Global Scans · Energy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: By 2025 solar energy will be the cheapest energy option globally. In 2040, oil and natural gas are expected to make up nearly 60 percent of global supplies, while nuclear and renewables will be approaching 25 percent. Improvements in energy efficiency in lighting and home appliances are expected to continue to push residential electricity use lower. The burning of coal will fall out of favor. Transportation energy consumption will be rising in correlation to growth in automated vehicles in the coming years.

• [New] International Energy Agency, Global electricity demand is set to grow strongly to 2030, underscoring need for investments in grids and flexibility, 2026. BlackRock
• [New] At COP 30, 33 nations committed to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050, acknowledging that renewables alone may not be sufficient to meet future demand and that nuclear energy will be essential for reaching net-zero emissions. The Climate Historian
• [New] Helion Energy has a signed power purchase agreement with Microsoft targeting 2028 grid delivery. The ClimateTech Memos
• [New] Amazon is working with X-energy to bring online more than 5 GW of small modular reactors in the U.S. by 2039, while Alphabet's Google has signed an agreement with Kairos Power, aiming to bring online its first small modular reactor by 2030. Insurance Journal
• [New] Australian mining giant Fortescue has accelerated its timeline for deploying a 1.8 GW renewable energy portfolio, paired with 4-5GWh of batteries, which it now expects to begin commercial operation by 2028. PV Tech
• [New] Bloomberg Intelligence predicted growth in energy demand for AI by up to four times its current level by 2032. Brookings
• [New] Data center demand for energy in the U.S. will increase by 130% by 2030. Brookings
• [New] The energy consumption of data centers could approach 1,050 TWh by 2026, which, if data centers were a country, would make them the fifth largest energy consumer in the world, between Japan and Russia. Brookings
• [New] Disruptions to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil supply flows, drove a sharp increase in energy prices. Callan
• [New] The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has transformed a geopolitical risk into a global supply shock affecting energy markets, supply chains, inflation dynamics, and monetary policy worldwide. Rothschild & Co
• [New] The Middle East region is experiencing an unprecedented crisis, with the conflict spreading to Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, seriously threatening regional stability and undermining global energy supply and shipping security. The Washington Institute
• [New] President Donald Trump's threat to strike Iran's power plants, if carried out, could trigger widespread economic disruption inside Iran while sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Counter Extremism Project
• [New] S&P's base case assumes the Iran war's intensity will peak and the Strait of Hormuz's effective closure will ease in April 2026, but some disruptions could persist for months because of the damage to energy infrastructure in the Middle East. Free Malaysia Today
• [New] If energy companies use their record profits to reinvest in production capacity rather than just share buybacks, the supply constraint could ease by late 2027. The Chronicle-Journal
• [New] If peace talks progress, energy price relief could prove durable and provide a meaningful tailwind to inflation expectations and the Fed's policy path. Condor Capital Wealth Management
• [New] HONG KONG (AP) - China is poised to benefit from the Iran war as global energy disruptions accelerate a shift away from fossil fuels and toward clean technologies and renewable power, industries that China dominates. WRAL
• [New] Investment in renewable power and battery storage - designed to save energy when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing - is expected to increase in nations heavily dependent on energy imports, including European countries. WRAL
• [New] Vietnam's government will amend policies to support production of clean energy technologies, a minister has said at the opening of a battery energy storage system factory. Energy-Storage.News
• [New] Structural investment themes are becoming more actionable The conflict in the Middle East is exacerbating slow-moving forces around supply chain realignment, the energy transition, and fiscal policy - leading to potentially durable opportunities. Citi Wealth - Market Insights & Financial Education
• [New] The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy thoroughfares and its effective closure since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran six weeks ago has resulted in unprecedented supply disruption. financialpost
• [New] While a protracted Middle East conflict threatens Eurasia with severe energy deficits, the U.S. economy stands to benefit. Barchart.com
• [New] Electricity consumption will continue growing through 2050 at a rate of 0.9% to 1.6%, with data center server energy use a major factor. / USA EIA - Energy Information Administration

Last updated: 17 April 2026