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Weekly Insight #20 · Electrification · Renewables

23 Per Cent in 2025, 35 Per Cent Proposed for 2035: the IEA electrification measurements, IRENA's tripling and efficiency tracking, and the grid investment values ahead of COP31

1 October 2026 · 22 min read · UzEnergyNews · Energy & Market Intelligence

The International Energy Agency (IEA) measures electricity at 17 per cent of global final energy consumption in 2000 and 23 per cent in 2025. It places the 2035 share at about 30 per cent in scenarios based on "today's policy settings" and at 35 per cent in its High Electrification Scenario (IEA, Electrification – Special Report, 22 September 2026). The Presidency of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) proposes 35 per cent by 2035 as a global objective for the conference in Antalya on 9–20 November 2026. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published the third report in its annual tracking series with the COP31 Presidency and the Global Renewables Alliance on 21 September 2026. It records 5.15 terawatts of installed renewable power capacity at the end of 2025 after 693 gigawatts of additions in that year. The 2030 benchmark is 11.2 terawatts, and IRENA calculates the required additions at about 1.2 terawatts a year over 2026–2030. Energy intensity improved by 1.7 per cent in 2025; IRENA calculates the rate required over 2026–2030 at 5.6 per cent a year. This edition sets out the two measurement series, the rate each target requires against the rate recorded, and the grid investment values in both reports with their scope and price basis.

Publication details and the status of the 35 per cent proposal

The IEA released Electrification – Special Report on 22 September 2026 as a 198-page publication under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence. The governments of Türkiye and Australia requested the report. Türkiye is designated to hold the COP31 Presidency, and Australia is designated as COP31 President of Negotiations. The report was prepared within a strategic partnership between the COP31 Presidency and the IEA (IEA, pp. 3, 15, 25). Its three forewords are signed by the IEA Executive Director, the COP31 President-Designate and the COP31 President of Negotiations. Page references to the IEA report are given below as "IEA, p."

IRENA published the third edition of its annual tracking series, Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 (ISBN 978-92-9260-750-0), jointly with the COP31 Presidency and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA). IRENA was designated in early 2024 as the custodian agency for tracking two of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consensus goals (IRENA, p. 2). IRENA announced the release of the report on its official X account on 21 September 2026, and its launch press release places the release during Climate Week NYC. Page references to the IRENA report are given below as "IRENA, p." COP31 takes place in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026 (IRENA, p. 3).

The two targets tracked by IRENA come from paragraph 28 of the Outcome of the First Global Stocktake, agreed by 198 Parties at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai in 2023. The paragraph calls on Parties to contribute to "(a) Tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030" (IRENA, p. 2).

Both reports present the 35 per cent electrification figure as a proposal of the COP31 Presidency:

The IEA report describes the 35 per cent level as a "goal, currently under international discussion" (IEA, p. 16). Neither report records the 35 per cent figure as an adopted decision of the Conference of the Parties.

As of 9 June 2026, 120 third-generation nationally determined contributions (NDC 3.0) had been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (NDC Registry data cited in IRENA, p. 55). They cover 77 per cent of global emissions. Of these submissions, 67 per cent contain a quantified renewable energy target and 43 per cent a quantified energy efficiency target (IRENA, p. 55).

The IEA measure: electricity's share of final energy consumption, 2000–2035

The IEA defines the electrification rate as the share of electricity in total final energy consumption (IEA, pp. 28–31, 186–187):

The denominator is the one used for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal indicator 7.2.1 (IEA, p. 187).

On this measure, electricity accounted for 17 per cent of global final energy consumption in 2000 and 23 per cent in 2025 (IEA, pp. 16, 31). These two rounded values from the report text give an average increase of 0.24 percentage points a year over 2000–2025 (calculation). Values read from IEA Figure 1.5 place the share at about 16.7 per cent in 2000, 18.3 per cent in 2008, 20.8 per cent in 2018, 21.9 per cent in 2020 and 23.4 per cent in 2025 (IEA, p. 31). On the 2000 and 2025 readings the average increase is about 0.27 points a year (calculation).

