New Energy
The Whole World Is Going to Use a Lot More Electricity, IEA Says
- Power demand to grow 4% annually through 2027, new report says
- Air conditioning, industry and data centers to boost demand
Developing countries have driven power demand growth in recent years, with consumption in advanced economies having stagnated or even fallen due to increasing efficiencies.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Electricity demand is set to increase sharply in the coming years as people around the world use more power to run air conditioners, industry and a growing fleet of data centers.
Over the next three years, global electricity consumption is set to rise by an “unprecedented” 3,500 terawatt hours, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. That’s an addition each year of more than Japan’s annual electricity consumption.