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7 certainties about energy for this age of uncertainty
ED commentary The energy sector, like many others, is contending with a blizzard of uncertainties, complicating the work of policymakers, business leaders and investors.Geopolitical twists and turns are straining long-established relationships and upending deeply held assumptions. The World Uncertainty Index, devised by economists from the IMF and Stanford University, has hit unprecedented levels in recent months.But in this time of flux, there are still some important trends that we can identify with some confidence. Here are seven that can help us keep our bearings: The world has entered the age of electricity Oil and gas will still…
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International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies
…collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies For 50 years, Technology Collaboration Programmes have played a crucial part in advancing international energy goals Throughout history, collaboration among researchers and experts across countries has been a motor of innovation in energy technologies. By advancing our understanding of energy fundamentals, improving the efficiency and quality of existing processes and materials, and supporting the development of frontier technologies that strengthen the energy security and sustainability, this coordination has accelerated progress and shed new light on the implications of innovative technologies around the world.An understanding that energy technology innovation can play a…
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From farms to fuel: Ukraine’s biomethane opportunity for energy security and European decarbonisation
…emissions gas. Home to the largest agricultural land area in Europe, Ukraine has the resource potential to become one of the continent’s leading biomethane producers, supplying both its domestic market and the EU via an already existing pipeline infrastructure.The first exports of biomethane come at a critical moment. Repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have exposed the vulnerabilities of centralised energy supply. Although biomethane relies on the same gas distribution and transmission infrastructure as natural gas, its production is inherently more decentralised than domestic natural gas extraction, reducing exposure to disruptions affecting individual production sites. Biogas and…
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Policy and financing momentum sustain CCUS progress despite setbacks
…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. Meanwhile, storage capacity increased by around 25%. In terms of future prospects, the total…
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Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role
…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-the-meter battery storage deployment also accelerated, particularly in markets with…
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Global battery markets are growing strongly – and so are the supply risks
…autos, power, data centres and beyond The global lithium-ion battery market exceeded USD 150 billion in 2025, an increase of over 20% from 2024, but its economic and strategic significance extends far beyond market size. Batteries are becoming a cornerstone of the automotive sector, a critical source of flexibility for power systems, and an increasingly important source of back-up power for digital infrastructure, including data centres and artificial intelligence.Beyond energy, batteries remain indispensable for a wide range of industrial and strategic applications, from portable electronics and unmanned defence systems to emerging technologies such as humanoid robots. As…
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Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, 2025
…United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to triple global renewable power capacity and double the global average annual rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, and through the 2025 Dar es Salaam Declaration to expand electricity access, a declaration endorsed by 48 African countries.Scaling up clean cooking and electricity access, boosting renewable energy use, and improving energy efficiency are essential for the achievement of the goals of SDG 7—and for meeting the development and socioeconomic environmental and socioeconomic challenges reflected in the SDG agenda as a whole. These goals will demand a fundamental shift in energy production…
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Chile 2050 Energy Transition Roadmap
…with the Chilean Ministry of Energy, sets out a detailed pathway for the country to reach its legally binding goal of net zero emissions by 2050 while expanding economic growth and improving energy security and affordability. This pathway relies on four pillars: accelerating energy efficiency, decarbonising the power sector, electrifying end-use sectors, and building modern, resilient electricity grids. The report examines the investment needed to realise the pathway, the opportunities to reduce household bills, and the improvement of air quality. It explores how Chile can also leverage its natural resources in the global energy transition with opportunities for the…
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Clean Energy Transitions Programme 2025
Annual report 2025 The IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP) helps countries around the world accelerate their transition to clean energy, with a focus on emerging markets and developing economies. By combining global analysis, high-level convening and hands-on technical support, the CETP ensures that evidence, policy guidance and practical tools reach those shaping energy strategies on the ground.In 2025, the CETP has supported almost 350 high-level bilateral meetings with policy makers, over 700 workshops and technical exchanges, involving almost 13 000 participants, and 26 capacity-building events with over 1 700 policy professionals on energy efficiency, data…
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Best Practices and Insights to Expand Clean Energy Access and Adoption
…Campaign on Sustainable Lifestyles, Fairness and Access to Clean Energy Technologies. The analysis presented draws on discussions and research shared during the Widening Participation in Clean Energy workshop held in Brussels, contributions presented at the official all-member meetings of the Campaign on Sustainable Lifestyles, and the IEA’s analytical work in areas such as people-centred clean energy transitions, affordability, energy efficiency and clean energy access.This work is organised into three chapters, each corresponding to one of the three components of the Declaration on Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles, Fairness and Access to Clean Energy Technologies. The analysis and case…
