• Commentary

        • 04 Feb 2026

        Canada is set to play a leading role in supplying the world with responsibly produced critical minerals

        Commentary Already a mining hub, Canada could play a big part in diversifying global mineral supply chains Since 2023, the IEA has been conducting Critical Mineral Reviews – in-depth country reviews of critical mineral policies and security that have served as part of the Agency’s pioneering work to ensure secure mineral supply chains. The latest Critical Minerals Review of Canada shows that at a time of increasing concentration risks, including from export controls by the dominant supplier, Canada has the potential to contribute to the development of secure, diversified and competitive global supply chains for critical minerals.Canada can…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jan 2026

        Investment in next-generation geothermal is surging. Policies are key to further growth

        Next-generation geothermal readies for take-off Next-generation geothermal is seeing a burst of financing, innovation and new supply agreements Geothermal energy harnesses naturally occurring heat found beneath the Earth’s surface to provide heating and cooling, electricity and energy storage. As global electricity demand rises and power systems place a growing premium on firm supply, geothermal energy’s ability to provide an around-the-clock, low-emissions source of power is attracting renewed attention. However, easy-to-access conventional geothermal resources are relatively rare and mostly confined to a small number of shallow geothermal hotspots globally, accounting for…

        • Commentary

        • 27 Mar 2026

        Policy and financing momentum sustain CCUS progress despite setbacks

        …step-change as the world’s first dedicated carbon dioxide CO2 storage hub began operating in Norway. Major projects were also commissioned in China and North America, and the construction of new facilities began in eight countries worldwide. The newest annual update to the IEA’s CCUS Project Database – which incorporates developments between the first quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 – found that capture capacity that was operational or under construction during this period was over 10% higher than in the previous Database update, which covered the first quarter of 2024 through the first quarter of 2025…

        • Commentary

        • 06 Mar 2026

        The next wave of LED lighting: Smarter, circular and more efficient

        lighting commentary The first LED revolution reduced energy use worldwide – and a second wave of deployment is now taking shape As the world enters the Age of Electricity, lighting remains one of the most visible – and widespread – parts of our energy use.The IEA estimates that lighting in buildings and outdoor applications accounts for the majority of overall lighting electricity demand. In 2024, around 8% of global electricity demand – or about 2 200 terawatt hours (TWh) – was attributed to lighting in buildings and outdoor applications, excluding industry and agriculture. These figures reflect the latest available data and define the scope…

        • Commentary

        • 29 May 2026

        Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role

        …accelerating. However, tackling notable barriers, such as regulatory uncertainty and delays in grid connection and permitting, will be key to setting the pace of growth. Growth in battery storage capacity broke records again in 2025, with new markets growing fast Global battery storage deployment expanded strongly last year. Total capacity additions reached 108 gigawatts (GW), up around 40% from 2024. Annual growth of this scale exceeds the historical peak for gas‑fired power capacity additions, which was around 107 GW in 2002.Utility‑scale battery storage accounted for around 87 GW of global battery capacity additions in 2025, around four-fifths of the total. Behind…

        • Commentary

        • 13 Mar 2026

        Why the growth of energy service companies is uneven globally

        ESCO The global annual ESCO market growth rate has more than doubled over the past five years Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective tools for enhancing energy security, reducing household energy bills and supporting countries’ efforts to reduce emissions. Energy service companies (ESCOs) – firms that develop and implement energy efficiency projects typically financed through verified energy savings – are playing a growing role in delivering energy efficiency improvements across buildings, industry and transport infrastructure worldwide. By integrating project development, financing and performance guarantees, ESCOs can offer a proven way to reduce upfront investment barriers and shift technical and…

        • Commentary

        • 21 Apr 2026

        How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis

        …broadly. In response, many governments have announced emergency measures to protect consumers from higher energy costs. The IEA has supported these efforts by launching its largest-ever release of emergency oil stocks, publishing a menu of demand-side measures that governments, businesses and households can take to shelter consumers from price pressures, and tracking the actions being taken through its new Energy Crisis Policy Response Tracker.So far, governments have supported consumers in two ways: through direct price relief, such as fuel price caps or tax cuts, and through demand-side measures aimed at reducing energy use. Designing these measures well is critical…

        • Commentary

        • 22 Mar 2026

        Wired for water: How electrification is transforming desalination

        Wired for water: how electrification is transforming desalination The water-energy nexus Pressure on water resources is increasing worldwide and can be very acute at the local level. Rising consumption across sectors combined with population growth in already water-stressed regions is intensifying water scarcity. Desalination has long been developed to supply fresh water in the most affected areas, with significant implications for the energy system: energy use ranges from under 0.1% to as much as 15% of total final consumption, depending on national reliance. However, a shift is underway from thermal desalination technologies to electricity-driven systems as…

        • Commentary

        • 19 Jan 2026

        7 certainties about energy for this age of uncertainty

        …as India, have a very high-quality solar resource, but other technologies are in play, too, including new ones coming through such as next-generation geothermal energy. Nuclear power is making a comeback After a series of setbacks in the 2010s, nuclear is on the rise again, generating more electricity than ever before last year. Today, more than 70 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity is under construction, one of the highest levels in the past 30 years. Soaring electricity demand from data centres means tech companies are also turning to nuclear, attracted by its promise of low-emissions, round-the…

        • Commentary

        • 15 Jun 2026

        From farms to fuel: Ukraine’s biomethane opportunity for energy security and European decarbonisation

        …developed domestic gas infrastructure. The country’s extensive gas network connects in the West and South to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania via Moldova, with a combined exit capacity of around 140 bcm of natural gas per year. Ukraine also hosts Europe’s largest underground gas storage facilities, with a total capacity of 31 bcm. Located mainly in the western part of the country, far from the frontline, these facilities could also be used to store biomethane alongside natural gas. Together, this infrastructure provides a strong foundation for scaling up biomethane production and unlocking new revenue streams as demand for...

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