The fight against climate change and the need to ensure a reliable, affordable and sustainable power supply have placed the energy matrix at the center of the global debate. The blend of renewable sources, traditional fuels and emerging technologies has become one of the key strategies to ensure that there will be enough energy to supply a growing population, address climate challenges and warrant economic development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published the landmark report Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, translating the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C into a concrete roadmap for transforming the global energy sector. However, progress since its publication has been limited. Far from being reduced, CO2 emissions from the energy sector reached a new peak in 2022 at 37 gigatons (Gt), evidence of a worrying lack of progress. Demand for fossil fuels increased, as did investment in their production. Meanwhile, access to energy has stagnated and millions of people remain without access to electricity (IEA, 2021).
According to the same agency, almost 90% of countries have updated their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. While these revisions would reduce projected emissions by 5 Gt by 2030, the gap to long-term net-zero emissions commitments remains huge. Unless policy implementation and adoption of clean technologies are significantly accelerated, the zero net emissions scenario proposed by the IEA will not be accomplished.
Against this backdrop, the World Economic Forum insisted in January 2025 that the energy transition requires an annual investment of 4.5 trillion dollars. In its report Financing the Energy Transition: Meeting a Rapidly Evolving Electricity Demand, it warned that only 15% of this investment reaches developing countries, despite the fact that they account for a large part of future growth in energy demand. The document highlights that ensuring the transition requires systems that are affordable, resilient and sustainable. This implies facilitating access to long-term, low-cost financing to reduce capital costs (World Economic Forum, 2025).
Security, affordability and sustainability: the trinomial of the energy transition.
One of the main challenges of this transition is maintaining energy security and affordability. Energy security is not limited to the continuous supply of power, but also involves robust logistical networks, reliable supply chains and political stability.
Affordability, on the other hand, is key to ensuring that families and industries can maintain their quality of life and competitiveness. In this context, diversification of the energy matrix appears as a fundamental strategy. Having an assortment of sources that includes renewable energies, natural gas, hydrogen, bioenergy and storage renders it possible to reduce the risks associated with reliance on a single resource.
This approach facilitates the progressive integration of clean technologies without compromising system stability. Diversification of the energy matrix is a strategy that makes it feasible for emerging economies to move towards energy security and meet net zero carbon targets by 2050 (Nibedita & Irfan, 2024).
Empirical evidence in Europe shows signs of progress. According to Eurostat, power generated from renewable sources reached 47% in 2024 within the European Union, marking a milestone in the transition to a low-carbon economy (Eurostat, 2025).
The electron-molecule alliance: natural gas as a transition pillar.
On this path towards a diversified energy matrix, the alliance between the electron and the molecule becomes crucial. While renewable energies such as solar and wind are gaining ground in electric power generation – the domain of the electron – natural gas continues to play a key role as a flexible and less polluting backup within the molecular universe.
Natural gas, thanks to its capacity to stabilize the grid, replace more carbon-intensive fuels and facilitate the integration of intermittent renewable sources such as solar and wind, has established itself as a strategic ally in the energy transition. In regions such as Mexico, where there is still considerable infrastructure based on fossil fuels and a growing demand for energy in urban and industrial areas, the use of natural gas can offer a more viable decarbonization route in the short and medium term.
The use of this fuel allows an immediate reduction of emissions in the power sector, while building the technical, financial and social conditions necessary for a greater participation of clean energies in the future. Moreover, since it is a resource already available in the country, its rational use can generate local jobs, avoid an abrupt energy transition that affects the most vulnerable communities, and ensure affordable prices for the population. Integrating natural gas into a diversified energy matrix is a technical decision and a necessary step towards a fair transition: one that leaves no one behind and takes into account both the climatic challenges and the economic and social realities of the territory.
In this scenario it is important to point out that storage technologies, especially new generation batteries, take on a leading role as a complement to diversification. The capacity of batteries to store energy when generation is abundant and release it when demand increases or weather conditions disallow renewable production, represents a crucial technical advance to guarantee a continuous and balanced power supply.
Considering both diversification and the use of storage technology amplifies the potential of clean energy by reducing its intermittency and increasing its competitiveness against traditional sources. In countries like Mexico, with high solar radiation and areas with wind potential, the development of robust storage systems can make the difference between a viable transition and a failed one.
However, a diversified energy matrix, complemented by natural gas and storage technologies, constitutes a model that is more resilient, fair and adaptable to the challenges of the 21st century. It is not a matter of choosing between one source or another, but of building an intelligent synergy between molecules and electrons, between technological innovation and social justice. Because the real challenge of the energy transition is not only to reduce emissions, but to ensure that the change benefits all people, in all territories.
This article was developed by specialist Ana Laura Ludlow and published as part of the fifth edition of Inspenet Brief magazine August 2025, dedicated to technical content in the energy and industrial sector.