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Energy and AI Executive summary
…was also enriched by an in-depth process of consultation with policy makers, the tech sector, the energy industry and other experts. Data centres account for a small share of global electricity consumption today, but their local impacts are far more pronounced Global investment in data centres has nearly doubled since 2022 and amounted to half a trillion dollars in 2024. This investment boom has led to growing concerns about skyrocketing electricity demand.Data centres accounted for around 1.5% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2024, or 415 terawatt-hours (TWh). The United States accounted for the larges...
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State of Energy Policy 2026 Climate pledges
…s ratcheting mechanism, under which countries update their climate pledges every five years. As of 27 March 2026, more than 130 countries had submitted new NDCs out of the 194 parties to the Paris Agreement that had previously submitted NDCs under the UNFCCC framework, with the vast majority setting new targets for 2035. In total, these submissions cover close to 75% of today’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.Some regions have not yet submitted, or have withdrawn, their updated commitments. In January 2025, the United States initiated the process of withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, effective from January 2026. The withdrawal…
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World Energy Outlook 2025 Achieving access for all
A roadmap for universal energy access Today around 2 billion people lack access to clean cooking and some 730 million remain without electricity – deficits which have far-reaching implications for health, economic opportunity and global development. Since 2010, 1.5 billion people have gained access to clean cooking and 1 billion to electricity, demonstrating that rapid progress is possible. Our new Accelerating Clean Cooking and Electricity Services Scenario (ACCESS) outlines a country-by-country pathway to universal access that draws on lessons about what has worked best in recent years. Universal clean cooking access is achieved in the ACCESS around 2040. Over 60…
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Renewables 2025 Renewable heat
…largest increases came from India, led by the expansion of the sugar and ethanol industries, where biomass residue play a central role and a rising use of electricity for process heat. In the European Union, growth was mainly due to greater electrification of industrial use and the expanding role of geothermal energy thanks to strong policy measures (e.g. grants and drilling-risk insurance), infrastructure support and emerging strategies such as clean-heat targets and carbon pricing.In the buildings sector, three-quarters of renewable heat developments in the past six years took place in China, the European Union and…
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Colombia 2023 Executive summary
…average of 30%).The government continues to expand non-conventional renewable energy, largely through long-term auctions for large-scale solar and wind developments. Extensive renewables potential in the La Guajira region should help advance rural electrification and close the energy access gap. Concentrated in the northern regions, which has a 50 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind potential, renewables can also provide the clean energy needed to jump-start Colombia’s hydrogen production. Colombia’s geothermal development also enjoys substantial potential along the Pacific ring of fire.In 2023, work is under way on updating the National Energy Plan (PEN) towards 2050…
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Energy Management for Industry Executive summary
Energy management programmes help achieve efficiency targets and meet policy objectives Recent global upheavals and uncertainties are putting increasing pressure on businesses around the world. This is prompting governments to look more and more to energy efficiency to promote industrial competitiveness, increase resilience of businesses, protect jobs, reduce strain on grids, and enhance energy security. Providing government-led energy management programmes or policy packages for industry is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways of ensuring fast and continual energy efficiency implementation. By encouraging and supporting companies to adopt energy management, governments can help ensure energy demand reductions…
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Energy Technology Perspectives 2026 Energy technology manufacturing and trade
…energy technologies, notably for solar PV and batteries, and uncertainty about the pace of future deployment. Industry margins have tightened across the board. Solar PV manufacturers have seen margins collapse under intense price competition, notably in China, with the top ten firms posting USD 4.5 billion in losses in 2024. Western wind producers, which incurred losses in 2022-23, are beginning to recover, while profits at Chinese wind firms are being squeezed by falling prices. Chinese battery makers remain profitable on average thanks to a small number of high performers, but those outside China are struggling to maintain positive margins. Outlook…
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Coal Mid-Year Update 2025 Demand
…In contrast, metallurgical coal consumption, primarily used in iron and steel production, remained relatively stable, with a slight decline estimated for the year.China remains the dominant player in global coal markets, consuming roughly 30% more coal than the rest of the world combined. Its power sector alone accounts for one-third of global coal consumption, underscoring China’s central role in shaping the trajectory of global coal demand. In 2025, global coal demand is set to remain near similar levels to 2024 In the first half of 2025, we estimate that global coal demand saw a slight decline of…
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Powering Ireland’s Energy Future Executive summary
…ambitions, exploring how the supply side could transform to meet a potential near doubling of electricity demand by 2035, driven by growth in the housing and data centre sectors and efforts to accelerate the electrification of heat and transport. This pathway illustrates how various ambitions align around the power sector, while highlighting the potential trade-offs that may need to be managed between energy security, decarbonisation and affordability. Ireland’s power system must evolve across demand, supply and operations to meet policy ambitions The properly managed electrification of heating and transport would sharply reduce Ireland’s reliance on imported f...
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Global Energy Review 2026 Coal
…of the world put together. As a result, it remains the main driver of global demand trends. Overall, coal demand in China in 2025 stayed very close to 2024 levels, recording a slight increase of 0.1%.While China saw continued strong electricity demand growth in 2025, this was met by a combination of fast growth in solar PV and wind generation, increased hydropower output and growth in nuclear power. As a result, coal electricity generation in China declined by around 1.5% in 2025, falling for only the second time since the 1970s. Coal use in energy-intensive industry…
- Key findings
- Global trends
- Oil
- Natural gas
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