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Electricity 2026 Executive summary
Electricity demand is set to grow strongly through 2030 as the Age of Electricity takes hold Global electricity demand is forecast to increase at a brisk average annual rate of 3.6% over the 2026-2030 forecast period, supported by rising consumption from industry, electric vehicles, air conditioning and data centres. Worldwide electricity demand grew by 3% year-on-year in 2025. This followed growth of 4.4% in 2024, when intense heat waves and strong industrial activity in many regions boosted electricity use. Looking ahead, annual demand growth over the next five years is set to be 50% higher…
- Executive summary
- Demand
- Supply
- Grids
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Gas Market Report, Q2-2026 Executive summary
The Middle East conflict has disrupted gas market fundamentals and is changing the medium-term outlook The war in the Middle East is sending shockwaves through energy markets. The easing of fundamentals in international natural gas markets in early 2026 was abruptly disrupted by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of March, which has created unprecedented uncertainty.The crisis has profoundly distorted short-term market fundamentals and is altering the medium-term outlook for natural gas. The loss, for the time being, of almost 20% of global LNG supply has caused strong price volatility, driving…
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What Next for the Global Car Industry The global car industry in context
Highlights Global car markets are undergoing potentially transformative changes. Car sales reached a high point in 2017 and have bounced back from a pandemic-related drop due to sales of electric and hybrid cars; sales of conventional cars have continued to fall. Growth has shifted to emerging economies including China since the turn of the century, with around half of all sales now in these regions. Global car production has grown unevenly since the pandemic. China’s car output reached a record 27 million in 2024, 30% higher than in 2019, while India’s output grew 30% to almost 5…
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Energy Security
The IEA has been at the heart of international energy security for 50 years – working to avoid, mitigate and manage energy disruptions and crises. While the Agency’s mandate initially centred on oil security, its work has since broadened to include the security of natural gas, electricity and clean energy supply chains.Threats to energy systems are constantly evolving. The IEA continually monitors and analyses these threats, including geopolitical risks, cyberattacks on energy infrastructure, supply chain disruptions and extreme weather events. On 24 and 25 April, 2025, the IEA convened an International Summit on the Future of Energy Security, hosted by the…
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Gaining an Edge Opportunities in efficiency markets
As market demand grows, the manufacturing of energy efficiency technologies represents a new opportunity Facing volatile energy prices, rising energy security risks and stricter regulations, all sectors are turning to energy efficiency technologies to reduce consumption and manage these growing challenges. At the same time, governments around the world committed at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 to work collectively to double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements.These dynamics have triggered a strong increase in demand for energy efficiency technologies. For example, the market for electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries has grown nearly six-fold from 2020…
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Gas Market Report, Q1-2026 Executive summary
The unfolding LNG wave is expected to drive stronger gas demand growth in 2026 2025 was a transitional year for natural gas markets. While supply fundamentals remained tight in the first half of the year, strong LNG production growth gradually eased market conditions starting from July. Following a relatively strong increase in 2024, global gas demand growth slowed markedly in 2025 due to a combination of weaker industrial activity and relatively high spot LNG prices in the first half of the year. Market opening reforms continued to gather pace in Asia while the European Union reached a historic decision to…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit Financing Energy Efficiency
Global energy investment continues to grow despite a challenging geopolitical environment. According to the IEA’s World Energy Investment 2026 report, total spending is expected to reach USD 3.4 trillion in 2026, a 5% increase from 2025. Clean energy investment is projected to remain around USD 2.2 trillion, representing nearly two‑thirds of total energy spending and continuing to outpace fossil fuels. Investment in electricity systems such as grids, storage, and electrification, is increasingly driven by energy security concerns and rising electricity demand. Energy efficiency also remains essential to strengthening system resilience, reducing costs for consumers and businesses, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions…
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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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Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane Key issues affecting biogas and biomethane projects
Development of feedstocks Differences in policy implementation and feedstock availability has resulted in feedstock mixes that vary widely by country and region: In Europe, biogas production was initially supported by feed-in tariffs and relied on energy crops as an important feedstock. Given the land use and biodiversity concerns associated with energy crops, this landscape has since changed, with several European countries implementing restrictions on their usage. The feedstock mix in Europe is now moving towards a mix of agricultural residues, animal manure, organic municipal solid waste and industrial waste. In China, household and farm biodigesters were central to biogas…
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Global EV Outlook 2025 Electric vehicle batteries
Trends in battery demand Global battery demand for the energy sector hit the 1 TWh milestone in 2024 Electric cars remain the main driver of battery demand, but demand for trucks nearly doubledBattery demand in the energy sector, for both EV batteries and storage applications, reached the historical milestone of 1 TWh in 2024. Demand for one average week alone in 2024 exceeded the total demand for an entire year just a decade earlier. Demand was largely driven by growth in EV sales, as demand for EV batteries grew to over 950 GWh – 25% more than in 2023. Electric cars remain the…
