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The Value of Demand Flexibility
Benefits beyond balancing This policy brief, developed under the International Energy Agency’s Digital Demand-Driven Electricity Networks (3DEN) Initiative, examines the value of demand flexibility as a core component of modern electricity systems, with a strong emphasis on its role in improving energy efficiency. As electricity demand grows and power systems become more electrified, decentralised and renewable-rich, managing when and how electricity is used is increasingly as important as expanding supply.The brief sets out a clear framework for understanding demand flexibility and highlights its contribution to an efficiency-first approach to power system planning and operation. By…
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Luxembourg 2026
Energy Policy Review Government action plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure and sustainable energy transitions. Energy policy is critical not just for the energy sector but also for meeting environmental, economic and social goals. Governments need to respond to their country’s specific needs, adapt to regional contexts and help address global challenges. In this context, the International Energy Agency (IEA) conducts Energy Policy Reviews to support governments in developing more impactful energy and climate policies.This Energy Policy Review was prepared in partnership between the Government of Luxembourg and the IEA. It draws on the IEA’s extensive…
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Responding to Satellite Notifications from the Methane Alert and Response System
In 2023, the International Methane Emissions Observatory launched the Methane Alert and Response System, the first global system to provide free satellite-based alerts on major emission events to governments. Prompt reaction to MARS notifications has led to the successful mitigation of methane leaks in several countries. However, the global response rate to MARS notifications remains relatively low, suggesting that further measures may be required to transform satellite alerts into actionable responses for governments.The IEA, in collaboration with IMEO, has prepared this technical guidance document to assist governments seeking to improve action on MARS notifications and reduce methane emissions…
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Czechia 2025
Energy Policy Review Government action plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure and sustainable energy transitions. Energy policy is critical not just for the energy sector but also for meeting environmental, economic and social goals. Governments need to respond to their country’s specific needs, adapt to regional contexts and help address global challenges. In this context, the International Energy Agency (IEA) conducts Energy Policy Reviews to support governments in developing more impactful energy and climate policies.This Energy Policy Review was prepared in partnership between the Government of Czechia and the IEA. It draws on the IEA’s extensive…
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Prospects for Natural Gas Certification
This report offers an overview of the role of certification in natural gas supply chains, provides a broad mapping of existing initiatives, highlights selected regulatory and market developments, identifies areas where improvements may be needed, and presents recommendations to support the development of credible certification frameworks.Certified natural gas refers to gas whose environmental and social attributes – such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance, water use, local community impacts and worker safety – have been independently verified against defined criteria or benchmarks. In 2024, around 7.5% of global natural gas production was certified, with volumes primarily originating from North America…
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Northwest European Hydrogen Monitor 2025
Northwest Europe is at the forefront of low-emissions hydrogen development. This region accounts for around 40% of Europe’s total hydrogen demand, and it has vast and untapped renewable energy and carbon storage potential in the North Sea. It also has a well-developed, interconnected gas network that could be partially repurposed to facilitate the transmission and distribution of low-emissions hydrogen from production sites to demand centres.The development of the low-emissions hydrogen market in Northwest Europe could gradually scale up in the short- to medium-term. Northwest European countries now have ambition to develop up to…
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Stepping Up the Value Chain in Africa
Minerals, materials and manufacturing This report explores key opportunities for African countries to step up the value chain in the growing global market for energy technologies, identifying opportunities beyond a role centred around extraction and mining to one more focused on mineral beneficiation, material production and technology manufacturing. These opportunities would enable Africa to retain a greater share of the economic value generated across energy technology supply chains, and would simultaneously contribute to global efforts to enhance supply chain diversification and resilience.The economic benefits of the new energy economy are currently distributed very unevenly. Emerging markets and developing economies…
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Portugal 2026
Energy Policy Review Government action plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure and sustainable energy transitions. Energy policy is critical not just for the energy sector but also for meeting environmental, economic and social goals. Governments need to respond to their country’s specific needs, adapt to regional contexts and help address global challenges. In this context, the International Energy Agency (IEA) conducts Energy Policy Reviews to support governments in developing more impactful energy and climate policies.This Energy Policy Review was prepared in partnership between the Government of Portugal and the IEA. It draws on the IEA’s extensive…
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Accelerating Renewables Growth in ASEAN
Challenges and policy suggestions Eight of the 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted net zero emissions targets, and recent national energy plans outline substantially higher ambitions for renewable capacity. Achieving these goals will require timely, sustained and strongly co-ordinated policy action to unlock the scale of renewable energy deployment needed by 2030 and beyond.This report examines the key challenges hindering a faster capacity deployment of renewable power in ASEAN and outlines potential policy solutions informed by successful international experience. It also provides an assessment of renewable-energy auction design options, an…
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Financing Electricity Access in Africa
Access to electricity is a cornerstone for economic development, poverty reduction and social equity. However, almost 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity today, with progress falling far behind targets set by both African governments and the international community. Reaching universal electricity access will require a rapid scale-up of investment and financing to USD 15 billion per year, enabling the expansion of generation capacity, grid networks and decentralised solutions while ensuring that progress remains inclusive and sustainable.In a new flagship report, Financing Electricity Access in Africa, the International Energy Agency (IEA) undertakes its authoritative energy analysis…
