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] Brent remains down nearly 15% YTD as rising global production continues to weigh on prices, even as geopolitical disruptions and sanctions on Russian energy firms offer intermittent support. MUFG Research
• [New] With less than five years remaining until 2030, and despite some global setbacks, decarbonization has become an irreversible international trend, driven by the rapid expansion of renewable energy and the strong commitment of citizens. Japan Climate Initiative
• [New] Energy systems around the world are contending with the impacts of climate change today, underscoring the urgent need to build greater resilience to rising weather-related risks, as well as to cyberattacks and other malicious activity. IEA
• [New] Fresh analysis for the WEO-2025 maps the new geography of demand onto the distribution of global energy resources, showing that, by 2035, 80% of global energy consumption growth occurs in regions with high-quality solar irradiance. IEA
• [New] Countries around the world are contending with pressing energy security threats and growing longer-term risks across an unprecedented range of fuels and technologies, thrusting energy into the heart of geopolitical tensions and elevating it as a core issue of economic and national security. IEA
• [New] Peak warming in the NZE Scenario exceeds 1.5 °C for several decades, returning below 1.5 °C by 2100 thanks to a very rapid transformation of the energy sector and to widespread deployment of CO2 removal technologies that are currently unproven at large scale. IEA
• [New] By 2025, the implementation of AI will have led to renewable energy efficiency being raised by as much as 25%. TheNewzAI
• [New] Autonomous Energy Management: By AI, Tesla can forecast solar energy generation and battery consumption, thus the system of Powerwall and Powerpack can work at the highest level of efficiency. TheNewzAI
• [New] Energy use is set to soar, thanks partly to electric vehicles and AI, perhaps doubling by 2050. no2nuclearpower
• [New] Renewable energy, led by solar power, will grow faster than any other major source in the next few years and that coal and oil demand will likely peak globally by the end of this decade. ABC News
• [New] Nuclear energy is experiencing a revival in fortunes with investment rising in both traditional large-scale plants and new designs, including small modular reactors (SMRs), and capacity set to increase by at least one-third to 2035 - and potentially by as much as 70%. The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency
• [New] Nuclear energy is experiencing its most significant resurgence in decades, with global capacity projections showing unprecedented growth through 2050. Discovery Alert
• [New] Global demand for LNG meanwhile is expected to increase particularly in Asia and Europe, which are seeking to diversify their energy supply and reduce reliance on coal. BNN Bloomberg
• [New] Electricity demand will rise much faster than overall energy growth in the coming decades, underscoring the need for diversified energy sources. ABC News
• [New] Global clean-energy investment is expected to reach $2.2 tn in 2025, which would be about twice fossil-fuel spending. The Guardian
• [New] The massive surge in AI energy consumption is creating unprecedented opportunities across uranium mining, renewable energy infrastructure, and battery storage systems, with projections showing AI could consume electricity equivalent to 100 million homes by 2035. Discovery Alert
• [New] AI-driven energy demand could increase global carbon emissions by approximately 220 million tons annually by 2030. Discovery Alert
• [New] AI workloads will account for 27-35% of total data center energy consumption by 2030, representing a dramatic increase from the current 5-15% share. Discovery Alert
• [New] AI energy demand represents one of the most significant technological disruptions to global energy markets in decades, with data centers now consuming electricity equivalent to entire nations. Discovery Alert
• [New] Saudi Arabia is emerging as a regional leader, thanks to initiatives under its Vision 2030 plan that emphasize nanotechnology and composites for energy storage and lightweight transportation components. Precedence Research
• A court-mandated environmental study by the FERC will likely delay NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG and Glenfarne Energy Transition LLC's Texas LNG plants. Oil & Gas Journal
• OPEC + pauses planned production increases for early 2026 as global energy leaders debate demand, sanctions, and the future of oil at the Abu Dhabi summit. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• Nuclear energy has the potential to achieve 100% reductions in CO2 emissions. SpringerOpen

Last updated: 14 November 2025