The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released its "Electricity Mid Year Update" report on its official website, stating that by 2025, global renewable energy generation will surpass coal-fired power plants for the first time. This transformation marks an important milestone in the global energy sector. In addition, driven by strong economic growth, frequent extreme heat waves, and the increasing popularity of electric drive technologies such as electric vehicles, global electricity demand is growing rapidly. In the next two years, global electricity demand is expected to increase by 4%, higher than the 2.5% in 2023. The report indicates that hydropower, solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources are expected to account for 35% of the global electricity supply next year, up from 30% in 2023. Among them, solar photovoltaic power generation is expected to set a new record. Solar power generation will meet more than half of the world's new electricity demand, while wind power will provide the remaining 25%. The International Energy Agency stated that in different countries and regions, India's electricity demand is expected to increase by 8% due to severe heatwaves this summer; The electricity demand in Europe is expected to increase by 1.7% this year; The United States will see a 3% increase in electricity consumption this year due to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) driving large-scale data center construction. The International Energy Agency stated that the soaring global demand for electricity reflects the increasingly important role of electricity in the economy, while also highlighting the challenges posed by extreme climate events such as heat waves to the power system. In many parts of the world, the increase in air conditioning usage has become an important factor driving the growth of electricity demand. Especially in the first half of this year, multiple regions around the world experienced heatwaves, further exacerbating the pressure on the power system. Although the share of clean energy in the power structure continues to rise, this process needs to be accelerated to achieve international energy and climate goals. He also called on countries to implement higher energy efficiency standards to reduce the burden on the power system caused by the increased demand for cooling equipment such as air conditioning. (New Society)