Everything Energy

As the world enters the Age of Electricity, demand for copper is rising. Essential for grids, electric vehicles, data centres and more, the metal is in high demand – and the market for it is coming under strain. In this episode, IEA Critical Minerals Analyst Shobhan Dhir discusses the key role that copper plays in modern energy systems around the world. He explains what has driven copper prices to record highs this year, the challenges facing the smelters that process copper ore, and the wider implications of these developments for global energy markets. He also explores why copper supply could fall significantly short of demand by 2035, and the steps that can be taken to help close the gap.

Since the start of the Iran war in February, energy exports from Middle East countries through the Strait of Hormuz and via other routes have become the focus of intense global attention, with significant implications for the world economy and especially for Middle East countries themselves. In this episode, IEA Senior Oil Analyst Rebecca Schulz discusses how escalating attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and on energy infrastructure across the Middle East threaten to derail the recent recovery in the region’s oil exports. And Middle East and North Africa Programme Manager Nadim Abillama speaks about the effects of the current conflicts on energy systems and economies around the region, including for producers’ export revenues and for energy security and affordability in different countries. The episode was recorded on 14 October 2026.

Since the mid-20th century, scientists and engineers around the world have been working to harness the potential of fusion energy. Driven by the knowledge that success could revolutionise the energy system, they have pursued fusion’s tantalising potential to provide abundant around-the-clock electricity with minimal fuel inputs, no direct emissions and very little radioactive waste. Recently, momentum behind the sector has been building. Government-led research programmes have achieved a series of technological milestones, and investment from the private sector has surged. Together, these developments have supported growing interest in the sector – although significant challenges still need to be overcome to make fusion power plants technically and economically feasible. In this episode, we look at where fusion energy stands today and where it could be headed, based on interviews with four experts from across the industry: Alain Bécoulet, ITER’s Chief Scientist; Simon Bennett, an IEA analyst focused on energy innovation; Jennifer Ganten, the Chief Global Affairs Officer at Commonwealth Fusion Systems; and David Maisonnier, Chair of the IEA’s Fusion Power Coordinating Committee. They explain how fusion works, discuss the sector’s evolution, and outline the remaining questions that need to be answered before a power plant running on fusion energy is connected to the grid.

Around the world, the price of diesel is at or near all-time highs, with major implications for shipping, agriculture and the broader economy. In this episode, we speak with IEA experts David Martin and Talya Vatman who explain why diesel prices have risen more sharply than those of gasoline and crude oil – taking stock of the impacts from the war in the Middle East, Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries, and limited capacity across the refining sector globally. They also discuss how the situation could evolve in the coming months.

Invented at the turn of the 20th century to control humidity at a New York printing plant, the air conditioner has reshaped the economies and societies that have had access to it. Today, more than 1.5 billion AC units are in use around the world – and as incomes and temperatures rise, demand continues to grow rapidly. But there are challenges associated with this air conditioning boom. If a city’s residents all turn on their ACs at the same time, the resulting surge in electricity consumption can strain power grids. Growing electricity demand from air conditioning also contributes to higher energy sector emissions. That’s why innovators are working to improve cooling technologies, be it by making air conditioners more efficient or by developing entirely new systems to help people stay cool. This is the final episode in a three-part miniseries on energy innovation stories that changed the world. It is hosted by Dan Hewitt and produced by Dan Hewitt and Julia Horowitz. Guests include IEA analysts Chiara Delmastro and Simon Bennett; Eindhoven University of Technology Professor Daniel Barber; Blue Frontier Co-founder and CEO Daniel Betts; and University of Cambridge Professor and Barocal CEO Xavier Moya.

Technological advances in drilling have had a profound impact on our economies and societies, delivering access to vast energy resources underground. The first commercial oil well in 1859 paved the way for the modern oil industry, and more recent breakthroughs have repeatedly reshaped global energy dynamics. Innovation in drilling technologies continues today. Some of these technologies have helped lay the basis for next-generation geothermal energy projects, which could unlock heat as a reliable and low-emissions energy resource in many parts of the world. This episode is the second in a three-part miniseries on energy innovation stories that changed the world. It is hosted by Dan Hewitt and produced by Dan Hewitt and Julia Horowitz. Guests include IEA energy analyst Courtney Turich; Sjoerd Brands, technical manager in Europe for well construction at SLB; Iain Hutchison, Chief Executive Officer of Merlin Energy; and Kristie McLin, Principal Investigator of the Utah FORGE project.

