• Commentary

        • 15 Jun 2026

        From farms to fuel: Ukraine’s biomethane opportunity for energy security and European decarbonisation

        …and market barriers. Ukraine’s structural advantages in biomethane production Ukraine’s 33 million hectares of agricultural land provide access to substantial feedstock volumes spanning agricultural waste and residues, cover crops, agro-industrial by-products and organic municipal solid waste. The IEA estimates Ukraine’s biogas and biomethane production potential, using only waste and residues, at roughly 11.6 billion cubic meters equivalent (bcme) per year, making it the European leader in terms of available feedstock.  Ukraine’s biomethane sector benefits from another advantage in addition to feedstock availability: well-developed domestic gas infrastructure. The country’s extensive gas network…

        • Commentary

        • 13 Feb 2026

        Global battery markets are growing strongly – and so are the supply risks

        …came from portable electronics; by 2025, this share had fallen to below 5%. Falling prices have been instrumental to this expansion. In 2025, average battery prices declined by 8%, supported by advances in manufacturing, improvements in battery chemistries and intensifying global market competition. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) saw the sharpest price declines, with average global prices in 2025 falling to one-third of levels seen in 2020.At the same time, regional price disparities have widened. In 2025, battery pack prices in China were 30% lower than in the United States, and 35% lower than in Europe. Record low lithium…

        • Commentary

        • 29 May 2026

        Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role

        …According to the latest data, the deployment of batteries expanded strongly in 2025 and broadened across markets – with rapid growth in countries such as Australia and Saudi Arabia, where storage is increasingly being used to support the integration of rising shares of variable renewables.In regions that have been at the forefront of renewable integration and battery deployment, batteries now play an essential role in continuously balancing electricity demand and supply. Comparatively short construction and development timelines are further supporting the rapid deployment of utility-scale batteries in particular: in many markets, projects typically take around two years to develop…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jan 2026

        Investment in next-generation geothermal is surging. Policies are key to further growth

        …deeper and harnessing heat from hard-to-reach reservoirs. Operators can either circulate fluid through fractures that have been induced (through what is known as enhanced geothermal systems) or transfer heat to the surface through closed-loop circuits. These technologies are advancing quickly, potentially enabling economically-viable geothermal development nearly anywhere in the world. The IEA’s Future of Geothermal Energy report, published in late 2024, estimated that with continued technology improvements and reductions in project costs, next-generation geothermal could meet up to 15% of global electricity demand growth to 2050. Geothermal technology families Next-generation geothermal technology remains…

        • Commentary

        • 02 Mar 2026

        Copper prices have hit record highs, but smelters face mounting strategic pressures

        copper Copper markets enter uncharted territory as structural and short-term pressures converge Copper prices have surged to record highs this year, briefly exceeding USD 14 500 per tonne (intraday) in January 2026, having only passed USD 12 000 per tonne for the first time in December 2025. The unprecedented price levels have been driven by some important short-term developments, including supply disruptions at several major mines and a build-up of US copper inventories due to tariff uncertainty. But they have also been underpinned by some underlying factors, such as challenges in developing new copper mines and the…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jun 2026

        How accelerating electrification could strengthen energy security in Southeast Asia

        …supply disruptions. The current energy crisis linked to the Middle East conflict has underscored these vulnerabilities. Ahead of the crisis, around 60% of crude oil imports and a third of natural gas imports in the region came from the Middle East. And based on current policy settings, this dependence is set to increase: by 2035, the region, which today exports small volumes of natural gas, is projected to rely on imports for one-third of its natural gas demand. For oil, imports are projected to account for around 80% of demand by 2035 based on current policy settings. Electrification can…

        • Commentary

        • 25 Mar 2026

        Businesses see competitive value of energy efficiency, but smaller firms struggle to access solutions

        …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. But the survey also highlights a persistent divide: while large companies are often well positioned to capture these benefits, many that are small and…

        • Commentary

        • 19 Jun 2026

        Delivering on the EU’s electrification ambitions

        …Today, imported fuels account for around 60% of the EU’s total energy demand and cost the bloc EUR 380 billion in 2024. The risks associated with the EU’s reliance on fuel imports have been highlighted by recent market disruptions linked to the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, bringing renewed attention to the EU’s target of increasing electrification from 24% today to 32% of energy consumption by 2030.This commentary is the second in a series examining the case for electrification in the EU. The previous instalment looked at…

        • Commentary

        • 27 Jan 2026

        Designing an effective strategic stockpiling system for critical minerals

        …Strategic stockpiles provide a way for countries to strengthen economic and national security, while also helping to deter future export controls and limiting their impact. Strategic stocks are an insurance policy against short-term disruptions Strategic stocks – held specifically for emergency purposes with the involvement of the government – have demonstrated effectiveness across various sectors. A notable example is the oil market, where stockpiles have played an important role in mitigating severe economic impacts for decades. After the oil shock of 1973, IEA member governments established a mechanism to build up and pool emergency oil stocks to protect them from being…

        • Commentary

        • 09 Jun 2026

        The energy crisis creates even stronger impetus for EU electrification

        draft title Electrification is central to meeting the European Union’s goals on energy security, competitiveness, affordability, and emissions reductions. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has highlighted the risks of over-dependence on imported fuels and concentrated supply routes, making the case for electrification even stronger.In the EU, around 70% of electricity generation is already supplied from domestic, low-emissions sources. And yet end-users (industry, buildings and transport sectors), source less than one quarter of their energy consumption from electricity. Today, around two-thirds of end-use energy consumption relies on fossil fuels, of which the…

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