Global Energy Investment Tops $2 Trillion for Clean Tech, IEA Reports

Global investment in clean energy reached $2.155 trillion in 2025, more than double the $1.008 trillion flowing into fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency's World Energy Investment 2026 report. The agency notes this lead, which began around 2016, has widened every year, signaling a decisive shift in where the world's capital is being deployed. The IEA projects global oil investment will fall below $500 billion in 2026, marking a third consecutive year of decline.

This massive capital migration is occurring despite ongoing geopolitical energy security crises, including tensions in the Middle East and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. The IEA suggests governments now view domestically built renewable energy as an energy sovereignty strategy, reducing exposure to volatile global fuel markets. Solar energy alone is expected to attract roughly $365 billion in investment next year.

Concurrently, a global race is underway to develop new nuclear fuels, driven by sanctions on Russian energy products and plans for new reactor designs. Operators of advanced and small modular reactors (SMRs) will need high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is enriched to between 5% and 20%. Currently, only Russia and China produce HALEU at scale.

Following a 2024 U.S. ban on Russian uranium imports, the U.S. Department of Energy earmarked $2.7 billion in January 2026 to expand domestic uranium enrichment capacity. Between October 2023 and mid-2025, Centrus Energy produced over 920 kg of HALEU at a demonstration facility in Piketon, Ohio. The UK government also announced £300 million in January 2024 to support HALEU production.

A derivative fuel called TRISO (TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel), made from HALEU, is gaining traction for use in SMRs. TRISO fuel is considered safer and more efficient, with each tiny particle acting as its own containment vessel. However, accessing both HALEU and TRISO at scale remains a challenge.

In a national example of the clean energy push, Egypt is targeting 60% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040, with an interim goal of 42% by 2030. The North African country signed renewable energy deals worth a combined $1.8 billion in January 2026, including projects with Norway's Scatec and China's Sungrow. One project involves a 1.7 GW solar plant with 4 GWh of battery storage.

Egypt's strategy relies on private investment, having signed around 32 Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with private developers by 2025 for 1,465 MW of renewable energy. Major projects include the 1.8GW Benban Solar Park and AMEA Power’s additional 2 GW project with 900 MWh of battery storage.

For Bakken operators, these global investment trends underscore a long-term strategic landscape where capital and policy are increasingly aligned with electricity generation and low-emission technologies, potentially shaping future demand for fossil fuels.