PARIS (Bernama-dpa) – Global energy demand grew at a record pace last year, driven largely by soaring electricity consumption from air conditioners and other power-hungry devices, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
Electricity demand rose 4.3 per cent compared to 2023 — nearly double the average growth rate of the past decade, according to Paris-based agency, the International Energy Agency (IEA), on Monday.
Extreme heat in India and China fueled much of the surge, with air conditioning identified as a major contributor to the 1,100 terawatt-hour jump in electricity use. Emerging and developing economies accounted for more than 80 per cent of the overall rise in energy demand.
Renewable energy and natural gas met most of the additional demand, while coal and oil use also grew, though more slowly than in previous years.
Nuclear power saw a modest revival, with six new reactors completed globally — including two in China — pushing newly installed capacity up by a third year-on-year, the IEA said.