The IEA report gives three values for 2035:

The IEA report places the 33 per cent value "today" on pages 15 and 53 and "in 2035" on page 51. This edition states it on the 2025-conditions basis set out on page 51. The IEA states that its scenarios are not forecasts and that all of them use the same population and economic growth assumptions (IEA, p. 45).

By sector, electricity supplied about 40 per cent of final energy use in buildings, 28 per cent in industry and about 2 per cent in transport in 2025 (IEA, pp. 30, 31, 88). In the High Electrification Scenario the 2035 shares are about 56 per cent for buildings and about 39 per cent for industry, both read from IEA Figure 2.1 on page 49, which compares the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS) with the High Electrification Scenario. The 2035 share for transport is 13 per cent (IEA, p. 49).

Global electricity demand exceeded 28,500 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025 (IEA, p. 27). Weekly Insight #13 of 30 July 2026 carried 28,600 TWh as the starting level, taken from the IEA Electricity Mid-Year Update of 23 July 2026. Annual demand growth averaged 750 TWh over 2015–2025. The IEA puts it at about 925 TWh a year in the Stated Policies Scenario and about 1,400 TWh a year in the High Electrification Scenario (IEA, p. 51).

Electricity's share of global final energy consumption on the IEA measure, 2000–2025, drawn from the values read from IEA Figure 1.5: about 16.7 per cent in 2000, 18.3 per cent in 2008, 20.8 per cent in 2018, 21.9 per cent in 2020 and 23.4 per cent in 2025; the report text gives the end values as 17 and 23 per cent. Two IEA markers for 2035, with no path drawn from 2025: about 30 per cent under "today's policy settings" and 35 per cent in the High Electrification Scenario, the level proposed by the COP31 Presidency. A dotted horizontal line at 33 per cent marks full uptake of the electrification that is cost-effective at 2025 conditions and is not tied to a year. A separate IRENA line shows the values recorded in IRENA Figure 7, 23 per cent in 2022 and 2023 and 24 per cent in 2024, which IRENA calculates from IEA World Energy Statistics and Balances; IRENA gives no value for 2025. Two separate IRENA markers show about 30 per cent in 2030, the level required to meet the UAE Consensus goal, and 35 per cent in 2035, for which IRENA states that further acceleration is needed.

Electrification in the IRENA report and the energy efficiency target

IRENA measures electrification as a component of the energy efficiency goal. IRENA states that electricity's share of total final energy consumption must rise from 23 per cent in 2023 to around 30 per cent by 2030 to meet the UAE Consensus goal (IRENA, p. 39). Page 40 states that further acceleration will be needed to reach 35 per cent by 2035 and cites IRENA's May 2026 report Transitioning away from fossil fuels for this value (IRENA, p. 40). IRENA's sector shares for 2023 and 2030 are (IRENA, p. 39):

IRENA Figure 7 gives the total electrification rate as 23 per cent in 2022 and 2023 and 24 per cent in 2024, and "N/A" for 2025; note 3 of the figure states that the recent-year values are calculated from IEA World Energy Statistics and Balances (IRENA, p. 40). For 2024 the reading of IEA Figure 1.5 is about 23.0 per cent (IEA, p. 31). Neither report explains the difference of about 1 point. IRENA's sector values are for 2023 and the IEA's for 2025, and IRENA names no source for its sector values on page 39. Because the two sets of sector values rest on different base years, this edition shows them separately and does not compare them line by line.

IRENA measures energy intensity as total primary energy supply divided by gross domestic product at 2025 purchasing power parity (IRENA, p. 38). Energy intensity improved by 1.7 per cent in 2025 (IRENA, pp. 16, 38). IRENA Figure 6 gives 2.0 per cent for 2022 and 1.1 per cent for each of 2023 and 2024 (IRENA, p. 38). IRENA expresses the goal of doubling energy efficiency from 2022 levels as an improvement of 4 per cent a year over 2023–2030. After the rates recorded for 2023–2025, the average required over 2026–2030 is 5.6 per cent a year (IRENA, pp. 7, 38), 3.3 times the 2025 rate (calculation). IRENA's updated Planned Energy Scenario gives about 3 per cent a year for 2026–2030 (IRENA, p. 38). The IRENA Director-General's foreword states that "the UAE Consensus goals may no longer be sufficient to keep the world on 1.5°C-compatible pathway" (IRENA, p. 7).

