INSTITUTION PROFILE / NEXT-GEN ENERGY STORAGE
International Energy Agency (IEA)
A reference point for storage statistics and outlooks, not a rule-maker
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental body whose member governments' energy authorities take part, and for energy storage it acts as a source of statistics, analysis and outlooks. It does not write battery standards, set the conditions under which storage may join power markets, or hand out subsidies. Its numbers are widely quoted in policy and investment debates, though, and if you do not check which report, which scenario and which definition of storage a figure belongs to, mismatches follow. This profile sorts the IEA's storage-related reports by edition and category and separates out how far the IEA can bind its member countries.
- The IEA in 30 seconds
- What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
- What it does for energy storage
- How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
- Organisations connected to the IEA's storage work
- Outlook
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. The IEA in 30 seconds
The IEA's storage figures differ in scope and assumptions from report to report. For 2024, for example, Electricity 2026 reports 63 GW of utility-scale (grid-connected) battery additions and 124 GW installed in total Sourced, while the executive summary of the World Energy Outlook 2025 says annual battery storage additions rose to more than 75 GW in 2024 Sourced. That passage does not say whether home and industrial batteries are included, so we do not add the two figures together or compare them. Also, on the IEA's scenarios (CPS, STEPS and NZE), WEO 2025 states that none of the scenarios are forecasts. What legally binds member countries is a Governing Board decision, not an outlook in a report.
2. What kind of body it is: the four types of influence
Unlike the companies in this series, none of the institutions that appear in energy storage coverage makes batteries. What separates them is the route by which they influence the industry, and that gives four types. The IEA belongs to the convening type: it gathers statistics and analysis and presents them as outlooks. We could not confirm from its official pages any power to hand out money or to set rules or standards.
3. What it does for energy storage
The IEA's involvement in storage can be seen in three parts: reports (outlooks and current-state analysis), statistics, and technology collaboration programmes Sourced. There is no annual report devoted to storage alone: storage is covered inside its reports on electricity, batteries, electric vehicles and critical minerals.
Storage-related reports: edition, date and category
| Report (edition) | Published | What it says about storage (sources) | Scenario / scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Energy Outlook 2025 (WEO 2025) | 12 November 2025 | An outlook for the whole energy system. On electricity security: "annual battery storage additions rose to more than 75 GW in 2024". It also says batteries cannot meet seasonal flexibility needs | CPS, STEPS, NZE. "None of the scenarios are forecasts" |
| Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions (WEO special report) | 25 April 2024 | Batteries today and ahead. In 2023, 42 GW of battery storage was added in the power sector, with over 85 GW in use. Lithium-ion prices fell from US$1,400/kWh in 2010 to under US$140/kWh in 2023. 80% of new storage in 2023 was LFP. In the NZE Scenario, storage capacity reaches 1,500 GW by 2030, of which batteries are 1,200 GW | STEPS and NZE (labelled as part of WEO 2023) |
| Electricity 2026 | 6 February 2026 | The annual electricity report; its forecast period was extended to five years, 2026-2030. Utility-scale batteries: 63 GW added in 2024 and 124 GW installed in total. Battery storage project costs fell about 40% in 2024 to around US$150/kWh. A Mid-Year Update 2026 also exists | Utility-scale only; home and industrial batteries are excluded |
| Global EV Outlook 2026 | 20 May 2026 | On electric vehicles and battery demand. Mainly vehicle batteries rather than storage; it has items on the battery demand outlook and battery recycling | Vehicles |
| Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026 | 16 July 2026 | An annual assessment of critical-minerals markets, investment and technology trends. We did not check its statements or figures on batteries | Not checked |
| Energy Technology Perspectives (2024 and 2026 editions) | 30 October 2024 / 26 March 2026 | Analysis of manufacturing and trade, using a model of six supply chains that includes batteries. The 2024 edition says production costs for solar PV modules, wind turbines and battery technologies are up to 40% higher in the United States, 45% higher in the European Union and 25% higher in India than in China | Manufacturing cost comparison |
Note: we could not find a World Energy Outlook 2026 page on the IEA site on our check date. We did not check the figures in Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026 or Energy Technology Perspectives 2026. Figures are as stated in each report and are not converted or added up here.
