• Commentary

        • 06 Mar 2026

        The next wave of LED lighting: Smarter, circular and more efficient

        lighting commentary The first LED revolution reduced energy use worldwide – and a second wave of deployment is now taking shape As the world enters the Age of Electricity, lighting remains one of the most visible – and widespread – parts of our energy use.The IEA estimates that lighting in buildings and outdoor applications accounts for the majority of overall lighting electricity demand. In 2024, around 8% of global electricity demand – or about 2 200 terawatt hours (TWh) – was attributed to lighting in buildings and outdoor applications, excluding industry and agriculture. These figures reflect the latest available data and define the scope…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jun 2026

        How accelerating electrification could strengthen energy security in Southeast Asia

        …For example, around 30% of energy consumed in Brunei Darussalam and Viet Nam is electricity, up from less than 20% in the mid-2000s. Some segments of the economy are also seeing rapid growth in electrification: in 2025, EV sales in the region more than doubled year-over-year and accounted for nearly 20% of all car sales – higher than the sales share in a number of advanced economies.Even so, there remains significant potential to further expand electrification across Southeast Asia’s industry, transport and buildings sectors – supporting more secure, affordable and sustainable energy systems across the region. Several of…

        • Commentary

        • 22 Mar 2026

        Wired for water: How electrification is transforming desalination

        …the population lived in water-stressed areas in 2000, and despite slightly faster population growth in relatively less stressed zones – such as northern Morocco, northeast Algeria and the Tigris valley – more than 70% remain exposed to high or extreme stress today. Countries have several levers to address water stress: improving agricultural efficiency, expanding water reuse and rainwater harvesting, and modernising infrastructure to reduce losses and expand storage and transport. While these remain the first line of defence, countries have at the same time increased investments in water desalination. Australia demonstrates contrasting responses. During the “Millennium drought” of the early 2000s...

        • Commentary

        • 08 Jun 2026

        International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies

        …strengthen the energy security and sustainability, this coordination has accelerated progress and shed new light on the implications of innovative technologies around the world.An understanding that energy technology innovation can play a key role in reducing the likelihood and severity of energy shocks led to the establishment of the IEA’s Technology Collaboration Programme shortly after the Agency’s launch in 1974. And today, the motivation behind this work is just as strong.The IEA’s Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs) are unique international networks of independent groups that collaborate to advance the research, development and commercialisation of energy technologies…

        • Commentary

        • 13 Feb 2026

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

        …and expanding applications continue to drive rapid growth of demand for batteries across sectors. Battery uptake is expanding around the world amid falling costs Global lithium-ion battery deployment in 2025 was six times as high as in 2020. Electric vehicles remain the dominant driver of demand, with global sales reaching a new record and accounting for one-in-four cars sold globally. Electric vehicles account for more than 70% of total lithium-ion battery deployment. This is followed by battery energy storage at over 15%, reflecting the growing role of batteries in providing flexibility in power systems.The situation…

        • Commentary

        • 10 Feb 2026

        What it would take to unlock the next phase of hydrogen growth

        …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 large dependence on fossil fuel imports.Low-emissions hydrogen production – or the production of hydrogen from low-emissions electricity via water electrolysis, from…

        • Commentary

        • 13 May 2026

        Energy crisis threatens world’s most vulnerable as cooking fuel shortages grow

        …global markets in March 2026 surpassed the peak supply losses of the two major oil shocks of the 1970s combined.Previous energy crises affected economies and societies in profound ways, often forcing households to ration fuel for their cars and heating for their homes. The 2026 crisis is being felt across the globe – and households in emerging and developing economies are now facing a particularly severe challenge: whether there is enough fuel simply to cook a meal, and whether they can still afford it.At the centre of this sits liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the world's most widely used…

        • Commentary

        • 09 Jun 2026

        The energy crisis creates even stronger impetus for EU electrification

        …costs, and baseline energy prices. Countries with higher heating requirements and higher vehicle mileages see electrical technologies become competitive at higher price ratios, because the upfront costs of electrical technologies are offset by their lower operating costs if they have higher utilisation rates. Electric vehicles and high-temperature industrial heat need lower price ratios (usually between 1 and 2) to become cost-competitive compared with buildings and low-temperature industrial heat (usually between 2 and 3.5).Achieving cost parity alone is insufficient to drive uptake of electrical technologies. High upfront costs discourage investment in electrification across all sectors. Buildings…

        • Commentary

        • 27 Jan 2026

        Designing an effective strategic stockpiling system for critical minerals

        …2025, these risks became a reality, marking a major turning point for global economic security. The rare earths export controls announced by China in October 2025 posed major national and economic security risks across the world, with potentially severe impacts for a range of strategic sectors including energy, automotive, defence, aerospace, AI and semiconductors. Earlier export controls introduced in April had already resulted in some automotive factories around the world being forced to cut utilisation rates or even temporarily shut down.Beyond rare earths, export controls have also been imposed on a range of strategic minerals including gallium, germanium, graphite…

        • Commentary

        • 21 Apr 2026

        How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis

        …relief, such as fuel price caps or tax cuts, and through demand-side measures aimed at reducing energy use. Designing these measures well is critical, and international experience offers useful lessons. While easy to deploy, untargeted energy bill support primarily benefits higher-income households and puts pressure on public finances When prices rise sharply, governments often first turn to broad-based price support measures that can provide immediate relief to consumers. This is already happening, with several countries in Asia and Europe temporarily capping fuel prices or reducing energy taxes.However, while untargeted support measures can be implemented relatively quickly…

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