Reframing Energy for the Age of Electricity

This research paper by Ember proposes a consumer-centric framework for analyzing the energy system, contrasting it with the 'orthodox' supplier-side approach. The authors argue that focusing on 'useful energy' (the energy that actually performs a task) rather than 'primary energy' reveals the massive inefficiencies of combustion-based systems and highlights the rapid growth of 'electrotech' (electric technologies). The paper simplifies the energy system into two core functions—work and heat—and identifies four 'battles' for the future of energy, asserting that electric technologies are winning or set to win three of them due to superior thermodynamic efficiency.

• The 'orthodox' approach to energy accounting, which focuses on primary energy supply, creates a 'primary energy fallacy' by ignoring the quality of energy and the massive losses during conversion. In 2023, approximately 380 exajoules, or nearly two-thirds of all primary energy inputs, were wasted and did not convert into useful energy.
• The authors propose simplifying the energy system into two fundamental functions: 'work' (moving things) and 'heat' (changing temperature). In 2023, useful energy demand consisted of 90 EJ of work (43%) and 119 EJ of heat (57%).
• The energy transition is framed as four 'battles' based on efficiency. Electrotech is winning the first two and is set to win the third: 1) Electron Supply (electro sources vs thermal), 2) Useful Work (electrons vs molecules), and 3) Useful Heat (electrons vs molecules). The fourth battle, Molecule Supply (electro sources vs thermal), is an 'uphill battle' for electro sources due to the high thermodynamic cost of turning electricity into molecules.
• Electro sources (solar, wind, and hydro) are rapidly dominating the 'flow' (change in demand) of electricity generation, even if their 'stock' (total share) is smaller. In the first nine months of 2025, electro sources accounted for 96% of the change in electricity generation, despite being only 30% of total generation in 2023.
• Electricity is significantly more efficient at delivering useful work than molecules. On average, electricity converts final electrons to useful work at 68% efficiency, while molecules do so at 29%. Consequently, electricity provided 80% of the change in useful work between 2019 and 2023.
• The efficiency of heat pumps allows for a significant reduction in the primary energy required to achieve high levels of human development. While some argue 100 gigajoules per person is required, the authors state that with electrotech, 26 gigajoules per person of primary energy can supply roughly the same amount of useful energy.

APA

Walter, D., Bond, K., Butler-Sloss, S., Issac, A., & Liebreich, M. (2026). Reframing Energy for the Age of Electricity. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Reframing-Energy-for-the-Age-of-Electricity-1.pdf

Chicago

Walter, Daan, Kingsmill Bond, Sam Butler-Sloss, Antoine Issac, and Michael Liebreich. Reframing Energy for the Age of Electricity. Ember, 2026. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Reframing-Energy-for-the-Age-of-Electricity-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Walter |first1=Daan |last2=Bond |first2=Kingsmill |last3=Butler-Sloss |first3=Sam |last4=Issac |first4=Antoine |last5=Liebreich |first5=Michael |title=Reframing Energy for the Age of Electricity |publisher=Ember |date=17 February 2026 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Reframing-Energy-for-the-Age-of-Electricity-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{walter2026reframing, author = {Walter, Daan and Bond, Kingsmill and Butler-Sloss, Sam and Issac, Antoine and Liebreich, Michael}, title = {{Reframing Energy for the Age of Electricity}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/02/Reframing-Energy-for-the-Age-of-Electricity-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }