Iran has effectively rejected expectations of an imminent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, laying out sweeping conditions that would require the United States to fundamentally change its policy toward Tehran. In a statement issued by Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Tehran said the strait would remain closed until Washington ends what Iran described as its hostile behavior. The six demands include an end to U.S. threats and military action, a permanent end to the war, withdrawal of U.S. naval and…

Europe is deepening its ties with North Africa to develop stronger clean energy connections between the two regions in support of a green transition. The European Union and several European countries have invested in Morocco and Egypt in recent years to support renewable energy development in countries with favourable climate conditions for energy production. Over the coming decade, Europe and North Africa are expected to establish a stronger clean energy trade corridor that will help both regions decrease reliance on fossil fuels.  In June,…

Europe desperately needs an energy storage revolution. As the region gets rocked by the third energy crisis in four years, the continent’s insufficient indigenous energy systems, and backups to those systems, has become abundantly and painfully clear. "We swore we’d learn. We promised things would change but here we are," a ‘highly frustrated European diplomat’ was recently (anonymously) quoted by the BBC in March.  As a result, the continent is now in an incredibly precarious position that could leave the bloc highly…

Despite continued hostilities in the Middle East and an expansion of the war to the Red Sea, oil traders have remained largely bearish on the commodity, betting on a quick peace deal—and they might get a nasty shock. Earlier this week, Brent crude sank below $80 per barrel, and WTI dropped below $75, after President Trump said peace talks between the United States and Iran had resumed, even though Iranian officials denied there were any talks in progress. However, Iran is negotiating a deal about control over the Strait of Hormuz with Oman,…

Global energy grids are under unprecedented stress as energy flows become more complex with the addition of intermittent energy sources and the artificial intelligence boom drives demand to new heights. Managing variable inflows and outflows of electricity while also keeping up with data center hyperscalers will require expanding and enhancing the grid at an unprecedented scale. “Modernizing the grid to make it ‘smarter’ and more resilient through the use of cutting-edge technologies, equipment, and controls that communicate and…

Elevated US gasoline and electricity prices are seeping into the upcoming midterm elections in November. Candidates are prioritizing consumer affordability over the environment, with Democrats linking gas price increases to President Trump’s foreign policy decisions. Meanwhile, a debate over data center expansion and consumer rate impacts are forcing candidates to address infrastructure investment trade-offs. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, US residential electricity prices rose 7% in 2025 versus 2024. Ratepayers in 46 states…

The bad economic news keeps coming for the Russian economy. An analysis of Russian government data by the business daily Vedomosti shows that the influx of Central Asian labor migrants to Russia fell by roughly 15 percent during the first half of 2026,  deepening an already critical labor shortage in the country. Official entries for work purposes by Central Asian citizens fell to 1.9 million during the first six months of this year, down from 2.3 million the previous year, according to the Vedomosti report. A large majority of Central Asian…

Citi has raised its third-quarter Brent crude forecast to $80 per barrel from $75 as the U.S.-Iran war drags on and repeated attempts at a deal fail to restore normal oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The bank still expects the conflict to be resolved, but the five-month war has lasted longer than Citi anticipated and kept more geopolitical risk in crude prices. Citi left its fourth-quarter Brent forecast unchanged at $70 per barrel and still sees the benchmark averaging $65 in 2027. Brent futures were trading at $83.11 per barrel on Friday…

The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, Norway’s $2.3-trillion Government Pension Fund Global, does not support the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposal to scrap requirements for climate-related risks and disclosures. The SEC in May requested input from investors about a proposal to rescind the Final Rules requiring registrants to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which is commonly referred…