Watch the numbers: the "amount" of storage changes with scope
| Figure | Report | Scope | Can they be compared? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 GW added in 2023; over 85 GW in use | Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions (April 2024) | Battery storage across the power sector (utility-scale, behind-the-meter, mini-grids and solar home systems) | A 2023 figure; a separate year |
| 63 GW added in 2024; 124 GW installed | Electricity 2026 (February 2026) | Utility-scale batteries only; home and industrial batteries excluded | The scope differs, so not directly comparable with the row above |
| More than 75 GW added in 2024 | Summary of WEO 2025 (November 2025) | "Battery storage"; the passage does not state what is included | Scope cannot be confirmed, so we neither add nor subtract |
Note: we do not judge these differences to be errors. The natural reading is that they come from different scope definitions in each report, but confirming that requires the methodology pages of each report, which we have not checked.
Differences between scenarios: sets of assumptions, not forecasts
| Scenario | WEO 2025 definition (primary source) | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| CPS (Current Policies Scenario) | A snapshot of policies and regulations already in place, with a generally cautious view of how fast new technologies can be deployed | The most cautious deployment; storage growth likely comes out lower (our reading: Inference) |
| STEPS (Stated Policies Scenario) | Includes policies formally tabled but not yet adopted and other official strategy documents indicating direction. Barriers to new technologies are lower than in the CPS, but aspirational targets are not assumed to be met | Often used as a baseline, but it depends on assumptions about what governments will do |
| NZE (Net Zero Emissions by 2050) | A normative scenario that maps a pathway for the energy sector to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 | Not "this will happen" but "this is what is needed to get there" |
Note: WEO 2025 describes these as a "fully revised and updated set of scenarios". Even with the same names, different editions rest on different assumptions, so do not put figures from the 2024 special report (labelled as part of WEO 2023) beside those of the 2025 edition.
Statistics and technology collaboration
| Item | What the sources say | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | The IEA's Energy Data Centre collects and distributes energy data from more than 180 countries (history page). Monthly Electricity Statistics publishes monthly electricity production and trade data for OECD members (plus production data for some other economies). We did not check whether there is a statistics table of storage capacity itself | Sourced |
| Energy Storage TCP | One of the Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs), aimed at research, development, implementation and integration of storage technologies. The IEA lists it under "Renewable energy". TCPs are independent groups of experts from governments and industry, not a decision-making body of the IEA's Governing Board | Sourced |
| Electric Vehicles TCP | In operation since 1993; a forum for international co-operation on developing and deploying electric vehicles, including their batteries | Sourced |
| Number of TCPs | The IEA's Structure page says there are currently 37 TCPs; the TCP page says 38 collaborations are currently under way. The two pages differ by one and we could not confirm which is current | Not yet confirmed |
IEA battery figures are handy as a yardstick for the size of demand for materials makers. Converting them straight into material quantities, however, introduces large errors. Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions, for instance, says 80% of new storage in 2023 was LFP Sourced, but that is the share of newly added storage, not of all batteries in use. And the NZE figure of "1,500 GW of storage by 2030" is a power capacity (GW), not a quantity of batteries (GWh). Converting it to materials needs a separate assumption about duration (how many hours) (we have not converted it). Bearing in mind that scenarios are sets of assumptions rather than forecasts and that scope differs by report, the safe course is always to check the edition and scope of the original report before using a figure.
4. How far its influence reaches (powers and geography)
| Aspect | What the IEA has | What the IEA does not have |
|---|---|---|
| Legal force | Decisions of the Governing Board (energy ministers or their representatives) legally bind member countries under international law (the IEA's own description; Article 52(1) of the Agreement on an International Energy Program). The membership conditions centre on oil emergency response, such as 90 days of oil stocks and a demand restraint programme | The agreement states that "recommendations shall not be binding" (Article 52(2)). We found no basis for the outlooks or recommendations in storage reports binding member countries |
| Statistics and outlooks | Data collection from more than 180 countries, an annual outlook (WEO) and various reports | Report figures are not a basis in law or certification. They include scenarios that are "not forecasts" |
| Standards and certification | None (as far as we checked) | Battery and storage-system standards belong to standards bodies such as IEC. Safety and installation rules belong to national and regional authorities |
| Market rules and subsidies | None (as far as we checked) | Wholesale market rules belong to regulators such as FERC and, in the EU, the European Commission and Member States. Subsidies are for national governments |
| Geography | Global. Referenced by member countries, association countries, companies and investors | The power to change a particular country's laws. Binding force over countries that are not members |
| Scale | 2024 operational budget of €77.9 million; 32 member and 14 association countries | We could not confirm the number of staff |
Even when an IEA report says that "so many GW of storage are needed", that is neither a national policy target nor a legal obligation. It becomes policy only when a national government or the European Commission actually adopts it. The IEA's figures are widely used as material for that debate. Conversely, an IEA Governing Board decision does bind members, but the examples on the official pages concern oil emergency response, and we found no binding decision on storage within the scope of our check Not yet confirmed.
