Governments need to be smarter with energy policy
Power generation spend needs to double in 20 years to meet surge in electricity demand
Spending on power generation will have to double over the next 20 years to keep up with soaring demand, posing a stark challenge for governments and investors to deliver low-carbon, secure and affordable energy. “Annual investment in power generation will have to increase from $400 billion annually now to $800bn by 2030,” Guy Turner, chief economist at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, told delegates at WEC 2013. To ensure the vast amounts of new investment materialise, Turner said, governments will have to strike the right balance between predictability and flexibility. They have to provide stable, long-term direction for investors, but also ensure policies keep up with market and technological
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way