Today, solar PV is the fastest-growing energy source in the world. Yet that would not have been possible without a history of innovation spanning decades. From the breakthrough discovery of a practical silicon solar cell at a US phone company in the 1950s to the rapid scaling up of solar panel manufacturing in China in the 2000s, these advances – along with supportive policies – have made solar energy cost competitive globally. And innovation could now reshape the sector once again, helping address emerging challenges such as grid integration and supply chain concentration. This episode is the first in a three-part miniseries on energy innovation stories that changed the world. It is hosted by Dan Hewitt and produced by Dan Hewitt and Julia Horowitz. Guests include IEA energy technology analyst Simon Bennett; Sekisui Chemical Co. group leader Takeru Bessho; Qcells Global Chief Technology Officer Danielle Merfeld; and Greg Nemet, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of the book “How Solar Energy Became Cheap.”

Amid the disruptions resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, energy systems have come under significant pressure – compounded, in some parts of the world, by record-breaking heatwaves. But one of the most effective tools for easing these strains – and energy costs – remains underutilised. In this episode, we speak with Brian Motherway, who leads the IEA’s work on energy efficiency and affordability. He explains why we often fail to make use of the world’s “first fuel” – energy efficiency – and discusses practical steps governments can take to help consumers save energy and money, without compromising economic growth or their quality of life.

What did the global energy landscape look like just before the outbreak of the war in the Middle East sent shockwaves through energy markets in March? What were the major trends – and what might they tell us about what comes next? In this episode, IEA energy analyst Alex Martinos discusses the findings from the Global Energy Review 2026 , which provides a comprehensive assessment of global energy trends in 2025. He highlights important developments across fuels, technologies, the electricity sector and emissions, along with the potential implications for the current energy context.

Around the world, billions of people use liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, to cook their meals. Today, many of them are under substantial pressure, with global LPG supplies severely disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East. In 2025, 30% of all LPG exported by sea transited through the Strait of Hormuz – a route that’s seen shipping slow dramatically since the end of February. In this episode, IEA energy analysts Marina Petrelli and Arthur Rogé discuss the latest developments in LPG markets – and what price increases and supply shortages have meant for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. They also speak about the impact of the market turbulence on expanding clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

As the energy crisis caused by disruptions to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz continues to unfold, how is it shifting energy investment priorities around the world? In this episode, two IEA experts – Energy Investment Unit head Cecilia Tam and energy investment analyst Kirsten Smith – dig into this question based on new insights from the World Energy Investment 2026 report. With energy security concerns front and centre – and with many countries increasingly looking to meet demand with domestic energy sources – they discuss the implications across different sectors, including oil, gas, coal, nuclear, renewables and electricity. They also speak about how investment in energy efficiency is evolving and how the crisis could affect the cost of capital for energy projects.

Hydropower is the third largest source of power generation globally, producing roughly as much electricity as solar and wind combined. Yet despite its huge role in electricity systems around the world, it is often left out of conversations on energy. In this episode, IEA renewable energy analyst Yasmina Abdelilah explains how the role of hydropower in electricity systems has evolved in recent decades. With electricity demand surging around the world, she highlights the benefits hydropower could deliver across both advanced and emerging economies and discusses what is needed to overcome key barriers.

A lot has happened since the IEA published its landmark report last year on what artificial intelligence could mean for global electricity demand and its potential to reshape how energy systems work. The tech sector has poured hundreds of billions of dollars of additional investment into AI, while the technology itself and the ways in which it’s used have continued to develop rapidly. At the same time, the deployment of AI is increasingly constrained by a range of physical bottlenecks, including for energy, raising questions about the rate at which it can expand in the near term. In this episode, IEA analysts Siddharth Singh and Thomas Spencer – the lead authors of a new report on energy and AI – unpack these developments and their implications. They explain what energy and AI’s special relationship looks like in 2026 and how it could evolve in the years ahead.

