February 18, 2026
by in News

U.S. Energy Secretary Warns IEA: Prioritize Energy Security or Face U.S. Exit

Chris Wright urged the International Energy Agency to prioritize energy security over advocacy for the deployment of renewables, and warned that the United States could withdraw from the body if it does not change course. The remarks, delivered at a conference in Paris, accused the agency of acting like a “climate advocacy organization” and dismissed the value of a global net-zero scenario as unrealistic.

The intervention, which Politico reported as signalling growing tension between Washington and the IEA, frames a broader disagreement between the agency’s modelling of low-carbon transitions and the current U.S. administration’s pro-fossil-fuel orientation. Politico covered Wright’s comments and the administration’s stance.

Chris Wright

Chris Wright

Wright argued that when international data and analysis bodies devote resources to what he characterised as “leftist fantasies,” they risk undermining their core mission of delivering objective analysis for energy security and market stability. He warned that continued emphasis on net-zero scenarios could prompt a reevaluation of U.S. membership in the IEA.

Those remarks echo positions voiced by other senior U.S. officials. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Howard Lutnick criticised European solar and wind deployment and questioned the desirability of pursuing net-zero policies, urging instead greater reliance on oil, gas and even coal. World Economic Forum meetings in Davos gathered these high-profile exchanges.

Observers note that the rhetoric follows a wider shift in U.S. climate and energy policy since the current administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord earlier this year, a move that has intensified transatlantic debate over the pace and direction of the energy transition. Donald Trump has publicly criticised Europe’s renewables push and framed the U.S. approach as a deliberate return to fossil-fuel development.

The clash poses a practical challenge for the IEA, whose forward-looking scenarios and data are widely used by governments and markets. How the agency responds — whether by adjusting emphasis, defending its analytical frameworks, or engaging in political dialogue with member states — will shape its role in an era of sharply divergent energy strategies.

February 10, 2026
by in News

IEA: Power Demand Up 3.6%/yr to 2030 as Renewables Rise

Global electricity demand is projected to grow by an average of 3.6% per year through 2030, propelled largely by industrial electrification, the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, and the expanding power needs of data centres and artificial intelligence, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

In its Electricity 2026 report, the IEA expects renewables, natural gas and nuclear to cover all additional demand over the period. Electricity generation from coal is forecast to edge down, leaving CO₂ emissions from power generation broadly flat to the end of the decade. By 2030, renewables and nuclear are set to provide half of global electricity output, up from 42% today, the agency said.

Power Use Accelerates Faster Than Overall Energy Demand

The IEA estimates that electricity demand will expand at least 2.5 times faster than total energy demand. Key drivers include rising electricity use in industry, stronger EV adoption, higher air-conditioning demand, and continued growth in data centres and AI.

Global electricity consumption rose 3% year-on-year in 2025, after a 4.4% increase in 2024, the report notes.

Grid Investment and Flexibility Become the Next Bottlenecks

IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security Keisuke Sadamori said meeting the demand surge will require a significant upgrade of power networks. The IEA expects annual investment in electricity grids to rise by 50% by 2030.

Flexibility measures—such as storage, demand response and other balancing tools—will also be essential as power systems evolve, alongside stronger attention to security and resilience, Sadamori said.

Renewables Overtake Coal on the Back of Record Solar Growth

The IEA said global renewable power generation reached parity with coal in 2025 and is now moving ahead, supported by record solar installations. Renewable electricity output is expected to increase by around 1,000 TWh each year, with solar alone contributing more than 600 TWh annually.

Even so, the agency cautions that coal would still remain the single largest fuel source for electricity generation globally, despite a gradual decline.

EU: Renewables Share Seen at 63% by 2030

In the European Union, electricity demand is increasingly being met by renewables as coal use falls sharply. According to the report, renewables’ share of total EU power generation is expected to surpass all non-renewables combined as early as this year.

The IEA forecasts that renewables will exceed 50% of EU electricity generation in 2026, and rise to 63% by 2030, up from 48% in 2025. Wind and solar are projected to account for 46% of EU power output by 2030, compared with 30% in 2025.

By the end of the decade, the EU is expected to add more than 400 GW of net renewable capacity, around 70% from solar, split roughly evenly between utility-scale and distributed installations.

Nuclear Output Hits Record, Battery Storage Expands

The IEA said nuclear power is regaining strategic importance in many advanced economies. Global nuclear generation set a new record in 2025 and is expected to keep rising steadily through 2030.

The report also highlights rapid growth in utility-scale battery storage, particularly in California, Germany, Texas, South Australia and the United Kingdom, strengthening short-term system flexibility.

Connection Queues and Curtailment Rise as Grids Struggle

Despite strong momentum in renewables and storage, grid congestion is creating delays. The IEA estimates that as of 2025, at least 1,700 GW of advanced-stage renewable projects and more than 600 GW of battery storage projects were waiting in connection queues.

