Rising Power System Strains Despite Decreasing Heating Demand in a Warming Climate

Electrifying systems like heating is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. France provides a compelling case study due to the high share of electricity used in its buildings sector. Using a heating degree-days methodology alongside a power demand model applied to ten climate model simulations, the authors examine four emission scenarios, assuming the actual electricity mix and use. The results indicate a significant decrease in average power demand, with a slight reduction in peak demand during cold waves, driven by rising winter temperatures. This trend may give the misleading perception of a reduction in grid constraints. However, counterintuitively, the demand …

Nuclear Law Bulletin No. 112 – Volume 2024/1

The Nuclear Law Bulletin is a unique international publication for both professionals and academics in the field of nuclear law. It provides readers with authoritative and comprehensive information on nuclear law developments. Published free online twice a year in both English and French, it features topical articles written by renowned legal experts, covers legislative developments worldwide and reports on relevant case law, bilateral and international agreements as well as regulatory activities of international organisations.

Feature articles in this issue include: “Atoms for Peace in a time of international conflict: Assessing the legal situation of nuclear power plants under belligerent occupation”, …

The Potential Impact of Seabed Mining on Critical Mineral Supply Chains and Global Geopolitics

The potential emergence of a seabed mining industry has important ramifications for the diversification of critical mineral supply chains, revenues for developing nations with substantial terrestrial mining sectors, and global geopolitics. In this report, the authors present the results of a multi-pronged examination of each of these issues, exploring the likelihood and magnitude of their impacts to better inform planning and policymaking. The goal of their analysis was to evaluate the potential for seabed mining to diversify critical mineral supply chains, the opportunity and appetite for doing so, the factors influencing the viability of a seabed mining industry, and the …

Trade Risks to Energy Security in Net-Zero Emissions Energy Scenarios

Secure access to energy services is a prerequisite to economic productivity and a chief strategic concern of national governments, yet it is unclear how the trade in fuels and critical materials in scenarios with net-zero emissions relates to energy security risks. Here the authors find that overall trade risks decrease in most countries (70%) in net-zero scenarios due to reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels, but trade risks to either electricity or transportation systems increase in the majority (82%) of countries that become more dependent on imported materials. Countries with abundant mineral reserves (for example, Australia and China) become much …

2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

As Americans increasingly depend on electrification in their daily lives, energy demand is experiencing its highest growth in two decades. An increase in electric vehicles (EVs) and a rise in data centers will demand 35 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2030 alone, up from 17 GW in 2022. This rapid acceleration, compounded by federal and state net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals, means utilities will need to double existing transmission capacity to connect new renewable generation sources. Transmission investments have risen by $5 billion from 2017 to 2022, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) …

Global Electricity Review 2025

Ember’s sixth annual Global Electricity Review provides the first comprehensive overview of changes in global electricity generation in 2024, based on reported data. It presents the trends underlying them, and the likely implications for energy sources and power sector emissions in the near future. With the report, Ember is also releasing the first comprehensive, free dataset of global electricity generation in 2024.

The report analyses electricity data from 215 countries, including the latest 2024 data for 88 countries representing 93% of global electricity demand, as well as estimates for 2024 for all other countries. The analysis also includes data for …

Uranium 2024: Resources, Production and Demand

Uranium is the primary raw material fuelling all nuclear fission reactors today. Countries around the world rely on it to generate low-carbon electricity, process heat and hydrogen as part of their strategies to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy security and supply. No form of nuclear fission power – of any kind – is possible without relying on uranium.

This 30th edition of Uranium Resources, Production and Demand, also commonly known as the “Red Book” marks the 60th anniversary of its establishment as a recognised global reference on uranium. Jointly prepared by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and the International …

Energy Policy Review: The Netherlands 2024

The Netherlands’ energy transition is accelerating rapidly, driven by a strong commitment to its climate framework. Since the National climate agreement in 2019, which included binding climate targets for 2030 and 2050, the shift in ambitions and the speed of the transition have been remarkable. Most notably, strong policy support has helped the Netherlands become a frontrunner in renewable electricity deployment, led by impressive growth in solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind power, notably offshore. Beyond the power sector, the Netherlands is also making good progress in electrifying heating and mobility. While there has been rapid growth in clean energy in …

A Reliable Grid for an Electric Future: NEMA’s Grid Reliability Study

America’s electrical system faces dramatic changes over next 25 years:
– Increased Demand Electricity: demand will grow by more than 50%
– New Policies: Critical new policies and regulatory certainty are needed to deliver a flexible, stable, more resilient grid
– Urgent need to invest in technologies to meet coming demand in an all-ofthe-above energy ecosystem: Transmit more over existing lines by improving efficiency and utilizing smart grid technology…

Future-Proof AI Data Centers, Grid Reliability, and Affordable Energy: Recommendations for States

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, but its rapid expansion is already causing a significant increase in electricity demand. Data centers that support AI model training and inference require immense computational power, putting pressure on the electric grid and raising concerns about sustainability, energy costs, and reliability. Recent projections suggest that AI-driven data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity by 2030 (equivalent to the electricity needed to power 20–40% of today’s vehicles if they were EVs), highlighting the need for policies that ensure energy-efficient, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable development.

The emergence of DeepSeek, a highly efficient …