The accelerated expansion of global electrification and the advancement of renewable energy sources place electricity grids at the center of the challenges facing the energy sector. In a new warning, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that it will be essential to increase the operational flexibility of electricity systems to sustain the growth in demand and the transformation of the energy matrix throughout this decade.
According to the agency, the share of renewable sources and nuclear energy should reach about 50% of the world's electricity mix by 2030. This movement, while positive from the point of view of the energy transition, imposes additional pressure on existing infrastructure, requiring investments in expanding grids and energy storage systems.
The conclusions are part of the Electricity 2026 report, released last Friday (6), which presents an analysis of the evolution of electrical systems and energy markets on a global scale, with projections until the end of the decade.
According to the IEA, global demand for electricity is expected to grow by an average of more than 3,5% per year until 2030. This expansion will be met primarily by increased renewable energy generation, natural gas, and nuclear power. Drivers of this growth include the increased electrification of industry, the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, the intensive use of air conditioning systems, and the expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence applications.
In this context, coal-fired power generation is gradually losing market share globally, while natural gas continues on a growth trajectory until 2030. The agency highlights that this growth is driven primarily by increased electricity consumption in the United States and the ongoing replacement of oil with gas in the Middle East.
Systemic bottlenecks
The report highlights a set of bottlenecks that threaten to slow this transition. The combination of growing demand, increased reliance on intermittent sources, and changes in consumption patterns requires faster network expansion, accompanied by greater operational flexibility.
Currently, more than 2.500 gigawatts of renewable energy generation, energy storage, and large load projects, such as data centers, are awaiting connection to the electrical grid in different regions of the world. According to the IEA, this backlog highlights operational limitations of transmission and distribution systems.
Further analysis of the study indicates that the adoption of grid reinforcement technologies could enable the integration of up to 1.600 gigawatts of these projects in the short term.
According to Keisuke Sadamori, Director of Energy Markets and Security at the IEA, meeting the sector's new demands will require a surge in investment. He stated that annual investments in electricity grids will have to grow by about 50% by 2030. "Increasing flexibility will be essential as electrical systems evolve, as will a focus on security and resilience," he said.
The report also highlights the rapid advancement of utility-scale battery energy storage systems. Markets such as California, Germany, Texas, South Australia, and the United Kingdom have seen significant growth in the installation of this technology in recent years.
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