5. Organisations connected to the IEA's storage work
The IEA's influence over storage runs through three routes: Governing Board decisions (binding), the Secretariat's reports and statistics (for reference) and independent expert groups (the TCPs). Fig. 2 separates which route binds whom and which merely informs (the basis for each route is in the sources of Chapters 3 and 4).
Organisations named on the IEA's official pages (selection)
| Organisation | Relationship with the IEA (sources) | Link to this series |
|---|---|---|
| OECD | The IEA is an autonomous body operating within the OECD framework, based in Paris, and works within the OECD's financial framework | A separate international organisation |
| Energy Storage TCP | An independent group of experts promoting research, development, implementation and integration of storage technologies | An international network of storage researchers and firms |
| EV TCP | In operation since 1993; a forum for international co-operation on electric vehicles | Relevant to vehicle batteries |
| Energy Business Council (EBC) | An informal executive-level group of leading energy companies, financial institutions and technology manufacturers, and the IEA's channel for dialogue with industry. We did not check which companies take part | Individual companies are not covered here |
| Working Party on Critical Minerals | A working party set up under the Standing Group on Long-Term Co-operation (SLT) | Relevant to battery-material supply chains |
Note: as far as we checked, the IEA does not endorse or certify particular battery makers or storage operators, and nothing in this table is our endorsement of the organisations listed.
6. Outlook
| What can be read from the sources | Supporting primary sources | Status |
|---|---|---|
| The next World Energy Outlook is likely to appear around the end of 2026 | The WEO is an annual report; WEO 2025 appeared on 12 November 2025. We could not find a WEO 2026 page on our check date | Inference |
| In the new WEO, scenario assumptions may be revised and the storage figures replaced | WEO 2025 describes its scenarios as "fully revised and updated". When the edition changes, the assumptions change | Inference |
| Storage will probably continue to be treated as one of the pillars of electricity security | WEO 2025 calls the pace of putting new grids, storage and other flexibility in place a pivotal issue for electricity security, and Electricity 2026 highlights the rapid growth of utility-scale batteries | Inference |
| IEA figures will not directly become a legal or certification standard | The Agreement on an International Energy Program makes only Governing Board decisions binding and says recommendations are not binding. A report is not a Governing Board decision | Sourced (the agreement's terms). How reports are treated is our interpretation |
7. Glossary
- CPS / STEPS / NZE
- The IEA's scenarios: Current Policies (CPS), Stated Policies (STEPS) and Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE). None are forecasts.
- Governing Board
- The IEA's decision-making body, made up of member countries' energy ministers or their representatives. Its decisions bind members under international law.
- Secretariat
- The staff organisation led by the Executive Director, which prepares the reports and statistics.
- TCP
- Technology Collaboration Programme: an independent international co-operation framework of experts from governments and industry.
- Utility-scale battery
- Large battery storage connected to the grid and operated by utilities or generators. In Electricity 2026, home and industrial batteries are excluded.
- GW / GWh
- GW is power (capacity); GWh is the amount of energy that can be stored. For the same storage, the relationship between them depends on duration.
