Our Scans · Energy Systems & Transition Pathways · Weekly Summary

• [New] US oil production demand is expected to be resilient throughout the mid-century, despite the energy transition to electrification. The Idea Farm
• [New] The demand for electrical power in the United States will increase by 40% over the next 20 years, and a substantial amount of the increased demand will be met by the burning of fossil fuels. The National Academies Press
• [New] Changes in government policy in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere and long-term growth in India, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America will drive the demand expansion, OPEC said, despite impressive progress by China in its shift to renewable energy. MarineLink
• [New] Energy used to power artificial intelligence could jump to 3% of global electricity demand by 2030, guzzling as much water as the 1.3 billion people in sub-Saharan Africa consume in one year to meet their domestic water needs. Live Science
• [New] As nations pursue ambitious decarbonization targets and energy resilience strategies, distributed energy generation is expected to become an increasingly important pillar of the global energy ecosystem. The AI Journal
• [New] Global oil supply issues will take some time to resolve, maintaining upward pressure on global energy prices and inflation. Urbantech Finance - Borrow For Tomorrow | Finance Broke
• [New] In 2025, Elea Data Centers announced Rio AI City - a 1.5GW AI-powered data center hub at the Olympic Park, set to expand to 3.2GW by 2032 and run on 100% clean energy, positioning Rio as one of the largest digital infrastructure hubs in all of Latin America. Alcor Recruitment & EOR for Tech
• [New] The International Energy Agency's World Energy Investment 2026 report has highlighted mounting concerns about a structural copper supply deficit, with some analysis pointing to a potential shortfall of up to 30% by 2035 driven by electrification and AI data-centre demand. Kalkine
• [New] Copper sits at the center of the energy transition narrative, with analysts and international agencies warning of a potential structural supply deficit within a decade. Kalkine
• [New] To fully exploit the potential of an emerging AI revolution, America is going to need an energy revolution to power digital infrastructure, especially data centers. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The demand for minerals to power the transition to clean energy is estimated to increase sixfold by 2040 to meet net-zero goals for 2050. AZoMining
• [New] America needs an estimated $10 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2033 to modernize ageing systems and build new energy, digital, and AI infrastructure. Fortune
• [New] The structural bull case for copper extends well beyond AI, with total global copper demand forecast to grow 50% by 2040 as grid modernization, EV adoption, and electrification compound the AI-driven tailwind. Middlefield
• [New] We expect energy prices to remain higher for longer with a structurally elevated price floor, driven by multi-billion-dollar infrastructure repair costs and a global mandate for nations to permanently hold higher baseline inventories. Middlefield
• [New] By 2030, the clean energy supply capacity for AI computing power infrastructure will significantly increase, while the application of AI in the energy sector will also improve. / China Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] The federal strategy names energy as a priority sector for AI adoption, and it is directing substantial resources toward the compute and digital infrastructure that will define Canada's economic competitiveness for decades. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Approximately $2.2 trillion will be directed toward grids, energy storage, low-emission fuels, nuclear energy, renewable energy sources, efficiency, and electrification. GMK.CENTER
• [New] AI demand in energy networks aligns with the sharp escalation of electricity use in digital infrastructure, with data center electricity consumption estimated at 415 terawatt hours and projected to approach 945 terawatt hours by 2030, largely driven by AI workloads. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The integrated assessment takes into account that reaching 2050 energy targets earlier would require a rapid expansion of renewable power generation, increasing the need for flexibility, storage, grid management, and measures to reduce curtailment. EurekAlert!
• As global energy demand surges-driven by AI-hungry data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrified transportation-researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have unveiled a breakthrough that could help squeeze far more power from existing electricity supplies. ScienceDaily
• Energy security and net zero are key priorities for countries across the world, there is a global upsurge in demand for nuclear power with a host of nations - including the US, Canada, France, Japan and Sweden - pledging to triple nuclear capacity by 2050. Rolls-Royce SMR

Last updated: 24 June 2026