• Copy Link Share on X Share on Linkedin Share on Facebook The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) annual report on global electricity systems and markets,Electricity 2026,forecasts that the share of renewables and nuclear in global power mix will increase from 42% today to 50% by the end of this decade along with an increase in natural gas use. • The 225-page report provides in-depth analysis of recent trends and policy developments, and includes forecasts for electricity demand, supply and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions over the five-year period to 2030. • Electricity demand is on course to grow at least 2.5 times as fast as overall energy demand to 2030. • This is driven by rising industrial use of electricity, the continued uptake of electric vehicles, higher air conditioning use and the expansion of data centres and artificial intelligence (AI). • The report says this will require a rapid and efficient expansion of both electricity grids and system flexibility. • “Today, more than 2 500 gigawatts worth of projects - encompassing renewables, storage, and projects with large loads, such as data centres - are currently stalled in connection queues worldwide.” IEA Director of Energy Markets & Security Keisuke Sadamori noted: “In this Age of Electricity, the increase in global power consumption through 2030 is set to be equivalent to adding more than two European Unions,” said.

Article Summaries:

  • The International Energy Agency’s 2026 Electricity report projects that renewables and nuclear will rise from 42 % of the global power mix today to 50 % by 2030, with natural‑gas use also increasing. Electricity demand is expected to grow 2.5 times faster than overall energy demand, driven by electric‑vehicle adoption, data‑centre expansion, AI and higher air‑conditioning use. To meet this demand, the IEA calls for a 50 % rise in grid investment and greater system flexibility. Nuclear output reached a record in 2025 and is projected to grow 2.8 % annually, largely from new reactors in China, India, Korea and Japan, while U.S. and EU output remains stable.

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