For much of the past decade, discussions around the energy transition have focused primarily on one issue: where electricity comes from.
Policymakers, businesses and investors concentrated on expanding renewable generation, scaling clean technologies and reducing the carbon intensity of supply.
That focus was necessary and has driven meaningful progress. But the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s Global Energy Review 2026 reframes the debate.
The world has now entered the “Age of Electricity”. Electricity demand is growing more than twice as fast as overall energy demand, driven by structural changes across the global economy.
Industrial electrification is accelerating and data centres and digital infrastructure are expanding rapidly, while electric mobility continues to grow and electrified heating is becoming more widespread.
