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Energy and AI Executive summary
The transformative potential of AI depends on energy There has been a step change in the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), driven by falling computation costs, a surge in data availability and technical breakthroughs. AI is the science of making machines capable of learning to perform tasks that traditionally required human intelligence. AI is emerging as a general-purpose technology, much like electricity. Today, it can generate text and videos, accelerate scientific discovery in fields like medicine or materials science, make manufacturing robots smarter and more productive, drive commercial taxis in complex city landscapes, and detect threats to critical infrastructure…
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Global Energy Review 2025 Coal
Global coal demand growth slows Global coal demand grew by 1.2% in 2024 in energy terms, rising by around 67 million tonnes of coal equivalent (Mtce) (or in physical terms by 1.4% or 123 million tonnes). The growth rate has been declining since the strong rebound in 2021 following the end of Covid-19 lockdowns in many countries.The electricity sector continues to drive coal demand, accounting for two-thirds of global consumption. In 2024, global coal power generation grew by nearly 1% to 10 700 TWh, a new high. A key driver was record temperatures, which pushed up electricity demand for…
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- Global trends
- Oil
- Natural gas
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Energy and AI Energy supply for AI
Global electricity supply to meet data centre demand Global electricity generation to supply data centres is projected to grow from 460 TWh in 2024 to over 1 000 TWh in 2030 and 1 300 TWh in 2035 in the Base Case. Over the next five years, renewables meet nearly half of the additional demand, followed by natural gas and coal, with nuclear starting to play an increasingly important role towards the end of this decade and beyond.Coal, with a share of about 30%, is the largest source of electricity, though this varies significantly by region, with the highest contribution found in China. Renewables – primarily wind…
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Energy and AI AI for energy optimisation and innovation
AI can help optimise complex energy systems The energy system is complex and evolving. It is becoming increasingly electrified, digitalised, connected and decentralised, with mounting cost pressures. These drivers have encouraged energy companies to deploy applications that utilise artificial intelligence to optimise systems, improve production, reduce costs, raise efficiency, improve uptime, cut emissions and enhance safety. Many of the desired goals of AI’s application in the energy sector – such as cost reductions, enhanced reliability and improved resilience – are challenging to quantify at a broader sectoral level, beyond the confines of individual case studies. It is also challenging to predict…
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Access and Affordability
“An Affordable and Sustainable Energy System for Sub-Saharan Africa” (Energy Sub-Saharan Africa) is a five-year programme (2019-2024) funded by the European Union. It supports work with Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, with the aim of promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth through the transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient energy sector, while delivering universal and affordable energy access to all. Today, 730 million people around the world live without access to electricity, while over 2 billion people continue to rely on harmful cooking fuels…
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Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, 2026
This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO), and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.
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Emission reductions
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores emission reductions. Why is energy efficiency important for emission reductions? Energy efficiency can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants and make the energy system more sustainable. Key facts Since 2010, efficiency measures avoided energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions equivalent to nearly 20% of the global total in 2023. This is more than the entire energy-related emissions of India and the European Union combined. Accelerating efficiency improvements could deliver a third of all energy-related CO₂ emission reductions between now and 2030 in…
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What it would take to unlock the next phase of hydrogen growth
Can hydrogen scale up successfully Global hydrogen demand reached 100 Mt in 2024, mainly from refineries, the production of chemicals and the iron and steel sector. Demand grew by almost 2% from 2023, in line with overall energy demand growth. This consumption was almost completely met with hydrogen produced from unabated fossil fuels, using 290 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 90 million tonnes of coal equivalent. However, alternative technologies that can produce low-emissions hydrogen have attracted a lot of interest from governments given their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify energy supply, particularly in countries that have a…
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Energy savings
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores energy savings. Why is energy efficiency important for energy savings? Energy efficiency measures reduce the amount of energy required to fuel and grow our economies. In economies where energy demand is set to grow significantly, efficiency also helps improve people’s lives by increasing access to additional energy services. Key facts In the last two decades, efficiency measures have generated over 27 EJ of energy savings in IEA countries alone, equivalent to 20% of total energy demand.The industry (including manufacturing) and services (including commercial buildings) sectors…
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Global EV Outlook 2025 Trends in other light-duty electric vehicles
Electric two- and three-wheelers Contrasting regional trends mean global sales of electric two- and three-wheelers remain at around 15% Two- and three-wheelers (2/3Ws) remained the most electrified road transport segment in 2024, with more than 9% of the global fleet now electric. The global sales share of electric models remained at around 15% in 2024 with total electric model sales reaching 10 million. The electric sales share stalled in 2024, mostly due to the shrinking Chinese electric 2/3W market, although growth in other regions was steady. China, India and Southeast Asia remain the world’s largest…
