Global 2025 Power Demand Rose as EV, Data Centers Grew, IEA Says

Article content(Bloomberg) — Global power consumption grew 3% last year, driven partly by fast-growing demand from electric vehicles and data centers, according to the International Energy Agency.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentElectricity demand grew around 2.3 times faster than total energy demand in 2025, according to the IEA’s Global Energy Review released Monday. Demand from EVs and data centers grew at 38% and 17% respectively, but industry, household appliances and commercial buildings remained the main growth drivers.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentArticle content“In advanced economies, electricity demand expanded by a robust 1.6% year-over-year, with particularly strong growth in the United States,” it said. “Data centers accounted for around 50% of total electricity demand growth in the US, with additional growth coming from the residential, industry and transport sectors.”Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentIn China too, electricity demand growth was strong, but greater efficiencies and slightly lower cooling demand kept it below 2024 levels, the report said. Overall, global energy demand growth slowed to 1.3%, slightly behind the previous decade’s average.Article contentSolar was the largest contributor to growth in global energy supply for the first time in 2025, according to the IEA.Article content“Solar PV accounted for over a quarter of all of the world’s energy demand growth – more than any other source,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in the report. Natural gas took the second-largest share at 17%.Article contentGlobal oil demand rose by 0.7%, aligned with IEA projections, reflecting the continued growth of electric vehicles, which trimmed demand for road fuels. Article contentCoal use in China fell with the addition of greener energy, while demand for the dirty fuel increased in the US as high natural gas prices drove gas-to-coal switching in electricity generation. Still, the rate of coal demand growth slowed in 2025.Article contentBattery storage was the fastest-growing power sector technology in 2025, with roughly 110 gigawatts of new capacity added. More than 12 gigawatts of nuclear power reactors began construction last year.Article contentTrending US Seizes Iranian Ship in Blockade, Casting Doubt on Peace Talks PMN Business Posthaste: Why Canadians might be doomed to suffer a 'new normal' for oil prices News Brace for gas price 'shock' in inflation numbers out Monday, say economists Economy A rise in mortgage rates may ‘pull the rug' out from under the spring housing market, says CREA Mortgages Bank of Canada's Macklem says he has spoken to Fed chair about risks from Anthropic's Mythos AI model Banking Share this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. US Seizes Iranian Ship in Blockade, Casting Doubt on Peace Talks PMN Business Posthaste: Why Canadians might be doomed to suffer a 'new normal' for oil prices News Brace for gas price 'shock' in inflation numbers out Monday, say economists Economy A rise in mortgage rates may ‘pull the rug' out from under the spring housing market, says CREA Mortgages Bank of Canada's Macklem says he has spoken to Fed chair about risks from Anthropic's Mythos AI model Banking