By Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com

• International Energy Agency says global electricity demand is growing at its fastest pace in 15 years, set to rise more than 3.5% annually through 2030.

• While renewables, nuclear, and natural gas are expanding rapidly, grid infrastructure is becoming the key bottleneck, with over 2,500 GW of power and load projects stuck in connection queues worldwide.

• Grid investment must rise about 50% above current levels to keep pace, with BloombergNEF and Goldman Sachs warning that persistent grid constraints could trigger power shortages and even undermine the U.S. position in the global AI race

Global electricity demand is rising at the fastest pace in 15 years and will continue to do so at least until the end of the decade as AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and electrification have ushered in The Age of Electricity, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.

Global power demand is expected to grow by more than 3.5% per year on average through the end of the decade, the agency said in its new Electricity 2026 report.