Grid bottlenecks are also driving higher curtailment. In Germany, wind curtailment rates between 2022 and 2024 were above 5%, while solar curtailment climbed to 2% in 2024. In China, 4.1% of wind and 3.2% of solar generation were curtailed in 2024, up from 2.7% and 2% in 2023, with preliminary 2025 data indicating curtailment rose above 5% for both wind and solar.

Coal Declines, Keeping Power-Sector CO₂ Emissions Flat

On the fossil side, the IEA expects natural gas-fired generation to increase, driven by rising demand in the United States and a shift from oil to gas in the Middle East.

Coal-fired generation is projected to fall as renewables expand, returning to 2021 levels by the end of the decade. As a result, global CO₂ emissions from electricity generation are expected to remain broadly flat through 2030.

The IEA forecasts emissions declines in major markets: between 2026 and 2030, China’s power-sector CO₂ emissions are expected to decrease by 0.2% per year on average, the United States by 1.4% annually, and the EU by around 11% per year. India, however, is projected to see emissions rise by an annual average of 2.4% over the same period.

December 16, 2025
by in News

IEA: Employment in energy sector grows two times faster than in global economy

A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that the rate of employment growth in the energy sector was two times higher in 2024 than in the overall global economy. On the other hand, the organization is warning of a serious shortage of skilled workers in key sectors. Renewable energy sources, especially solar power, and the broader process of electrification play a key role in the expansion.

The energy sector employed 76 million people last year, according to the IEA’s World Energy Employment 2025 report. Investments in energy infrastructure contributed to employment growth, which came in at 2.2%, nearly double the global 1.3% rate.

The shift toward electrification is significantly transforming the structure of the workforce. It has led to the electricity sector surpassing the fuel supply sector in employment for the first time.

The number of people working in electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and storage has increased by 3.9 million over the previous five years, reaching 22.6 million—representing nearly three-quarters of all new jobs created in the energy sector.

Renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, are the strongest drivers of job creation. Solar alone accounts for 50% of all new power sector jobs since 2019. Last year, solar employment grew by 310,000, almost half of global power generation job growth. The total number of solar jobs is estimated at five million.

Nuclear power, grid expansion, and energy storage collectively accounted for one quarter of new energy sector jobs since 2019, despite challenges such as rising component costs and shortages of skilled labor, the report notes.

Wind sector stagnates

Employment in the wind sector grew by 3% in 2024, reaching 1.7 million jobs, compared to a compound annual growth rate of 5% over the previous five years. Rising procurement costs and declining government subsidies have slowed project development and delayed new investments, according to the latest data.

The slowdown is most visible in manufacturing, where employment fell by 6% due to reduced demand for new turbines and components as projects were delayed or cancelled.

Investors in offshore wind have significantly scaled back investment plans in response to rising project costs. Europe recorded the largest decline in offshore wind employment last year, with a 4% drop.

The automotive sector also recorded solid growth last year, driven by an increase in jobs related to electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.

Oil and gas employment returns to 2020 levels

Employment in coal supply has fallen by 20% in advanced economies since 2019, but due to expansion in India, China, and Indonesia, global coal employment increased by 8%.

The report also notes that the number of workers in the oil and gas supply has returned to 2020 levels. “However, it now appears that many firms are entering a new period of retrenchment in the face of lower oil prices and revenues, with a number of major oil companies announcing job cuts in 2025,” the report states.

Shortage of skilled labour deepens

Despite job growth, the report highlights an acute shortage of skilled labour. Applied technical occupations—including electricians, pipefitters, lineworkers, plant operators, and nuclear engineers—are in particularly short supply.

In the IEA’s Energy Employment Survey, 60% of companies reported labour shortages. This bottleneck threatens countries’ ability to maintain energy security, expand grids, scale clean energy manufacturing, refurbish nuclear power plants, and attract investments.

The number of graduates with energy-relevant training is not keeping pace with rising demand. According to the report, to prevent further skill misalignment by 2030, the number of graduates entering the energy sector would need to increase globally by around 40%. Expanding training capacity to this level would cost an estimated USD 2.6 billion annually.

Limited impact of artificial intelligence

Companies are increasingly turning to workers from related industries and reskilling programs to fill labour gaps. Although 50% of surveyed fossil fuel workers said they would remain in the energy sector if alternative employment existed, not all workers have equal opportunities for retraining.

The report also examines the role of artificial intelligence. While AI brings benefits, its impact remains limited, as it cannot reduce the demand for manual technical labour—precisely the occupations in shortest supply.

