The International Energy Agency has published the 2025 edition of its flagship annual report World Energy Outlook, generally accepted as the most authoritative global source of energy analysis and projections. In this context, the 2025 WEO provides unique analysis of the choices that lie ahead.
WEO 2025 covers a broad range of trajectories, highlighting different opportunities and vulnerabilities, but also commonalities. It does so through three main scenarios, each of which maps out a distinct energy future – enabling analysis of the implications of different policy, investment and technology choices for energy security, affordability and emissions.
Across various scenarios, the IEA sees five key trends:
- Centres of gravity are shifting. A group of emerging economies – led by India and Southeast Asia and joined by countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America – is increasingly shaping energy market dynamics in the years ahead, taking the baton from China.
- Energy security risks are rising. Traditional energy risks affecting the security of oil and gas supply are now accompanied by vulnerabilities in other areas, most visibly in supply chains for critical minerals, which face high levels of market concentration. The vulnerability of energy infrastructure to cyberattacks, extreme weather and more has also come into view.
- The Age of Electricity is here. Electricity is at the heart of modern economies, and electricity demand is set to grow much faster than overall energy in the years ahead. Another pivotal issue for energy security will be the speed at which new grids, storage and other sources of power system flexibility are put in place.
- Solar is growing rapidly. Solar PV is the fastest growing electricity source in the world – and it remains so in all scenarios, with a large majority of energy demand growth over the next decade set to come in countries with high-quality solar resources.
- Pathways exist to meet energy access and climate goals. The energy sector will need to prepare for the security risks brought by higher temperatures, but there is still scope to avoid the worst climate outcomes. The WEO-2025 also includes a new pathway to achieve universal access to electricity by 2035 and clean cooking by 2040.
