International Energy Agency: Global electricity demand is growing – but clean energy generation is also making great strides.
The electricity demand is growing worldwide, partly due to the increasing spread of technologies such as electromobility and heat pumps. However, low-emission energy sources are well on the way to covering the entire increase, writes the International Energy Agency (IEA) in a new report. According to the report, renewable energies will account for over a third of total electricity generation by the beginning of 2025, overtaking coal. Power generation from nuclear energy is also set to reach an all-time high this year. According to the IEA’s forecast, low-emission sources will account for almost half of global electricity generation in 2026, compared to just under 40 percent in 2023.
The energy sector – currently still the largest emitter of greenhouse gases – is thus also leading the transition to the goal of net zero emissions. Despite this progress, however, electrification would have to progress much faster in the coming years to achieve global climate protection plans, warns IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. In this context, the agency has repeatedly emphasized the importance of a secure supply of raw materials and warned against a concentration of supply, particularly in refinery and manufacturing processes.
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