Renewable capacity: 5.15 TW at end-2025 against the 11.2 TW benchmark for 2030

Installed renewable power capacity reached 5.15 terawatts (TW) at the end of 2025, equal to 5,155 gigawatts (GW); 1 TW equals 1,000 GW (IRENA, pp. 23, 27). Additions in 2025 were 693 GW. The growth rate was just over 15.5 per cent, against 15.1 per cent in 2024 (IRENA, p. 23). The GRA foreword in the same report states the 2025 addition as 692 GW (IRENA, p. 13); this edition uses the 693 GW of the main text.

The 2025 additions by technology were (IRENA, pp. 25–26):

Variable renewables accounted for 96.9 per cent of net renewable additions in 2025 (IRENA, p. 25).

The 2030 benchmark is 11,174 GW, rounded to 11.2 TW. IRENA derived it from the analysis in its World Energy Transitions Outlook, which formed the statistical basis of the COP28 goal. IRENA retains the benchmark for continuity across the series (IRENA, p. 25).

Reaching the benchmark requires 6.02 TW of additions over 2026–2030. That is an average of about 1.2 TW a year and a compound annual growth rate of 16.7 per cent, against 16.6 per cent in the 2025 edition (IRENA, p. 23). The key findings and IRENA Figure 2 give the annual average as 1,204 GW (IRENA, pp. 16, 27). The required annual average is 1.74 times the 2025 addition (calculation).

If the 2025 growth rate of 15.5 per cent were maintained, capacity would reach 10.6 TW at the end of 2030, a shortfall of about 0.6 TW (IRENA, p. 23). IRENA compares this shortfall with North America's 2025 year-end renewable capacity of 612 GW (IRENA, p. 24). The shortfall stated in the series was:

By technology, the average annual additions required over 2026–2030 are 614 GW for solar photovoltaics (IRENA Figure 2 label, p. 27), 449 GW for wind and 34 GW for hydropower (IRENA, p. 26). If the benchmark is reached, variable renewables would account for about 62 per cent of total installed power capacity in 2030 (about 42 per cent solar and 20 per cent wind). The 2025 share is about 35 per cent (IRENA, p. 23).

Installed renewable power capacity by technology (gigawatts)

TechnologyEnd-2024End-20252030 benchmark
Solar photovoltaics1,8762,3885,457
Onshore wind1,0501,2003,040
Offshore wind8391494
Hydropower (excluding pumped storage)1,2781,2961,465
Bioenergy153155343
Concentrated solar power78197
Geothermal1516105
Marine0.50.572
Total4,4625,15511,174

Source: IRENA, Figure 3, p. 28. The text on pages 25–26 also states the 2025 values for solar photovoltaics, hydropower, bioenergy, geothermal and concentrated solar power, and the 2025 wind total of 1,291 GW. Rows do not sum exactly to the totals because of rounding in the source.

IRENA reports that commissioning in China was brought forward ahead of a pricing reform that took effect in June 2025. Nearly 93 GW of solar was installed in May 2025 alone (IRENA, p. 57). Against that base, Chinese solar additions in the first half of 2026 were 66 per cent lower year on year and wind additions about 25 per cent lower (Reuters report cited in IRENA, p. 57). The IRENA Director-General's foreword refers to "indications of a potential slowdown in capacity expansion" (IRENA, p. 7). As of 1 October 2026, full-year 2026 capacity statistics had not been published.

In 2025, 90 per cent of newly commissioned utility-scale renewable capacity produced electricity at a lower cost than the cheapest newly installed fossil fuel alternative. Global weighted-average levelised costs of electricity were 33 dollars a megawatt-hour for onshore wind, 44 dollars for solar photovoltaics and 78 dollars for offshore wind. Excluding China, the values for solar photovoltaics and onshore wind were 55 and 51 dollars a megawatt-hour (IRENA, p. 32). Battery storage additions reached 112 GW and 307 gigawatt-hours in 2025, 48 per cent more in power terms than in 2024 (BloombergNEF data cited in IRENA, p. 46).