Critical minerals are essential for many of today’s energy technologies – and for the broader economy. Lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and graphite, for example, are crucial to battery performance. Rare earth elements are indispensable for the permanent magnets in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors. And electricity networks need huge amounts of aluminium and copper. As demand for these materials rises rapidly, so does their strategic importance. But in recent years, critical mineral supply chains have become more concentrated, not less – demanding greater attention from policymakers and industry. This episode features conversations with Benjamin Gallezot, the critical minerals envoy of France – which holds this year’s G7 Presidency – and Jakob Stausholm, the former CEO of multinational mining group Rio Tinto. Speaking on the sidelines of the IEA’s 2026 Ministerial Meeting in February, they discuss the growing importance of critical minerals for global energy and economic security – and what steps could be taken to strengthen supply chain security and resilience. Tae-Yoon Kim, the head of the IEA’s Critical Minerals Division, also joins the episode to share the latest data and analysis on the subject, as well as how the IEA is bringing countries together to tackle supply risks.

Amid the war in the Middle East, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints – has plunged, creating the largest disruption to oil supply in history. How is this shock rippling through oil markets? What are the real-world consequences for oil-consuming countries and industries? And how has it changed the IEA’s forecasts for supply and demand in the months ahead? In this episode, senior oil market analysts Rebecca Schulz and David Martin discuss these questions and more, drawing on fresh data and analysis from the IEA’s April Oil Market Report .

Four-day workweeks. Designated driving days. Fewer business trips. Across Southeast Asia, governments have been moving quickly to adopt measures that conserve fuel – highlighting the region’s exposure to the energy crisis caused by the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In this episode, Sue-Ern Tan, Head of the IEA’s Regional Cooperation Centre in Singapore, explains why countries in Southeast Asia are among the hardest hit by current energy supply disruptions. She discusses how rising prices and fuel shortages are already affecting daily life – and the steps governments are taking to help shield consumers from the worst impacts.

Oil prices have surged amid the war in the Middle East, putting pressures on consumers around the world. To help address the supply disruptions, the IEA is coordinating the largest ever release of oil from countries’ emergency reserves. But actions on the demand side can also play a key role. In this episode, Stéphanie Bouckaert, Head of the IEA’s Demand Sectors Unit, and Lucas Boehlé, an analyst specialising in energy efficiency, explain 10 practical options for governments, businesses and households that could help shelter consumers from oil price pressures during this unfolding crisis.

The global oil market is facing the most severe disruption in its history, with the war in the Middle East largely halting energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade chokepoint. In response to this disruption, IEA Member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency stocks – the largest collective action since the Agency’s founding more than 50 years ago. In this special episode, IEA Director of Energy Markets and Security Keisuke Sadamori puts the stock release in context and answers key questions about the decision and its implementation.

As risks multiply around the world, energy security has rapidly climbed to the top of the political agenda – leaving policymakers to navigate an increasingly complex mix of traditional threats and emerging vulnerabilities. This episode features conversations with Tan See Leng, Singapore’s Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-Charge of Energy, Science and Technology, and Leila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development. Speaking on the sidelines of the IEA’s 2026 Ministerial Meeting , they discuss the fast-evolving energy security challenges facing their countries and the measures they are taking to tackle them. IEA Chief Energy Economist Tim Gould also joins the episode to highlight key findings from the recent World Energy Outlook 2025 report, which explores the potential implications of a shifting and multifaceted energy security context for decision-makers worldwide.

The global energy sector is adding jobs twice as fast as the overall economy. But where is this growth coming from? And with skills shortages increasing, can it keep up the momentum? In this episode, IEA analysts Elspeth Hathaway and Rebecca Ruff – two authors of the World Energy Employment report – dive into the latest data. They talk about who works in the energy sector, what’s been driving the strong rise in energy jobs globally, and how to tackle growing skills gaps, which could otherwise complicate efforts by countries to meet rising energy demand securely and affordably.