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] Key Opportunity: Smart temperature-controlled cold plunge tubs present a major growth opportunity, driven by rising demand for app-enabled controls, energy-efficient systems, and connected home wellness integration across residential and commercial markets through 2033. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Energy demand tied to AI is accelerating, with the IEA projecting data-center electricity use will more than double by 2030, highlighting a fundamental constraint in the current scaling paradigm. MEXC
• [New] Energy companies will spend $713 billion on grid digitalization over the next six years. Matterport
• [New] The International Energy Agency forecasts a rise in data-centre electricity consumption to 600 TWh by 2026. Environmental Finance
• [New] The NBRPs are an essential and strategic tool for Member States to transform their building stock into a high-performing, energy-efficient, decarbonised asset by 2050. Energy
• [New] If the energy transition accelerates faster than expected - through breakthrough battery technology, policy mandates, or shifting consumer preferences - ExxonMobil's core business faces long-term demand erosion. SWOTPal
• [New] China released new climate and energy targets as part of its 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan, including goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions intensity 3.8% in 2026 and 17% by 2030. ballotpedia
• [New] Between 2026 and 2030, China's CO2 emissions from electricity generation are forecast to fall on average by 0.2% per year as low-emissions energy sources constrain coal-fired output, and despite continued robust electricity demand growth. IEA
• [New] Rising energy prices and possible supply disruptions could affect the whole economy, including transport, power generation, agriculture, and global shipping. The Daily Star
• [New] By disrupting navigation systems in the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint through which about 20% of global oil passes - Iran can signal that it has the capability to threaten global trade and energy flows without immediately launching a full military blockade. CYFIRMA
• [New] Diversifying energy sources, building regional electricity interconnections and implementing strategies for resilient generation in the face of changing weather patterns will be increasingly important and again supports the notion of increases in global nuclear power capacity. NS Energy
• [New] In the longer term, the IEA highlights a further potential factor in favour of more nuclear generation development - the energy security risk associated with climate change. NS Energy
• [New] By 2027, expect rechargeable devices with modular designs to dominate, alongside AI-optimized energy-efficient devices that predict usage for minimal waste. Daniel Franklin Gomez
• [New] South Africa joined 33 other nations pledging to triple nuclear energy by 2050, even as a federal court struck down Forest Service logging rules designed to reduce wildfire risk. EnviroLink Network - The environmental news site since
• [New] The World Platinum Investment Council's latest forecast maintains that platinum will face a structural supply deficit through at least 2029, driven by declining South African mine output and growing industrial uptake in hydrogen fuel cell technology and green energy applications. Benchpeg
• [New] The dramatic supply disruptions and price spikes unleashed by the latest Middle East conflict are likely to harden the resolve of many governments to accelerate the drive for greater energy self-sufficiency - and that will include clean energy. Irina Slav on energy
• [New] Poland plans to enter the nuclear energy sector, with the first reactor scheduled to go into operation in 2036 according to current plans and five more to follow by 2043. GRS gGmbH
• [New] Utility-scale solar is the fastest-growing energy source in the U.S., with an expected increase to 424 billion kWh by 2027, up from 290 billion kWh in 2025. Mercomindia.com
• [New] Without coordinated improvements across production, transport, and technology supply networks, the global transition to green hydrogen may struggle to deliver expected climate and energy benefits. The Leading Solar Magazine In India
• [New] Depending on how quickly governments and industry drive the energy transition, lithium demand could reach between 5.6 and 13.2 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2050. GOLDINVEST.de

Last updated: 20 March 2026