IRENA: Renewables are key to energy security in uncertain times

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the strategic role of renewables in ensuring energy security and resilience. The current global energy situation is turbulent and tense, so IRENA has set out a series of recommended measures.

The conflict in the Middle East has been ongoing for more than 45 days. Although a 14-day ceasefire is currently in effect, energy markets remain tense. Experts across the energy sector agree that even if the situation in the Persian Gulf calms down permanently, repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring supply to full capacity will take significantly longer than initially expected. The conflict is also exposing the vulnerability of an energy system based on fossil fuels: through high energy prices, it threatens the stability of the global economy, adds to inflationary pressures and has the greatest impact on the poorest regions.

IRENA is therefore issuing recommendations that policymakers can implement to strengthen energy security and resilience. Current developments and disruptions to international energy markets point to the need for a swift response, as well as a systematic effort to learn lessons for the future.

The proposed measures focus primarily on the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and the wider transformation of the energy sector. The agency points to the growing economic competitiveness of renewables: since 2010, investment costs for solar PV, wind power and battery storage have fallen by tens of percent.

As an illustrative example, IRENA cites Spain, where thanks to the development of renewables, gas sets the price of electricity only around 15% of the time, compared with as much as 89% in Italy. The European Union is also estimated to have saved around 58 billion euros on fossil fuel imports during the current Middle East crisis thanks to renewables.

“The current crisis clearly shows that renewable energy is a strategic necessity from a national security perspective,” said IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera. “We have an opportunity to prioritise measures that will strengthen the long-term stability of the energy sector. Governments should urgently consider targeted interventions to direct investment and crisis measures towards accelerating the development of renewables and the electrification of energy-intensive sectors.”

What specific measures does IRENA recommend?

Short-term measures (0–6 months)

• Decentralising the energy system: Prioritise installing renewables for critical infrastructure (healthcare, agriculture, food production) through cross-sector collaboration.
• Stabilising remote areas: Accelerate the deployment of hybrid solar PV systems with battery storage in regions with weak grids, thereby reducing dependence on volatile diesel prices.
• Managing consumption: Introduce information campaigns and regulatory measures to reduce demand during peak energy periods.
• Tariff reform: Introduce time-of-use tariffs that incentivise consumption when renewable generation is high.
• Financial support: Expand subsidies, tax breaks and grants to support electrification across sectors.
• Clean mobility: Support the electrification of public transport and shared mobility in cities.
• Removing barriers: Eliminate customs and administrative barriers to importing renewable energy technologies (panels, batteries, etc.).

Medium-term measures (6–12 months)

• Prioritising infrastructure: Accelerate the completion of renewable energy and grid projects already under way. Establish national task forces to secure their financing.
• Adjusting regulatory frameworks: Review existing mechanisms in light of inflation and rising costs in supply chains.
• System flexibility: Support the development of battery storage and demand-side response tools.
• Grid modernisation: Introduce technologies to increase grid capacity and integrate new generation sources.
• Decarbonising heating: Support the installation of heat pumps and solar thermal systems, as well as the use of biomethane. Also modernise district heating systems.
• Electric vehicle infrastructure: Simplify permitting for charging stations and introduce non-financial incentives (e.g. low-emission zones).
• Sustainable fuels: Accelerate support for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Long-term measures (1–3 years)

• Stable policy: Create a consistent legislative framework that ensures a predictable investment environment for the energy transition.
• Strategic planning: Integrate electrification into national strategies, with an emphasis on energy security and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
• Local supply chains: Support the development of domestic manufacturing of renewable energy technologies and storage systems.
• Hybridisation and permitting: Make it easier to add battery storage to generation sources and shorten grid connection timelines.
• Electrifying industry: Support the deployment of electric technologies (boilers, heat pumps, arc furnaces) in key sectors.
• Targeted financing: Develop financial instruments for island systems in regions most exposed to price volatility.
• Conditional support: Make public support for the fossil fuel sector conditional on meeting specific renewable energy targets.