8. References
- IEA About (member and association countries covering 80% of energy consumption; Executive Director). https://www.iea.org/about
- IEA History of the IEA (signature on 18 November 1974; original mission; evolving membership; data from 180+ countries; the WEO). https://www.iea.org/about/history
- IEA Membership (32 members, 14 association and 6 accession countries; membership conditions). https://www.iea.org/about/membership
- IEA Structure (Governing Board; legal force of decisions; standing groups; TCPs; 2024 operational budget of EUR 77.9 million). https://www.iea.org/about/structure
- IEA Agreement on an International Energy Program (as amended 14 November 2024; Article 52: decisions bind, recommendations do not). https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/0cf6bac9-7c9c-450e-bb80-4928267c1cef/IEP2024.pdf
- IEA World Energy Outlook 2025 (published 12 November 2025). https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025
- IEA World Energy Outlook 2025, Executive summary (battery storage additions of more than 75 GW in 2024; electricity security). https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025/executive-summary
- IEA World Energy Outlook 2025, Setting the scene (definitions of CPS, STEPS and NZE; none of the scenarios are forecasts; fully revised scenarios). https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025/setting-the-scene
- IEA Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions (25 April 2024; WEO special report). https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions
- IEA Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions, Executive summary (42 GW; over 85 GW; prices; 80% LFP; 1,500 GW in the NZE Scenario). https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions/executive-summary
- IEA Electricity 2026 (6 February 2026; forecast period 2026-2030). https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2026
- IEA Electricity 2026, Flexibility (utility-scale batteries: 63 GW added in 2024, 124 GW installed; cost of about US$150/kWh). https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2026/flexibility
- IEA Global EV Outlook 2026 (20 May 2026). https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026
- IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026 (16 July 2026). https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2026
- IEA Energy Technology Perspectives 2024 (30 October 2024; manufacturing cost comparison). https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2024
- IEA Energy Technology Perspectives 2026 (26 March 2026). https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2026
- IEA Technology Collaboration Programme (overview; 38 collaborations under way). https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme
- IEA TCP, Renewable energy (description of the Energy Storage TCP). https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme/renewable-energy
- IEA TCP, Transport (description of the EV TCP). https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme/transport
9. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the text | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Full name; Executive Director; association and member countries covering 80% of energy consumption | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.iea.org/about |
| Signature on 18 November 1974; original mission; data from 180+ countries; placement under the OECD | Sourced | Reference 2 https://www.iea.org/about/history |
| 32 members, 14 association and 6 accession countries; membership conditions (such as 90 days of oil stocks) | Sourced | Reference 3 https://www.iea.org/about/membership |
| Governing Board decisions bind under international law; standing groups; 37 TCPs; the EUR 77.9 million budget | Sourced | Reference 4 https://www.iea.org/about/structure |
| Decisions bind and recommendations do not (Article 52) | Sourced | Reference 5 https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/0cf6bac9-7c9c-450e-bb80-4928267c1cef/IEP2024.pdf |
| WEO 2025 publication date; battery storage additions of more than 75 GW in 2024; batteries do not meet seasonal flexibility needs | Sourced | Reference 6 https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025 Reference 7 https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025/executive-summary |
| Definitions of CPS, STEPS and NZE; none are forecasts; the scenarios were fully revised | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2025/setting-the-scene |
| 2023 figures of 42 GW, over 85 GW, prices, 80% LFP and 1,500 GW in the NZE Scenario (25 April 2024) | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions Reference 10 https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions/executive-summary |
| Utility-scale batteries: 63 GW added, 124 GW installed, cost of about US$150/kWh; forecast period 2026-2030 (6 February 2026) | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2026 Reference 12 https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2026/flexibility |
| Global EV Outlook 2026 (20 May 2026) | Sourced | Reference 13 https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2026 |
| Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026 (16 July 2026) | Sourced | Reference 14 https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2026 |
| ETP 2024 (manufacturing cost comparison, 30 October 2024) and ETP 2026 (26 March 2026) | Sourced | Reference 15 https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2024 Reference 16 https://www.iea.org/reports/energy-technology-perspectives-2026 |
| The Energy Storage TCP, the EV TCP and the number of TCPs (38 collaborations) | Sourced | Reference 17 https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme Reference 18 https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme/renewable-energy Reference 19 https://www.iea.org/programmes/technology-collaboration-programme/transport |
| The comparison of scopes, the reading of scenarios and the four-type classification | Our calculation | Our own summary, laying the reports' statements side by side |
| A statistics table for storage capacity itself, staff numbers, any binding decision on storage, and the timing of WEO 2026 | Not yet confirmed | Not given in the sources (our note). Could not be confirmed and not estimated |
| The reason for the scope differences between reports; the Chapter 6 outlook | Inference | Our interpretation of the statements in References 5 to 12 |
Last updated: 10 October 2026 / Troy Technical
The figures and dates in this article come from the IEA's official website and the Agreement on an International Energy Program. Passages marked "Inference" are our own interpretation of the primary sources.