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Electricity 2026 Executive summary
…demand growth among emerging economies is forecast to rise substantially by 2030, driven by robust economic growth and rapidly rising demand for air conditioning, which is set to boost both annual consumption and peak loads.Electricity demand growth in advanced economies is accelerating again after 15 years of stagnation. This resurgence signals a new era in which electricity is a major energy input to some of the most dynamic drivers of global economies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and advanced manufacturing. In 2025, advanced economies accounted for almost 20% of global electricity demand growth, up from 17% in 2024…
- Executive summary
- Demand
- Supply
- Grids
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Electricity 2026 Demand
…However, in a marked departure from the past, electricity demand is now expected to outpace economic growth on a global scale through 2030.While emerging economies continue to be the main pillars of growth in electricity use, demand in advanced economies is now rising again after a 15-year period of stagnation. The resurgence signals a new era in which electricity is a major energy input to some of the most dynamic drivers of global economies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, advanced manufacturing, and the “electrification of everything”. As a result, both total and per capita electricity consumption…
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- Demand
- Supply
- Grids
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Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 Innovation in mining, refining and recycling to promote diversification
…earths production by leveraging ionic adsorption clay deposits (IAC); boosting overall supply levels for lithium through the commercialisation of direct lithium extraction (DLE); reducing energy and emissions intensity for synthetic graphite production through novel technologies; accelerating exploration times with the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Innovations such as AI-based geological exploration can reduce drilling costs by up to 60% and increase discovery success rates by as much as four times. Technologies that enable rare earth extraction from ionic adsorption clay deposits could significantly reduce capital intensity and waste generation, opening up new production opportunities in countries such as Australia…
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World Energy Investment 2025 Executive summary
…challenge China’s position in emerging clean technology supply chains. Emissions reductions provide a powerful reason to invest, but are often not the primary driver for investment in technologies that are increasingly mature and cost-competitive. Investment trends are being shaped by the onset of the ‘Age of Electricity’ and the rapid rise in electricity demand for industry, cooling, electric mobility, data centres and artificial intelligence (AI). Ten years ago, investments in fossil fuel supply were 30% higher than those for electricity generation, grids and storage. Today, these positions are reversed. Investment in the electricity sector is set to reach…
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World Energy Investment 2025 United States
…Meanwhile, investment in clean energy has grown rapidly supported by policy and more competitive prices. These factors have spurred new manufacturing investments reaching USD 60 billion in 2024 and were further bolstered by initiatives that aimed to enhance domestic competitiveness and attract foreign direct investment. The United States is now home to 8% of global lithium-ion battery production and in 2024 solar PV module manufacturing capacity nearly tripled to 42 GW.With a boom in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and subsequent investment in data centres (DC), companies are racing to secure sources of clean electricity. This has led to a surge…
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World Energy Investment 2025 Japan and Korea
…2025 is a critical year for energy policy, with the release of new plans to achieve the twin goals of securing stable energy supplies and accelerating the energy transition. Japan’s Seventh Strategic Energy Plan emphasised the expectation of increased electricity demand and the importance of maintaining energy security. Korea’s 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand highlighted the importance of energy security to meet the country’s rapid increase in electricity demand spurred by advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, semiconductors, and chip and battery manufacturing. Policy initiatives such as Japan’s capacity market…
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Energy and AI Observatory
The IEA’s Energy and AI Observatory provides up-to-date data and analysis on the growing links between the energy sector and artificial intelligence (AI). The new and fast-moving field of AI requires a new approach to gathering data and information, and the Observatory aims to provide regularly updated data and a comprehensive view of the implications of AI on energy demand (energy for AI) and of AI applications for efficiency, innovation, resilience and competitiveness in th...
