Everything Energy

Amid the disruptions resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, energy systems have come under significant pressure – compounded, in some parts of the world, by record-breaking heatwaves. But one of the most effective tools for easing these strains – and energy costs – remains underutilised.
 
In this episode, we speak with Brian Motherway, who leads the IEA’s work on energy efficiency and affordability. He explains why we often fail to make use of the world’s “first fuel” – energy efficiency – and discusses practical steps governments can take to help consumers save energy and money, without compromising economic growth or their quality of life.

What did the global energy landscape look like just before the outbreak of the war in the Middle East sent shockwaves through energy markets in March? What were the major trends – and what might they tell us about what comes next?
 
In this episode, IEA energy analyst Alex Martinos discusses the findings from the Global Energy Review 2026, which provides a comprehensive assessment of global energy trends in 2025. He highlights important developments across fuels, technologies, the electricity sector and emissions, along with the potential implications for the current energy context.

Around the world, billions of people use liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, to cook their meals. Today, many of them are under substantial pressure, with global LPG supplies severely disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East. In 2025, 30% of all LPG exported by sea transited through the Strait of Hormuz – a route that’s seen shipping slow dramatically since the end of February.
 
In this episode, IEA energy analysts Marina Petrelli and Arthur Rogé discuss the latest developments in LPG markets – and what price increases and supply shortages have meant for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. They also speak about the impact of the market turbulence on expanding clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

As the energy crisis caused by disruptions to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz continues to unfold, how is it shifting energy investment priorities around the world?
 
In this episode, two IEA experts – Energy Investment Unit head Cecilia Tam and energy investment analyst Kirsten Smith – dig into this question based on new insights from the World Energy Investment 2026 report. With energy security concerns front and centre – and with many countries increasingly looking to meet demand with domestic energy sources – they discuss the implications across different sectors, including oil, gas, coal, nuclear, renewables and electricity. They also speak about how investment in energy efficiency is evolving and how the crisis could affect the cost of capital for energy projects.

Hydropower is the third largest source of power generation globally, producing roughly as much electricity as solar and wind combined. Yet despite its huge role in electricity systems around the world, it is often left out of conversations on energy. 
In this episode, IEA renewable energy analyst Yasmina Abdelilah explains how the role of hydropower in electricity systems has evolved in recent decades. With electricity demand surging around the world, she highlights the benefits hydropower could deliver across both advanced and emerging economies and discusses what is needed to overcome key barriers.