While the history of artificial intelligence is long, ChatGPT’s public launch in late 2022 captured the world’s attention and pushed AI to the top of business and political agendas. Just a few years later, AI has evolved into an industry worth trillions of dollars that is already transforming how we live and work. Yet any conversation about the future of AI inevitably leads to the topic of energy.

In this episode, host Dan Hewitt speaks with Thomas Spencer and Siddharth Singh, lead authors of the IEA’s groundbreaking new report, Energy and AI. They unpack why the huge expectations for AI hinge on meeting fast-growing demand for electricity from data centres, and how the IEA developed authoritative global projections for AI’s energy demand over the next decade. They also describe the ways AI is already transforming the energy sector, as well as AI’s implications for energy security and global emissions.

This year, electricity generated from nuclear power is set to reach a record high. Dozens of nuclear reactors are currently under construction, and government support for the sector is at its highest level since the oil crisis in the 1970s. These trends point to a major global comeback for nuclear energy after a prolonged period of stagnation.

In this episode, host Dan Hewitt is joined by Brent Wanner, the head of the IEA’s Power Sector Unit. Drawing on important findings from a recent IEA report, The Path to a New Era for Nuclear Energy, they discuss the factors driving nuclear energy’s renewed momentum. They also dig into the key challenges, such as project delays and cost overruns, that need to be overcome for it to play a more significant role in the future energy landscape.

It's abundant. It's clean. And it’s right beneath our feet. So why is geothermal energy often overlooked in the global energy conversation?

Despite its massive potential, geothermal only meets about 1% of global electricity demand today. So, what’s holding it back? And could new technologies transform the way we think about geothermal energy and who can access it?

Joining host Dan Hewitt to explore these questions are Heymi Bahar and Rebecca Schulz, senior analysts at the International Energy Agency and co-authors of the IEA’s latest report on the subject, The Future of Geothermal Energy.

What does the world of energy look like today? In this episode of the IEA’s Everything Energy podcast, which is back from an extended break, we delve into this topic, guided by a brand-new IEA report.

The Global Energy Review 2025 is the first assessment of 2024 trends across the energy sector based on the latest data. It shows that growth in energy demand surged in 2024 to almost twice its recent average as the consumption of electricity rose around the world. 

Why is this so significant? What fuels and technologies helped meet the increase in demand? And what has been the effect on global emissions? Host Dan Hewitt and Laura Cozzi, the IEA’s Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, discuss these questions and more.

In this episode of the podcast we welcome Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency back to the studio to reflect on the worrying trend in efficiency gains this year, as a result of the economic impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. Brian takes us through the importance of efficiency in sustainable, resilient recovery plans and clean energy transitions, and also talks to us about the IEA's relatively new focus on behavioural changes and energy efficiency.

In this episode of the podcast, Timur Guel, Head of the Energy Technology Policy division at the IEA talks to us about the importance of innovation and technology in clean energy transitions, as well as the challenges we face in the innovation cycle, to meet the ambitious climate goals being set by governments and companies around the world.

In this episode of the podcast we invited Heymi Bahar, lead author of Renewables 2020 and Senior Renewable Energy Analyst to talk about some of the key findings from this report. Heymi takes us through the story of solar and its rise to the top of electricity generation, the spectacular growth expected for wind, as well as the factors making certain renewable technologies so resilient in the current context of Covid-19. The report is available in full on our website, and for the first time, Renewables 2020 includes a dynamic data dashboard enabling users to explore historical data and forecasts for all sectors and technologies. http://iea.li/renewables20

In a special episode of Everything Energy we bring you a conversation between IEA Executive Director, Dr Fatih Birol, and European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, recorded as part of our high-level speaker series Big Ideas. They discuss the way forward for the European Green Deal, as well as the rapid acceleration of climate policies around the world, hydrogen and a little football.

It has been a tumultuous year for the global energy system. The Covid-19 crisis has caused more disruption than any other event in recent history, leaving scars that will last for years to come. But whether this upheaval ultimately helps or hinders efforts to accelerate clean energy transitions and reach international energy and climate goals will depend on how governments respond to today’s challenges. The World Energy Outlook 2020, the International Energy Agency’s flagship publication, focuses on the pivotal period of the next 10 years, exploring different pathways out of the crisis. Our guests in this episode of the podcast are lead co-authors of the publication, Tim Gould and Laura Cozzi. They share with us the key messages of this new analysis. To see the chart that Jad refers to towards the end of the episode, follow this link: https://twitter.com/IEABirol/status/1315865397594394624