Signal RMI identifies ten energy transition trends for 2026: EVs, heat pumps, clean hydrogen, grid flexibility

Summary

Analysts at RMI identified ten energy transition trends for 2026, led by electric vehicle acceleration, heat pump diffusion, clean hydrogen scale-up, and grid flexibility. More than one in four new cars sold globally now have a plug, and oil-importing countries collectively save over one million barrels of oil per day as a result. Denmark generated 70% of its electricity from solar and wind, while more than 90% of new renewable energy projects now cost less than fossil fuel alternatives. Battery grid storage costs have fallen more than threefold over the past three years. Contrail avoidance could cut aviation's warming effect by 80% by modifying the routes of just 2% of flights. Grid flexibility now appears alongside generation as a first-order concern in the energy transition.