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Energy Technology Perspectives 2026 Supply chain risks and industrial competitiveness
Supply chain risks Supply chain security remains a challenge: Clean energy technology manufacturing is highly geographically concentrated, with China as the main supplier in most supply chain stages. China accounts for around 85% of solar and 80% of lithium-ion battery supply chain production capacity, and even higher shares for PV wafers (95%) and anode materials (97%). Cybersecurity considerations further enhance the importance of addressing security of supply. An “N-1” assessment, which models the impact of losing the largest exporter in each supply chain, shows that for the final downstream stages of most of the four technologies examined – solar…
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Gaining an Edge Policy implications
An integrated policy package is key to deliver value to businesses and the economy Government intervention can help enhance industrial energy efficiency through effective policy packages. To create effective drivers and preconditions for increasing energy efficiency in the industry sector, policy packages combine three main mechanisms, regulation, information and incentives:Regulation is essential to exclude the worst performing equipment and practices from the market, driving greater energy efficiency at both firm and national level. Information improves firms’ awareness and knowledge of their energy efficiency options, highlighting benefits and enabling more efficient choices in energy-related purchases and use. Increased capacity…
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Integrating Distributed Energy Resources in China Executive summary
Rapid DER expansion creates new considerations for China’s distribution networks China is experiencing an unprecedented boom in distributed energy resources (DERs), including rooftop solar photovoltaics, battery storage, electric vehicles (EVs) and flexible electric loads. Typically located behind-the-meter, these small assets can deliver significant benefits to China’s power system if efficiently integrated, including enhanced flexibility, strengthened electricity security and lower system costs. Driven by declining technology costs and supportive national programmes, DER deployment has accelerated across rural communities and commercial and industrial buildings. By 2024, distributed photovoltaics (DPV) accounted for 40% of the country’s total solar…
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Sue-Ern Tan
Head of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre. Sue-Ern Tan is the Head of the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre established in Singapore at the end of 2024. The Office is the first outside of the IEA’s Paris headquarters in its 50-year history and will provide policy guidance, technical assistance, training and capacity building across areas such as scaling-up the deployment of renewables and other clean energy technologies, increasing cross-border power trade, and improving access to finance for clean energy investment.Prior to joining the IEA, Ms Tan worked at Shell plc in senior climate and energy roles at Shell’s headquarters in London and The Hague and most recently in Singapore as the Head of Policy and Advocacy. Ms Tan practiced as a lawyer, worked as Ministerial adviser on energy in the Australian Government and was the Deputy CEO of a minerals trade association in Australia. She graduated from University of New South Wales in Australia with a Commerce and Law Degree and is an Eise...
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Global EV Outlook 2026 Electric vehicle charging
Light-duty electric vehicle charger deployment Most electric car owners charge at home Globally, the number of private light-duty vehicle (LDV) charging points is estimated to have reached more than 43 million in 2025, supporting an electric LDV stock of around 76 million. About one-third of the private charging points worldwide are in the People’s Republic of China (hereafter, “China”), one-third in Europe, and one in six in the United States.Home charging – whether in a driveway, garage or other dedicated parking space – is currently the preferred way to charge an electric car for those with the ability to…
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The Middle East and Global Energy Markets
The IEA is responding to the energy market impacts of the conflict in the Middle East and continues to closely monitor the latest developments.The disruption to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure across the region have major implications for energy security and affordability – and for the world economy. The IEA's Executive Director has said the combined impacts amount to "the greatest threat to global energy security in history." The war in the region that began on 28 February has impeded energy trade flows through the Strait, creating the largest supply disruption in…
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Chile 2050 Energy Transition Roadmap
World Energy Outlook Special report Chile has made significant strides in its energy transition, towards its ambitious long-term goals and it stands at a pivotal moment in its energy journey, possessing remarkable renewable and critical mineral resources. The Chile 2050 Energy Transition Roadmap, produced at the request of the Government of Chile, and in close collaboration 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…
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Energy and Gender
It comprises a number of senior officials from IEA Member countries, facilitating the exchange of best practices on gender equality and inclusion and gender mainstreaming across the energy sector. Women are vital energy consumers, producers and decision-makers who make a crucial contribution to global energy security and energy transitions. Building a more secure, fair and equitable energy future hinges on their active participation.Recognising this, the IEA’s Member countries have asked the Agency to focus on key issues at the nexus of energy and gender, from improving gender data collection to expanding analysis of the gender dimensions of…
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Critical Mineral Traceability for Energy and Economic Security Executive summary
Risks to energy and economic security from high levels of concentration in critical mineral supply chains became a reality in 2025. All of the IEA’s six focus minerals – copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements – are set to see strong demand growth, driven by their central role in energy and strategic industrial applications. Yet diversification has lagged demand, with processing and refining remaining highly concentrated. Risks from concentration materialised in 2025 as new export controls threatened the supply of materials critical to strategic and economically important industries.Recent years have seen a proliferation of new policies and…
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Renewables 2025 Renewable electricity
Renewable electricity additions for 2025-2030 total 4 600 GW – equal to the combined installed power capacity of China, the European Union and Japan Globally, renewable power capacity is projected to increase almost 4 600 GW between 2025 and 2030 – double the deployment of the previous five years (2019-2024). Growth in utility-scale and distributed solar PV more than doubles, representing nearly 80% of worldwide renewable electricity capacity expansion. Low module costs, relatively efficient permitting processes and broad social acceptance drive the acceleration in solar PV adoption.Distributed solar PV applications (residential, commercial, industrial and off-grid projects) account for 42…
