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Global energy demand is surging at a faster pace as record-high temperatures fuel the need for cooling systems, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Last year was the hottest on record, with intense heat waves in China and India significantly pushing up coal use, contributing to a 2.2% increase in the world’s energy demand compared with an average rise of 1.3% seen in the 2013-2023 period, the International Energy Agency says in a new report.
“The sharp increase in the world’s electricity use last year was driven by record global temperatures, which boosted demand for cooling in many countries, as well as by rising consumption from industry, the electrification of transport, and the growth of data centers and artificial intelligence,” the Paris-based agency said Monday.
Renewables were the largest source of growth in global energy supply, the IEA says, while demand for oil increased by 0.8% in 2024, a slowdown from the 1.9% increase reported in 2023.
