven disruptions such as extreme heat, bushfires, floods and drought are becoming more frequent.
Drawing on 93 reports, expert interviews and industry observations, the research outlines how evolving technologies intersect with climate risks.
It highlights that many current innovations are being developed without fully accounting for the constraints and instability of future energy systems under climate pressure.
The report identifies six possible visions of Australia’s digital energy future, illustrating how technology and everyday life may evolve.
These include scenarios where older Australians depend on home-based healthcare supported by remote monitoring and assistive robotics, households become highly automated and energy-optimised, and homes transform into immersive digital environments powered by artificial intelligence and extended reality.
Other scenarios explore modular, mobile housing adapted to climate pressures and a shift towards more energy-conscious lifestyles with reduced reliance on digital devices.
Across all scenarios, increased dependence on electricity and connectivity heightens exposure to disruption, particularly during extreme weather events or infrastructure failures.
The findings show that these risks are unevenly distributed. Older Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, regional and remote populations, and lower-income households are identified as the most vulnerable.
These groups are more likely to rely heavily on energy systems while having less access to resilient technologies and infrastructure.
The report also identifies several industries facing heightened exposure to climate-related disruption, including healthcare, aged care, agriculture, construction, logistics and energy.
Climate impacts are expected to reduce workforce capacity, strain infrastructure, interrupt supply chains and increase demand on already pressured systems.
Changes in household practices are expected to further amplify energy demand.
Increasing electrification of appliances, rapid uptake of electric vehicles, and greater reliance on cooling systems in a warming climate will all contribute to higher and more variable loads on the electricity grid.
At the same time, disruptions to power supply could significantly affect critical services such as home-based healthcare and remote monitoring.
The research points to a growing disconnect between technological innovation and the realities of a climate-constrained future.
It highlights the need for more resilient digital and energy infrastructure, as well as technologies designed to operate under conditions of volatility and disruption.
The study was conducted by a cross-disciplinary team from Monash University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of New South Wales, as part of the Scenarios for Future Living project under the RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre.
Researchers say the findings will help guide policymakers and industry in designing energy systems that are more resilient, equitable and capable of supporting Australia’s increasingly digital and electrified future.
