A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), published on Friday 6 February, indicates that after an increase of less than 1% in 2025, demand for electricity in the European Union is set to grow more strongly.
This growth could reach around 2% a year until 2030, assuming a moderate recovery in industrial activity. However, consumption is not expected to return to its 2021 level until 2028.
Growth in electricity demand is also expected to accelerate between now and 2030 in numerous other advanced economies (Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, United States), after 15 years of stagnation.
“This resurgence signals a new era in which electricity is a major energy input to some of the most dynamic drivers of global economies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and advanced manufacturing”, the report says.
For example, electricity demand in the United States rose by 2.1% in 2025 and is expected to grow by almost 2% a year until 2030, around half of which will be attributable to the rapid expansion of data centres.
However, the IEA points out that emerging economies remain “the main pillar of demand growth”, accounting for nearly 80% of additional electricity consumption through to 2030.
Ahead of India and South-East Asia, China is expected to remain the main contributor to global electricity demand growth until 2030, accounting for nearly 50% of this increase.
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/kmq (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)