Global installed renewable power capacity in gigawatts: 4,462 at end-2024 and 5,155 at end-2025 (IRENA). Two lines to 2030, both calculated from IRENA inputs: the path at 16.7 per cent a year reaching the 11,174 GW benchmark, and the path at the 2025 growth rate of 15.5 per cent reaching 10,596 GW, which IRENA states as 10.6 TW. The difference in 2030 is about 0.6 TW. An inset compares the 693 GW added in 2025 with the average of 1,204 GW a year required over 2026–2030.

Investment values in the two reports: scope, year and price basis

Values in the text of this section are in United States dollars at 2025 prices unless stated otherwise; 1 trillion equals 1,000 billion. The table of values carried in earlier editions states the price basis of each row in a separate column.

Renewable power and energy efficiency. Investment in renewable power generation capacity was 625 billion dollars in 2025, against 641 billion dollars in 2024. Solar photovoltaics accounted for 417 billion dollars, wind for 155 billion, hydropower for 37 billion and bioenergy for 12 billion (IRENA, pp. 45, 47). IRENA calculates this investment as annual capacity additions multiplied by the global weighted-average installed cost of each technology (IRENA, p. 45).

IRENA puts the renewable requirement at 8.6 trillion dollars over 2026–2030, an average of about 1.7 trillion dollars (1,725 billion) a year (IRENA, pp. 45, 47). By technology, IRENA states that annual investment in wind and hydropower must scale up to five and four times the 2025 levels respectively, and investment in bioenergy tenfold (IRENA, p. 45). Investment in energy efficiency and conservation was 369 billion dollars in 2025 (IRENA, pp. 46–47; page 16 of the same report gives 362 billion dollars), against a requirement of 3.2 trillion dollars (3,182 billion) a year over 2026–2030 (IRENA, pp. 46–47).

Across renewable power, energy efficiency, and grids and flexibility, IRENA records 1,518 billion dollars in 2025 against a required 5,782 to 5,889 billion dollars a year (IRENA, p. 47); the component values shown in the source differ from these totals by 1 billion dollars because of rounding (calculation). Total energy investment was 3.3 trillion dollars in 2025 (IRENA, p. 46, citing the IEA's World Energy Investment 2026). In the IEA report, investment in electricity supply and grids is set to reach 1.6 trillion dollars in 2026. Including end-use electrification the total is 2 trillion dollars, about 60 per cent of total global energy investment in 2026 (IEA, p. 34).

Grids in the IEA report. Investment in transmission and distribution networks was about 315 billion dollars in 2015 (IEA, p. 34, where no price basis is stated for this value), about 295 billion dollars in 2020 and 450 billion dollars in 2025. It reaches about 930 billion dollars in 2035 in the High Electrification Scenario with the Net Zero Emissions supply mix (IEA, p. 145). The 2035 value is 2.07 times the 2025 level, equivalent to about 7.5 per cent a year over 2025–2035 (calculation). In the IEA's words, "nearly two-thirds of investment in grids is in distribution networks" (IEA, p. 59). The IEA gives global network length as more than 85 million kilometres, of which about 80 million kilometres is distribution, without stating a year (IEA, p. 115). It reaches about 115 million kilometres in 2035 in the same scenario (IEA, pp. 115–116).

Grids and flexibility in the IRENA report. IRENA records 525 billion dollars of investment in grids and flexibility in 2025 (IRENA, p. 46). The total has two components, and the IRENA report cites the IEA's World Energy Investment 2026 for both:

IRENA Figure 8 labels give the grids-and-flexibility total as 390 billion dollars in 2023 and 455 billion dollars in 2024; note 2 of the figure states that the recent-year values are compiled from IRENA, BloombergNEF and IEA data (IRENA, p. 47).

For 2026–2030 IRENA states a requirement of "up to USD 1 trillion" a year on average. It consists of about 800 billion dollars for grids and up to 200 billion dollars for storage (IRENA, p. 46). IRENA Figure 8 gives the range as 874 to 981 billion dollars a year (IRENA, p. 47). That range is 1.66 to 1.87 times the 2025 value of 525 billion dollars (calculation). The IRENA report also gives about 902 billion dollars a year of grid investment to 2030 under IRENA's revised 1.5°C Scenario, citing IRENA's May 2026 report Transitioning away from fossil fuels (IRENA, p. 64, where no price basis is stated for this value). The watch points below record the source of this value.

The 2025 value used in this edition. The IRENA report carries two values for 2025 network investment:

The IEA Electrification report gives 450 billion dollars (IEA, p. 145). The IEA's World Energy Investment 2026 states that grid spending "rose USD 45 billion in 2025 to nearly USD 450 billion", in 2025 dollars (World Energy Investment 2026, p. 96). This edition uses 450 billion dollars, the value that appears in the IEA report, on page 64 of the IRENA report and in World Energy Investment 2026. The 422 billion dollars is stated as the grid component of IRENA's 525 billion dollar grids-and-flexibility total. Battery storage investment is 80 billion dollars in the IEA report (IEA, p. 145). The IRENA report gives 103 billion dollars for storage including pumped hydropower (IRENA, p. 46). The two values have different stated scopes; the watch points below record the source of the 103 billion dollar value.

Values carried in earlier editions of this publication. Weekly Insights #9 and #17 carried grid values from earlier releases. Each row below is a separate measurement from a separate publication, year, scope or scenario.

Publication and date (where stated)Year or periodScopeValue (billion dollars)Price basisCarried in
IEA, World Energy Investment 20252024–2025global grid investmentabout 400publication's own basis; not convertedWeekly Insight #9 (27 June 2026)
IEA, as cited in #9 (publication not named in #9)2030 requirementglobal grid investmentmore than 600publication's own basis; not converted#9
IEA, Electricity 2026 (February 2026), as cited in #17year not stated in the source (Electricity 2026, pp. 10, 46)global grid investmentabout 400publication's own basis; not convertedWeekly Insight #17 (4 September 2026)
IEA, Electricity 2026 (February 2026), as cited in #172030 requirementglobal grid investmentabout 600 (calculation: roughly 50 per cent above about 400; Electricity 2026, pp. 10, 46)publication's own basis; not converted#17
IEA, World Energy Investment 2026 (May 2026)2026global grid investment (transmission and distribution)about 550USD 2025, MER#17
IRENA, "Funding Grid and Storage Enhancement: The Call for Stronger Public-Private Collaboration" (8 January 2026)a year until 2030, IRENA 1.5°C Scenariogrid investment requirement671publication's own basis; not converted#17
IEA, Electrification (22 September 2026)2025global grid investment (transmission and distribution)450USD 2025, MERthis edition
IEA, Electrification (22 September 2026)2035, High Electrification Scenario, Net Zero Emissions supply mixglobal grid investment (transmission and distribution)about 930USD 2025, MERthis edition
IRENA tracking report (2026 edition)2025grids and flexibility, including storage525 (422 grids, 103 storage)USD 2025this edition
IRENA tracking report (2026 edition)2026–2030 annual average, tripling calculationgrids and flexibility, including storage874–981 (p. 47); p. 46 gives up to 1,000, of which about 800 grids and up to 200 storageUSD 2025this edition
IRENA tracking report (2026 edition), p. 64, citing IRENA's Transitioning away from fossil fuels (May 2026)a year to 2030, revised 1.5°C Scenariogridsabout 902not stated on p. 64; not convertedthis edition

Sources: IEA, Electrification, pp. 145–146; IRENA tracking report, pp. 46–47, 64; IEA, World Energy Investment 2026, pp. 9, 95; IEA, Electricity 2026, pp. 10, 46; IRENA article of 8 January 2026; earlier values as carried in Weekly Insights #9 and #17. "USD 2025, MER" is the unit stated in the IEA charts (World Energy Investment 2026, p. 95; Electrification, p. 146); "USD 2025" is stated in IRENA Figure 8, note 1 (p. 47). "Publication's own basis; not converted" marks rows whose price basis was not verified; those values are not converted to 2025 prices.

Two panels in billion dollars with different scopes. Left, IEA transmission and distribution investment: about 315 in 2015, drawn as an outline because the source page states no price basis, and, at 2025 prices, about 295 in 2020, 450 in 2025 and about 930 in 2035 in the High Electrification Scenario with the Net Zero Emissions supply mix; the bars are not spaced to scale in time. Right, IRENA grids and flexibility investment including storage, at 2025 prices: 390 in 2023 and 455 in 2024, both IRENA Figure 8 labels, 525 in 2025, and a required average of 874 to 981 a year over 2026–2030, drawn as a range. The ratios of 2.07 and 1.66 to 1.87 are calculated. The two panels are not summed or joined.

