My take on Iran's biggest advantage in the war: "The US & Israel are making mincemeat out of Iran, but Iranians still hold their key card: the Strait of Hormuz, which remains shut down. A great friend in Dubai said he has 24,000 tons of cargo stranded at sea & it's a nightmare." https://t.co/Y3sq0eOW8M

Gas is already pushing five dollars a gallon here, and remember this: when oil prices spike, gas prices lag behind. Which means this isn’t the peak. It’s the warning. Are we winning yet?!
Ground-mounted perovksite solar module testing field goes online in China #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/JFx7Yp31JV
More than “Five Asian petrochemical plants have declared force majeure in the past ten days because their naphtha supply was cut off at the Strait of Hormuz. The emergency reserves are crude oil. The shortage is chemicals.”
Why wouldn’t Iran wait until oil hits $120/barrel and then put out the word that if you’re friendly to them and pay them you can get your oil, mafia-style?

While the prompt Brent timespread has actually weakened a bit from last Friday, it's largely because the rest of the curve is rallying more aggressively than the front. Brent curve backwardation slightly shallower at the front vs last Friday, but backwardation...

“It is paramount:” AEMO says system and market operator functions must be kept together #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/aT4fNULk61 https://t.co/zCvJLVP2gO

Oil prices still anticipate short war or early re-opening of the Strait Oil traders are still betting war between the United States and Iran will end relatively quickly - or that the United States will soon be in a position to...

TRUMP PANICS and orders the release of 172 million barrels of oil from America's strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). This will amount to a drop in the bucket. SPR is a classic OUTDATED GOV'T WHITE ELEPHANT. It's time to liquidate it and shut it...

Powerful new rooftop solar panel promises system sizes “previously out of reach” #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/Jm6MCBYKj8 https://t.co/XzzLtt2LWX

NEW: Why does gas set the price of electricity – and is there an alternative? Make yourself a tea (or grab a beer??) and enjoy my Friday longread on marginal pricing, ideas for market reform – & how to break the link btwn...

As oil prices surged on Thursday during the intensifying Iran war, President Donald Trump again urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates, even as markets increasingly bet that rising energy costs would keep inflation elevated and delay...

OUT NOW - @martinwolf_ on "nightmare scenario" for oil prices and why the democratic regime change in Iran is "extremely implausible" 🇮🇷 Apple🔊https://t.co/YIUZqmamAH Spotify📽️https://t.co/TIAT3VANJk YouTube📽️https://t.co/unzLSGazzM https://t.co/MQl4DAj8d0
The discussion around TACO is wrong. There are no TACOs here. TACOs don't exist when: 1) It's not a unilateral decision. It's very clearly not up to Trump any more. Things we said in this episode are playing out - he...

Crude prices aren't what will ultimately drive the necessary demand destruction should the Strait of Hormuz remain closed. That job will fall to refined product prices, the things we as consumers actually consume. Singapore spot jet fuel prices are there already, over...
The American Petroleum Institute and CME (owner of the top US commodity exchange) are both pushing against some of the ideas the White House is floating to bring oil prices down. Reflexively, one would think that Joe Biden is...
So, the Petrol Retailers Association have withdrawn from the meeting with govrenment claiming there's inflammatory language being used by Government ministers' Can't say I blame them.

"Gulf oil shock deepens crisis for Asia’s petrochemicals industry" https://t.co/4C3WI6qHaW "Prices of naphtha have jumped by half since last month to $875 a tonne" https://t.co/rNT2eRMXls
Enel Colombia’s 180 MW Atlántico solar park starts supplying national grid #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/qlzQnCmgbL

Two new battery records on @CaliforniaISO grid: Max battery discharge rate: 56.61 GWh/day Max discharge rate as a percent of demand: 38.0% at 6:55 PM 3/12/26 Batteries met 10.5% of all demand 21st straight & 48/71 (68%) days in 2026 with WWS>100% of demand...

Yesterday's post on CL time spreads combined with this image of USO which has time spreads on the same underlying regardless of maturity (CL1) creates a fascinating circle to square. Anyone running the SEC/CFTC jurisdiction RV desk knows the fun...

Iran war reignites debate over U.S. oil exports, which have surged after Congress + Obama lifted a ban in 2015. https://t.co/xCz2d8WdQ1 via @axios https://t.co/kHinCgc4Z7

Oil prices aren't expected to fall anytime soon. Futures markets suggest oil prices are very likely to be high high during the midterms. https://t.co/5A4nd2c298
Supertankers Build Up in Red Sea as Saudi Arabia Races to Bypass Hormuz. The plan and how much the infrastructure can handle. https://t.co/0tUBLK1icp

Crude futures aren't telling the full story. See Dubai physical swaps (white, balance of the month) vs Brent prompt futures (blue) below. Normally they're pretty close, but right now there's a MAD bid for physical crude in the region—$100/bbl futs, $140/bbl physical...
If Iran does this, crude oil prices fall back to bear pre-war levels, and they lose the only leverage they have.

