Global Legal Insights 2025

We are pleased to present the 13th edition of
Global Legal Insights - Energy. The
book contains 12 jurisdiction chapters, providing a truly international and
far-reaching snapshot of energy policy, industry and regulation across the
globe. The book is designed to provide
general counsel, financial institutions, government agencies and private
practice lawyers with a comprehensive insight into the most important trends
and developments in the energy market across a range of key jurisdictions. The energy industry is never static, with both
the industry and policy- and lawmakers constantly responding to new challenges
and opportunities.



Looking back at the last 12 months, it is dispiriting to
observe that the same global conflicts that have had an impact on global energy
trends in recent years continue to rage.
At the time of writing, there is a sense of deja vu to be reading
press reports about rising oil and gas prices as a result of conflict in the
Middle East. However, on a more positive
note, there has been continued progress in the energy transition space. Of the many firsts and new records, some
standout statistics come from the European Commission, which reported in
September 2024 that wind power has overtaken gas to become the EU's second-largest
source of electricity behind nuclear, and by the first half of 2024 renewables
generated 50 per cent of electricity in the EU. One new element that is increasingly entering
discussions of energy policy and trends is the impact of artificial
intelligence (AI). Data centre demand
for energy is already being felt - the International Energy Agency (IEA)
reports that in large economies such as the United States, China and the
European Union, data centres already account for between 2 to 4 per cent of
total electricity consumption - and this demand is likely to grow significantly
in the coming years across the world to meet the growth in AI. However, on the plus side, AI has the
potential to play a key role in energy efficiency and decarbonisation.



In producing Global Legal Insights - Energy, we
have gathered together the views and opinions of a group of leading energy
practitioners from around the world in a unique volume. The authors were asked to provide personal
views on practical issues, policy issues, strategic issues, and legal and
regulatory issues in their own jurisdiction, with free rein to decide the focus
of their own chapter.



One of the attractions of comparative analysis is that
developments in one jurisdiction can inform understanding and practice in
another.



Our thanks to all the
authors for their contributions, and particular thanks to our colleague Justyna
Bremen for her invaluable help. We hope
that this book will prove interesting and stimulating reading for you.