Connection queues, curtailment and negative-price hours

About 2,500 GW of renewable, storage and large-load projects at advanced stages are waiting in grid connection queues (IRENA, p. 64, citing the IEA's Electricity 2026). Weekly Insight #17 of 4 September 2026 carried a value of more than 2,500 GW from the same IEA source. Weekly Insight #9 of 27 June 2026 carried about 1,500 GW for advanced renewable projects alone; the two values cover different sets of projects.

The IEA Electrification report gives the additional hosting capacity from two groups of measures, citing the IEA's Electricity 2026 (IEA, p. 119):

The IRENA report states that the two groups of measures together could connect 1,200 to 1,600 GW of advanced-stage projects (IRENA, p. 65, citing the IEA's Electricity 2026).

Curtailment and price readings:

Under IRENA's revised 1.5°C Scenario, power system flexibility requirements increase over 2023–2030 by 2.8 times for daily, 2.6 times for weekly and 2.3 times for monthly balancing (IRENA, p. 65).

Oil displacement, import bills and emissions: IEA and IRENA values

The IEA press release of 22 September 2026 is titled "Electrification takes centre stage as Hormuz shock spurs countries to seek to enhance energy security". The IEA report counts 25 countries that have announced new electrification-related policies since February 2026 (IEA, p. 15). Page 36 of the same report dates the start of this count to March.

The IEA gives the oil demand avoided by electric cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses as about 2.3 million barrels a day, without stating a year (IEA, pp. 17, 34). The IEA puts the displacement by electric vehicles in 2035 at about 10 million barrels a day under "today's policy settings" and at 18 million barrels a day in the High Electrification Scenario (IEA, p. 17).

In the High Electrification Scenario, the import bill of energy importers is about one quarter lower in 2035 than in 2025. The reduction is about 400 billion dollars a year, or more than 500 billion dollars when assessed against the higher energy prices of 2026 (IEA, p. 17). End-use emissions fall by about 40 per cent by 2035 in the same scenario. About 5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide of the reduction comes from electrification and about 3 gigatonnes from other measures (IEA, pp. 18, 156).

In the IRENA report, renewables avoided 480 billion dollars of fossil fuel costs and 8.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2025 (IRENA, p. 34). The GRA foreword refers to the constraint on oil and gas supplies caused by the military confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz (IRENA, p. 13). Weekly Insight #19 of 18 September 2026 recorded liquefied natural gas transits through the Strait of Hormuz and European Union storage levels.

Recorded and required values for seven indicators

IndicatorRecordedRequired or scenario valueRatio (calculation)Source
Electricity share of final energy consumption, change a year0.24 points a year, 2000–2025 (calculation)1.2 points a year, 2025–2035, to reach 35 per cent (calculation)5.0IEA, pp. 15, 16, 31, 46
Renewable capacity additions693 GW in 20251,204 GW a year on average, 2026–20301.74IRENA, pp. 16, 23, 27
Energy intensity improvement1.7 per cent in 20255.6 per cent a year, 2026–20303.3IRENA, pp. 16, 38
Transmission and distribution investment450 billion dollars in 2025about 930 billion dollars in 2035 (High Electrification Scenario, Net Zero Emissions supply mix)2.07IEA, p. 145
Grids and flexibility investment525 billion dollars in 2025874–981 billion dollars a year on average, 2026–20301.66–1.87IRENA, pp. 46–47
Renewable power investment625 billion dollars in 20251,725 billion dollars a year on average, 2026–20302.76IRENA, pp. 45, 47
Energy efficiency and conservation investment369 billion dollars in 20253,182 billion dollars a year on average, 2026–20308.6IRENA, pp. 46–47

Investment values in 2025 dollars. Ratios are calculated in this edition from the report values shown. The points-a-year values in the first row are calculated from the rounded IEA report values of 17, 23 and 35 per cent; with the IEA Figure 1.5 readings for 2000 and 2025 (about 16.7 and 23.4 per cent) the two rates are about 0.27 and 1.16 points a year and the ratio is about 4.3 (calculation).