Policy interventions can significantly influence the ability to attract new workers into the energy sector. According to the IEA, the biggest barriers to entering training programs include high costs, income loss during training, and limited awareness of available programs. Effective measures include targeted financial incentives, expanded vocational programs, greater industry involvement in curriculum development, and investments in training centres, while reskilling within the sector remains essential.

Working conditions also play an important role. Pay, job security, and a safe work environment are the most important factors for workers, the report shows, and these issues are increasingly at the centre of social dialogue.

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December 8, 2025
by in News

IEA on deep shifts in auto industry: Electric car sales soar, ICE models drop 30%

Global car sales growth is predominantly driven by sales of electric and hybrid cars. Sales of pure internal combustion engine cars peaked in 2017 and have since fallen by 30% while the sales of electric cars achieved a 14-fold increase, according to the latest report, called What Next for the Global Car Industry?

The International Energy Agency, which published the data, stressed that the car industry is experiencing deep changes as electric car sales continue to rise and the geography of global car sales shifts.

How the incumbent car industry responds to these shifts will be critical for its future and that of industries across the supply chain – and for the energy sector as a whole, IEA warned.

Global car sales reached 80 million in 2024, driven by electric and hybrid cars. They made up around 30% of the total.

world iea report auto industry car sales by fuel

Sales of pure internal combustion engine (ICE) cars peaked in 2017 and have since fallen by 30%. Electric car sales grew more than 14-fold over the same period, reaching over one fifth of cars sold globally in 2024, according to IEA’s data.

The second major shift is the geography of car markets. China and other emerging economies now account for over half of global car sales, up from just 20% in 2000, the report What Next for the Global Car Industry? reads.

world iea report auto industry car sales by fuel regions

China’s car production more than doubled between 2010 and 2024, while India’s output grew 25% from the 2017 level. China overtook the European Union to become the world’s largest exporter. China now accounts for 40% of total manufacturing capacity, and Europe and North America have a 15% share each.

What will he incumbent car industry do?

The response of the incumbent car industry is crucial, IEA underlined.

The agency added that passenger cars represent the single largest source of global oil demand today, with 25% of total consumption. The use of alternative fuels, notably biofuels, represents 5% of energy use from cars today.

The extent and pace by which cars electrify, however, is what will affect future car manufacturing as well as the energy sector the most, and it explains the focus of the report, IEA stressed.

world iea report auto industry car sales market

Even as ICE car sales are on a downward trend in China and advanced economies in aggregate, they are likely to rise in some regions, meaning carmakers must navigate multiple trends at once, the report reads.

For example, imports from China make up 90% of electric car sales in emerging markets today. New market entrants are capturing an increasingly large share of the electric car market.

Carmakers from China and US-based Tesla sold 45% of all electric cars in 2024, IEA underlined.

Batteries drive manufacturing costs

The report adds that battery costs remain the main factor for higher direct manufacturing costs of battery electric cars than ICE cars.

Producing cars in China is cheaper than in advanced economies, especially electric ones. Advanced economies include the EU, USA, Japan and South Korea.

Producing a small SUV in China is over 30% cheaper than in advanced economies for both ICE and battery electric powertrains.

Large-scale manufacturing operations and vertical integration are the key reasons behind China’s cost competitiveness; lower energy prices and labour costs also contribute, but to a lesser degree, the IEA concluded.

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August 4, 2025
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US electricity prices soar 40% in H1 2025, outpacing EU’s 30% increase

In the first half of 2025, wholesale electricity prices in the European Union were about 30% higher than in same period of 2024, while a 40% increase was recorded in the United States. The penetration of negative prices in the EU continues, with their share doubling in H1 2025, according to the latest report of the International Energy Agency.

Wholesale electricity prices in the EU averaged around USD 90 per MWh as costs were mostly underpinned by natural gas prices, which were on average about 20% above the levels from 2024, IEA’s Electricity Mid-Year Update 2025 reads.

Prices saw upward pressure from a boost in fossil-fired generation due to a year-on-year drop in electricity generation from wind and hydropower.

While average power prices remained below the 2023 levels, they were higher than in 2019, according to IEA. The latter is a reference year because it was the last one before turbulences started – the COVID-19 pandemic, energy crisis, and the war in Ukraine.

Electricity prices in the Nordics remained the lowest in Europe

Latest futures prices in the EU average USD 80 per MWh for 2026, indicating a decline of around 15% from 2025, the report underlines.

High gas prices also affected the electricity market in the US, combined with colder weather. Power prices averaged around USD 48 per MWh. However, the increase was from a low base, as prices in the first half of 2024 were the lowest for the first half of the year since 2020, the report notes.

Average electricity prices in the Nordics remained the lowest in Europe, falling by more than 20% year-over-year in the first six months of 2025 to about USD 40 per MWh. It was the result of an increase in wind power generation and higher hydropower output, according to the report.

