Growth in eletricity demand in 2024 and 2025 is forecast to be among the highest levels in the past two decades, new IEA report finds, with solar PV alone expected to meet half of the increase, according to Ednews.

The world’s demand for electricity is rising at its fastest rate in years, driven by robust economic growth, intense heatwaves and increasing uptake of technologies that run on electricity such as EVs and heat pumps, according to a new report by the IEA. At the same time, renewables continue their rapid ascent, with solar PV on course to set new records.

Global electricity demand is forecast to grow by around 4% in 2024, up from 2.5% in 2023, the IEA’s Electricity Mid-Year Update finds. This would represent the highest annual growth rate since 2007, excluding the exceptional rebounds seen in the wake of the global financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. The strong increase in global electricity consumption is set to continue into 2025, with growth around 4% again, according to the report.

Renewable sources of electricity are also set to expand rapidly this year and next, with their share of global electricity supply forecast to rise from 30% in 2023 to 35% in 2025. The amount of electricity generated by renewables worldwide in 2025 is forecast to eclipse the amount generated by coal for the first time.

In many parts of the world, increasing use of air-conditioning will remain a significant driver of electricity demand. Multiple regions faced intense heatwaves in the first half of 2024, which elevated demand and put electricity systems under strain, the report finds.