Watch points: items not measured or not reconciled

ItemStatus
Status of the 35 per cent objectiveStated in both reports as the COP31 Presidency's proposal and invitation; the IEA report describes it as a "goal, currently under international discussion" (p. 16). Neither report records an adopted decision of the Conference of the Parties; adoption is a matter for COP31, 9–20 November 2026 (IRENA, p. 3).
2024 electrification rate: about 23.0 or 24 per centThe reading of IEA Figure 1.5 for 2024 is about 23.0 per cent (IEA, p. 31). IRENA Figure 7 gives 24 per cent, calculated from IEA World Energy Statistics and Balances (IRENA, p. 40, note 3). Neither report explains the difference. For 2025 the IEA Figure 1.5 reading is about 23.4 per cent and the report text gives 23 per cent (IEA, pp. 16, 31). The statement in this edition that the two sets of values rest on different base years applies to the sector values only.
2025 grid investment: 422 or 450 billion dollarsThe IRENA report carries 422 billion dollars for grid infrastructure, citing World Energy Investment 2026 (p. 46), and about 450 billion dollars for transmission and distribution (p. 64); the IEA Electrification report carries 450 billion dollars (p. 145). World Energy Investment 2026 gives "nearly USD 450 billion" for 2025 and a further 17 per cent increase in 2026 (p. 96), and "around USD 550 billion in 2026, up nearly 20%" (p. 9); its values are in 2025 dollars at market exchange rates. Applied to 450 billion dollars, the 17 per cent rate gives about 527 billion dollars for 2026 (calculation). The 422 billion dollar value was not located in the text of World Energy Investment 2026.
2025 storage investment: 103 billion dollarsThe IRENA report gives 103 billion dollars for energy storage including pumped hydropower and cites World Energy Investment 2026 (p. 46). The value was not located in the text of World Energy Investment 2026, which counts pumped hydro storage under renewable power and not under battery storage (World Energy Investment 2026, p. 67). The IEA Electrification report gives 80 billion dollars for battery storage in 2025 (p. 145). Neither the 422 nor the 103 billion dollar component of the 525 billion dollar total was located in the text of World Energy Investment 2026.
Source of the 902 billion dollar grid valueStated on page 64 of the IRENA report with a citation to IRENA's May 2026 report Transitioning away from fossil fuels. The value was not located in the text of that report, which gives grid investment of about 1 trillion dollars a year over 2026–2035 (Table 1, p. 27) and 5.5 trillion dollars for power grids and energy flexibility over 2026–2030 (p. 26).
Two IRENA 1.5°C grid values: 671 and 902 billion dollarsWeekly Insight #17 carried 671 billion dollars a year, which an IRENA article of 8 January 2026 gives as the annual grid investment need until 2030 under IRENA's 1.5°C Scenario. The IRENA tracking report gives about 902 billion dollars a year to 2030 under IRENA's revised 1.5°C Scenario (p. 64) and states that the revised scenario will feature in the forthcoming World Energy Transitions Outlook 2026 (p. 25). The sources consulted do not reconcile the two values.
Timing of the IEA 33 per cent valueThe IEA report places the cost-effective share "today" (pp. 15, 53) and "in 2035" (p. 51); the IEA press release uses "by 2035". This edition states the value at 2025 conditions, the basis given on page 51.
2035 share under "today's policy settings""Around 30%" (IEA, p. 20) and "slightly less than 30%" (IEA, p. 48). Neither page names a scenario. Page 51 names the Stated Policies Scenario for the demand growth value of about 925 TWh a year, and IEA Figure 2.1 on page 49 is labelled "STEPS and HES" (HES: High Electrification Scenario). The 2035 share is stated here as about 30 per cent in scenarios based on "today's policy settings".
Start of the count of 25 countries"Since February 2026" (IEA, p. 15) and "Since March, around 25 countries" (IEA, p. 36).
2025 solar and wind additionsThe IEA report gives about 600 GW of solar and about 140 GW of wind on page 35, and about 630 GW and about 160 GW on page 100. IRENA gives 513 GW and 158 GW (pp. 25–26). IRENA states on page 26 that its data cover plants in commercial operation on 31 December, compiled mainly from official member submissions. Capacity values in this edition are taken from IRENA only.
Values taken from figuresValues from IEA Figure 1.5 (2000–2025 shares) and IEA Figure 2.1 on page 49 are read from the charts and are approximate. Values from IRENA Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are chart labels. IRENA calculates the recent-year values in Figure 7 from IEA World Energy Statistics and Balances (p. 40, note 3) and compiles the recent-year values in Figure 8 from IRENA, BloombergNEF and IEA data (p. 47, note 2). The 2024 capacity values match the 2025 values less the 2025 additions to within about 1 GW. The 2024 grids-and-flexibility value of 455 billion dollars is within about 1 billion dollars of the 2025 components discounted by their stated growth rates of 12 and 33 per cent (calculation).
2025 energy efficiency investment: 362 or 369 billion dollarsThe IRENA report gives 362 billion dollars on page 16 and 369 billion dollars on pages 46–47; 369 billion dollars is used here.
2025 energy intensity improvement in IRENA's press releaseIRENA's launch press release states that energy intensity "improved by around 2% in 2025". The report gives 1.7 per cent (pp. 16, 38); 1.7 per cent is used here.
"More than double" in IRENA's press releaseThe launch press release gives "nearly USD 1 trillion annually between 2026-2030, more than double 2025 levels". The report gives "up to USD 1 trillion" a year for grids and flexibility (p. 46) and a range of 874–981 billion dollars (p. 47). Against the 525 billion dollar grids-and-flexibility total for 2025, 1 trillion dollars is 1.90 times and the range is 1.66 to 1.87 times (calculation). The grids-only requirement of about 800 billion dollars is 1.90 times the 422 billion dollar grid component (calculation).
Investment requirement across IRENA editionsIRENA's press release of 11 October 2024 on the 2024 edition gives 1.5 trillion dollars a year over 2024–2030 for renewable capacity. IRENA's press release of 14 October 2025 on the 2025 edition gives at least 1.4 trillion dollars a year over 2025–2030 for renewables. The 2026 edition gives 1.7 trillion dollars a year over 2026–2030 for renewable power generation capacity, in 2025 dollars (pp. 45, 47). The price bases of the earlier values were not verified, so the three values are not compared here.
China, full year 2026The IRENA report publishes only first-half 2026 changes (p. 57). As of 1 October 2026, full-year statistics had not been published.

