Global Leaders To Outline Grid And Storage Solutions At IRENA Assembly To Support UAE Consensus And 2030 Climate Goals

Under the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s 1.5°C Scenario, the share of variable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind is expected to rise significantly by 2030. Achieving the target of 11.2 terawatts of renewable capacity—aligned with the global goal to triple renewables under the UAE Consensus—requires power grids that are prepared to integrate a much higher share of renewable generation. For a renewable-based power system to function effectively, major upgrades are needed in grid expansion and modernisation. Grid infrastructure must be capable of connecting new renewable projects and must offer enough flexibility to balance supply and demand at all times.

Globally, the power sector will need 2.5 to 3 times more flexibility than it had in 2019 to manage increasing levels of solar and wind power. This makes both grids and system flexibility essential pillars of the energy transition. IRENA identifies grid expansion and modernisation as critical to meeting the global tripling target, emphasising the need for strong and adaptable energy networks. The agency’s analysis also highlights the scale of investment required to ensure grids can support the changing energy mix. Although global investments in renewable power, grids, and battery storage surpassed fossil fuel investments in 2024—reaching USD 1.19 trillion—they are still not growing fast enough to match the rapid expansion of renewable capacity.

To keep pace with future needs, average annual investments in renewable energy and grids must double between 2025 and 2030. Under IRENA’s 1.5°C Scenario, annual grid investments alone need to reach USD 671 billion until 2030. Mobilising such large-scale investment will require strong cooperation between both public and private sectors. To support this, IRENA has established several major collaborative platforms.

These include the IRENA Coalition for Action, which brings together over 180 members from the private sector, civil society, research institutions, and international organisations to promote global renewable energy adoption; the Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (UNEZA), consisting of more than 70 leading utility companies committed to advancing clean energy solutions, electrification, and renewable-ready grids; and the Alliance for Industry Decarbonization (AFID), which engages over 100 organisations across energy-intensive industries to help develop and implement sound decarbonisation strategies.

Through UNEZA, IRENA supports the creation of ecosystems in which regulators, utilities, planners, and ministries can collaborate to shape partnerships, strengthen dialogue, and deliver the certainty that investors require. In response to global investment needs, UNEZA reaffirmed its commitment last year to invest more than USD 148 billion annually in grids and renewables—USD 66 billion for renewable energy and USD 82 billion for grids and storage. This aligns with the ambitions of the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, which aims to add or refurbish 80 million kilometres of power grids by 2040 and deploy 1,500 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030.

The IRENA Coalition for Action also recognises the growing role of energy storage in ensuring grid flexibility, reliability, and affordability as renewable energy expands. In a recent report, the Coalition outlined recommendations such as treating storage as a key enabler of the global tripling target, strengthening grid stability through storage solutions, supporting solar-plus-storage projects with improved financing policies, and developing standards and certifications for storage technologies.

Addressing the enabling conditions for scaling up grids and storage responsibly—while balancing system reliability, innovation, and investment—will be a key focus at IRENA’s 16th Assembly. Two high-level sessions will be held: the Public-Private Dialogue led by the Coalition for Action on 10 January, which will explore how to accelerate the deployment of grids and storage for faster renewable energy growth, and the High-Level Dialogue hosted by UNEZA and AFID on 11 January, which will examine electrification challenges relating to policy frameworks, financing models, and system flexibility.

During these sessions, government leaders and industry executives will share national experiences, discuss regulatory reforms and financing approaches to remove barriers, and outline coordinated follow-up actions that align with the UAE Consensus and the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge.