Our Scans · (LF.7) Affordable and Clean Energy · Weekly Summary

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In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• [New] MIT researchers have developed a new fabrication method that could enable the production of more energy efficient electronics by stacking multiple functional components on top of one existing circuit. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Global nuclear energy capacity could potentially double by 2050, reaching between 561 GW and 992 GW. Energies Media
• [New] The latest Short-Term Energy Outlook from the EIA presents a materially looser global oil landscape heading into 2026, driven by persistent non-OPEC supply strength and softer regional demand expectations. aegis-hedging.com
• [New] With continued research and improved extraction methods, natural hydrogen could transform energy production, reduce emissions, and support global energy needs for generations to come. Chemical Industry Digest
• [New] Scientists have discovered that Earth's crust contains vast reserves of natural hydrogen, a breakthrough that could supply clean energy for centuries. Chemical Industry Digest
• [New] If energy prices move higher, then the U.S. trade deficit is expected to shrink even further due to all the U.S. exports of crude oil, processed fuels, and LNG. investing.com
• [New] The International Energy Agency mentioned that by 2020, the world's solar capacity hit over 1,000 gigawatts, and they are saying it could go past 3,000 gigawatts by 2025. 2025 Top Solar Energy Trends You Need to Know for a Sus
• [New] The International Energy Agency corrected its 2026 oil glut forecast to 3.84 million b/d in its latest monthly report, down 250,000 b/d from a month ago, hiking its demand growth forecast for 2026 to 860,000 b/d compared to 2.4 million b/d supply growth. Yahoo Finance
• [New] In October, the International Energy Agency projected renewable energy will grow by 4.6 TW by 2030 - a figure equal to the combined generation capacity of China, the EU and Japan combined. Engadget
• [New] Electricity's share of global energy consumption is going to double in the next decade alone. Engadget
• [New] Critical minerals are becoming increasingly vital - growing demand for green energy technologies could scale production by nearly 500% by 2050. Insurance Journal
• [New] The International Energy Agency's net zero by 2050 scenarios anticipate rail will replace a significant share of long-distance road and regional air transport. The Guardian
• [New] India is planning to reach 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with a solar power contribution of 280 GW being the major source. Trade Brains Money
• [New] The amount of energy that data centers will need in the near future is estimated to at least double in the next few years and by 2035 they will be the single largest consumer of electricity in the United States. New Atlas
• [New] As a Goldman Sachs report from earlier in 2025 pointed out, AI-driven energy demand could rise 165% by 2030. Technocracy News
• [New] Finding ways to coordinate use of Australia's rapidly growing household energy storage capacity and tapping into EV batteries through V2G technology could avoid overspending on grid-scale storage. The Conversation
• [New] Distributed energy storage such as home batteries and electric vehicle batteries could supply more overall storage than grid-scale batteries before 2030. The Conversation
• [New] The U.S. Department of Energy said it will provide $800 million to support development of small modular reactors by the Tennessee Valley Authority and private company Holtec. Last Week in ConTech
• [New] The International Energy Agency warns of a potential 30% copper supply deficit by 2035, driven by surging demand from electrification, AI, and clean energy transitions outpacing constrained mining output amid declining ore grades and lengthy project timelines. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] Low-emissions technologies are expected to account for almost 90% of investment in electricity into the future and that for every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about $1.7 are now going into clean energy sources such as solar power. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Battery electric vehicles (EVs) are poised for similar ascension, with the International Energy Agency projecting that they will reach 65% of all car sales by 2030, will achieve average annual growth rates of 25% between now and then, and will reach 1 billion adopters by 2040. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Eindhoven's AI-chip startup Euclyd burst into the spotlight in 2025 with a bold promise: 100 × more energy-efficient AI compute and a clean-sheet chip architecture that could finally give Europe its own Nvidia. IO+

Last updated: 15 December 2025