Sources.

  • International Energy Agency, Electrification – Special Report (22 September 2026, CC BY 4.0), and IEA press release of 22 September 2026.
  • International Renewable Energy Agency, COP31 Presidency and Global Renewables Alliance, Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 (2026 edition, ISBN 978-92-9260-750-0). This includes:
    • data cited in that report from the IEA's World Energy Investment 2026 and Electricity 2026, BloombergNEF, Montel Analytics, China's National Energy Administration, Germany's Bundesnetzagentur, the NDC Registry of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and a Reuters report of 22 July 2026;
    • the text of the Outcome of the First Global Stocktake (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2023), reproduced on page 2.
  • IRENA press release "Renewables Gain Ground, but Must Accelerate Towards the 2030 Goal" and IRENA's announcement of the release on X (21 September 2026).
  • International Energy Agency, World Energy Investment 2026 (28 May 2026; revised version, June 2026), pp. 9, 67, 95, 96; International Renewable Energy Agency, Transitioning away from fossil fuels (May 2026), pp. 26–27. Both were consulted for values cited in the IRENA tracking report.
  • International Energy Agency, Electricity 2026 (February 2026), pp. 10, 46, consulted for the value carried in Weekly Insight #17.
  • IRENA press releases "Global Goal of Tripling Renewables Needs USD 1.5 Trillion Investment Per Year" (11 October 2024) and "World Breaks Renewable Records but Must Move Faster to Hit 2030 Tripling Goal" (14 October 2025); IRENA article "Funding Grid and Storage Enhancement: The Call for Stronger Public-Private Collaboration" (8 January 2026).
  • This publication's Weekly Insights #9 (27 June 2026), #13 (30 July 2026), #17 (4 September 2026) and #19 (18 September 2026).

Quotations are limited to short excerpts with page references. Analysis by UzEnergyNews.

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