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Vehicle-to-grid technology
GEVO 2026 - Chapter 8 With the rollout of smart and bidirectional charging, EV owners can reduce charging costs and, in some cases, generate revenue by participating in grid services, such as frequency regulation. Load shifting and vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) capabilities provide substantial electricity system benefits, helping reduce peak demand and potentially limiting the need for future grid investment – benefits for which EV owners can be compensated. Vehicle-to-grid charging holds the promise of alleviating grid constraints but barriers remain The rollout of EVs is a major driver of global electricity demand growth. Residential EV charging can draw more power than…
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Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 Broader view on energy-related strategic minerals: What risks to anticipate?
Many energy-related minerals are used across multiple sectors, including digital technologies, aerospace and high-performance materials While critical minerals are often associated with electrification, renewables and battery storage, their significance extends well beyond energy, underpinning a broad array of industrial and technological applications. From AI and robotics to high-performance materials and aerospace, these minerals’ contribution to industrial and technological development is increasing, with broad economic implications. The range of strategic materials with significant implications for the energy sector should not be underestimated. Superalloys – which require a diverse array of input metals – illustrate this: approximately two-thirds of global…
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India’s electricity demand grows at night: Managing rising cooling demand
India cooling commentary As India’s cooling demand surges alongside solar power capacity, ensuring sufficient nighttime power capacity is key Power consumption in India is on the rise amid economic and population growth, as well as the growing use of air conditioning as more households purchase units and temperatures increase. Since 2019, the country’s electricity demand has increased by 5% per year. While electricity supply has kept pace, solar PV has accounted for two-thirds of power capacity additions in India since 2019. Against this backdrop, ensuring adequate power generation capacity during periods of peak demand is emerging as…
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Businesses see competitive value of energy efficiency, but smaller firms struggle to access solutions
CEOs value energy efficiency, but SMEs struggle to benefit Energy efficiency is a strategic asset for industrial competitiveness. For companies facing tight margins, volatile energy prices and intensifying global competition, reducing energy waste is not only a cost-saving measure, but also a way to protect productivity, manage risk and strengthen their position in global markets. Yet not all firms have the same capacity to quickly improve their energy efficiency.New analysis of the 2025 IEA Industrial Competitiveness Survey – which covered 1 000 companies across 14 countries – shows that business leaders view energy efficiency as closely linked to their competitive performance…
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Coal Mid-Year Update 2025 Supply
Regardless of mixed regional trends in 2024, coal supply reached an unprecedented level Global coal production reached a record 9.15 Bt in 2024, driven primarily by strong output in China, India and Indonesia. Domestic coal is the largest source of energy supply in both China and India making coal production central to their energy security strategies. After shortages in 2021, both countries boosted production, a push that lasted a few years to reach an all-time high in 2024. China remained the largest producer, maintaining output at 4 666 Mt. Although Shanxi, traditionally the largest coal producing province, reduced production by…
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Critical Minerals
Critical minerals are essential for a range of today’s energy technologies and for the broader economy. For example, lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite are crucial to battery performance. Rare earth elements are essential indispensable to the permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors. Electricity networks need a huge amount of aluminium and copper, the latter of which is the cornerstone of all electricity-related technologies. As demand for these materials grows strongly, their strategic importance has also increased – and policymakers have made ensuring secure and resilient mineral supply chains a major priority. Critical Minerals Security…
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Scaling Up Transition Finance What is transition finance?
Developments and current status Many energy investments defy a simple binary classification between “clean” and “dirty”: there are also the “in-between” investments that can deliver material emissions reductions but that do not bring emissions to zero. These investments have historically been difficult to categorise due to differences in energy pathways and timeframes across regions and have been the subject of debate, including over whether and how they should be supported.Transition finance refers to financial activities that can contribute to emissions reductions, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors as well as in emerging market and developing economies (EMDE) where…
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Energy security
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores energy security. Why is energy efficiency important for energy security? Energy efficiency can help mitigate energy security risks by reducing the reliance on fossil fuel imports, improving grid reliability, and acting as a buffer to supply shocks. Key facts Efficiency gains from the last two decades avoided the need for 20% more fossil fuel imports in IEA countries. Energy efficiency and demand response can support grid reliability by reducing peak demand. For instance, more efficient air conditioners in India could lower the impact of heatwaves on…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit The Energy Efficiency Policy Package
The Energy Efficiency Policy Package
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business
Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel” because the cheapest and most secure energy is the energy that is not used. For businesses, this begins with a straightforward benefit: lower energy bills. In many cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone. However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings.This report builds on the IEA’s work on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and focusses on how these gains materialise in businesses. Key benefits range from productivity and product quality improvements to brand image or health benefits for employees and…