The update brings details on Germany, France, Japan, India, Australia, and the United Kingdom as well.

Occurence of negative prices doubled

IEA notes that the frequency of negative wholesale prices is increasing in various markets, underscoring the need for greater flexibility in supply and demand. The authors of the report propose appropriate regulatory frameworks and market designs to boost greater demand response and energy storage.

The share of hours with negative prices on the wholesale market reached 8% to 9% in the first half of the year in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain – up from between 4% and 5% in 2024, the report reads.

The average price this year in the EU is expected to be twice as high as in the US and about 50% higher than in China

Electricity prices for energy-intensive industries continued to vary significantly across regions. After declining since their 2022 peak, they are expected to rise year-on-year in 2025 in the EU, driven by higher wholesale price levels.

The average price this year in the EU is expected to be twice as high as in the US and about 50% higher than in China, according to IEA projections. By comparison, in 2019, prices in the EU were approximately 50% higher than in the United States and 20% higher than in China.

The cost differences continue to pose challenges for the competitiveness of energy-intensive industries in the EU, IEA stressed.

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June 13, 2016
by in Events, News

Bioenergy integrated in the bio-based economy crucial to meet climate targets

Eubce 2016Amsterdam, 9 June – The 24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition in Amsterdam has provided a unique overview of the state of play of the sector and a much clearer view than before of the role biomass can play in achieving the transition to a low carbon economy.

After the historical Climate agreement at COP 21, international institutions and scientific organizations agree that biomass and the bio-based economy are crucial to meet the 2 degrees target of climate change.

Scientific evidence indicates that 730 Gt (billion tonnes) out of the 1,000 Gt of carbon budget available to keep global temperatures below this threshold were already consumed, therefore the time we have to put in place effective measures is limited. We need low carbon solutions that deliver now and the sustainable use of biomass is undoubtedly included. Bioenergy itself can provide 10%-30% of all total CO2 emission reductions needed and this should be achieved by putting bioenergy in the integrated context of the bio-based economy, in order to maximize the efficiency of how we use this resource, to produce renewable energy, food and materials.

A careful review of the available scientific literature indicates that mobilizing one billion dry tons of ligno-cellulosic biomass by 2030 in Europe is possible and this can be done sustainably. This would mean doubling the current use of biomass and would be sufficient to meet the expected demand both for carbon neutral fuels and materials, without competing with food production.

Unsustainable displacement of food and loss of forest cover can be readily avoided by means of higher resource efficiency in agriculture, livestock management and by restoration of degraded lands. This can also provide major synergies between sustainable Bio-based economy and sustainable, resource efficient food production. State-of-the-art analysis shows that when agriculture and livestock are modernized over time, exploiting yield gaps and efficiency improvements in management, there is both enough food production capacity to feed the world with less land and to produce bioenergy on the surplus land. This can also lead to considerable improvements in carbon stocks on that same land, reduced water use per unit of output, lower GHG emissions and more efficient use of nutrients. Such necessary improvements are also highly desirable from a food security perspective, alleviating poverty, enhancing rural development and making agriculture more resilient to climate change. Similar reasoning holds for forest management, where integrated strategies can enhance forest productivity, maintain or improve carbon stocks, protect biodiversity and maintain the vitality of forest.One of the biggest opportunities lies in the revitalization of marginal and degraded lands by (re-)planting them with trees and grasses. Permanent vegetation cover can over time restore soil structure, water retention functions, minimise soild erosion and improve overall productivity. This changes the perspective on bioenergy from hedging problems to achieving synergies with better agriculture.

After decades of continuous research and technological development, a number of large scale demonstration plants is proving that biomass can be effectively converted into energy, advanced biofuels and bio-based products. Recognizing the value of those good examples is fundamental to build the consensus needed for finally setting a clear, stable European policy framework, which is still lacking, but is essential to enable the widespread development of the bio-based economy. The attention of policy makers and media has been focussed too much on possible negative effects of bioenergy. Attention needs to shift to the positive results that the bio-based economy can deliver in achieving the low carbon economy.

This conference demonstrated that there are high level talents working on these issues, said Prof. André Faaij, conference general chairman in his concluding remarks. It is now about how do we link all this good work to the right arena. Now we need to ensure close interplay and engagement of the research community, the industry and the governance arena. I would like to call upon all the key players in the field, especially international bodies such as UN, FAO, IRENA, IEA, EC, to organize the debate and to give it the focus it needs to solve the problems to progress, he said. He also launched the idea to form a coalition among the GBEP, the Global Environment Facility, the European Commission and the Energy Coalition of the world billionaires, to discuss how to support a series of large scale demonstrations of sustainable biomass production in different settings, integrating biorefineries, BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage), and bio-chemicals.

More information on www.eubce.com