Renewables Fail To Displace Growing Electricity Demand

Researchers at the University of Sussex and Central European University publish a Nature Reviews Clean Technology paper (Feb 2026) finding that record solar growth in the first three quarters of 2025 temporarily outpaced electricity demand but rising loads from AI data centres, air conditioning, and electrified transport risk consuming most new renewable supply by 2030. Authors urge demand-reduction policies to ensure renewables displace fossil fuels.