Energy stocks at all-time highs. $SPY at 2026 lows. Chevron, Marathon, Valero ripping. Everything else bleeding. This is not a market. It's two separate markets wearing one coat. https://t.co/yJjS0g4dAU

Everyone wants a Hormuz EZ-Pass but Tehran's primary leverage is keeping the Strait closed to *all* traffic. It's the total supply flow lost—not the destinations— that ultimately matters. And no guarantee that person with whom you're negotiating is controlling the drones. https://t.co/xNoSi9YCh5

The Little Ships of Dunkirk except its small cap investors smuggling oil through the Strait of Hormuz https://t.co/grhS8iKYsL
China may benefit from higher oil prices triggered by Iran war China’s evolution into an “electrostate” may help insulate it from spiking oil prices. https://t.co/oCfxauQUQP
Meanwhile, shockingly, the other major global power is doing the very opposite within its own borders... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-13/china-s-new-law-signals-xi-won-t-curb-environmental-ambitions
Okay good, let's say the WH planned for Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz following the attack. 1. The U.S. sold off its helium reserve before waging a war that they knew would disrupt helium exports to allies, which make...

Nigeria and South Africa strike a deal to sell oil in Rands. United States responds; “Nigeria needs freedom” - Satire -
Everyone is talking about the impact of closing the Strait of Hormuz on oil and gas. I haven't seen much discussion of the war's impact on helium. Most people think of helium as being a fun gas you use for...
TRUMP: KHARG ISLAND IS 'ONE OF MANY DIFFERENT THINGS' TRUMP: KHARG ISLAND 'NOT HIGH ON THE LIST' At this stage it's pretty obvious that Trump has no interest in further constricting global oil supplies. Even Iranian export flows are a...
Japan adds 5.8 GW of solar in 2025 #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/E8kobL8J1P

If the Fed cut rates, bond yields would soar. Crude oil prices are surging due to supply constraints. The market needs demand destruction to restore balance. In plain English, there is not enough crude oil to go around because of the...
Looking at Goldman Sachs Research gives a good timeline for thinking about the Strait of Hormuz * March 4, Hormuz flows would recover in 5 days. * March 9, they pushed that to 10 days * March 11, they extended it again...
As a climate and energy reporter, I have to admit continued frustration in trying to convince people that electrification is a climate solution, regardless of what is used to generate the power. Sigh...

South Africa’s Crude oil imports Here are the historical amounts of crude oil South Africa imports in for each respective month. Total = 9.5 billion liters (2024) Nigeria accounted for 48% Angola accounted for 15% Ghana accounted for 6% 69%...
Closure of the strait is one of the most obvious possible consequences of conflict with Iran...
We know who pays for new transmission. We all do. In PJM, data center growth creates reliability problems that PJM solves with new transmission. Using methods written by the utilities, PJM bills all utilities for new lines, who then bill us.

This is the week that oil markets started to wake up to not-so-short-term supply risks. Unprecedented outperformance of Brent third-month vs front-month in an up market (since at least 1989) https://t.co/moJqCod6kL https://t.co/0wKCN8bKco
US Treasury Allows More Russian Oil Sales to Help Tame Prices. And Putin is laughing as he heads to the bank and thumbs his nose at sanctions. And has needed revenue for his Ukraine war. https://t.co/zWRhldvD7W

Happy Friday, oil watchers. We're now two weeks into the Iran War and crude prices are up ~$30/bbl. That's roughly a $3/bbl gain per day that the Strait of Hormuz has remained closed, a pace that I expect to continue so long...
PJM has no authority over transmission line ratings. This is a governance and regulatory failure. PJM is now technically able to use more accurate inputs in its transmission system models, but it might not actually be doing so. It's up to...
Japan taps oil reserves as Iran war spreads. Could it give China leverage? With Tokyo and Beijing still at loggerheads over Taiwan, analysts warn Japan’s decision exposes its economic vulnerability Yet another "Iran war gives Beijing leverage' piece, short answer....no... https://t.co/nx95uxzmnh
Brazil’s 439 MW Bom Jardim solar site begins testing phase #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/hH761UmFpi

big picture % change since U.S. & Israel attacked Iran... crude + $VIX & Bitcoin up the most... https://t.co/lK9FCWy5TY
A hallmark about most fancy analysts, including many I respect, is that they don't appear to be filling up at the gas station. Most of them talk about future price hikes in the coming days, not realizing that they have...