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\n 20\/03\/2026 – 13:53 GMT+1\n <\/p>\n
Donald Trump\u2019s crusade to steer the US away from renewable energy is being scrutinised, as the war on Iran highlights the volatility of fossil fuels.<\/p>\n
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The POTUS has consistently condemned the transition to green energy<\/a>. Last year, during a trip to Scotland, Trump urged Europe to \u201cstop the windmills\u201d \u2013 describing wind farms as a con and urging the UK to open up drilling licences in the North Sea.<\/p>\n At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on 21 January, Trump falsely claimed that China was selling wind turbines to \u201cstupid people\u201d but not actually using the technology themselves. China is home to the world\u2019s largest wind farm, which is visible from space. <\/p>\n Alongside pulling out of key climate treaties<\/a> and taking his \u201cdrill baby drill\u201d attitude over to Venezuela, Trump\u2019s administration was also found to have acted illegally in cancelling $7.6 billion (around \u20ac6.52 billion) in clean energy grants for projects in states that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.<\/p>\n But as energy infrastructure gets dragged into the Middle East conflict, experts warn that the US has been left with fewer alternative energy sources \u2013 making the nation more vulnerable to supply shocks. <\/p>\n How is the war on Iran impacting US energy?<\/p>\n Brent crude, which is used as the world benchmark for oil prices<\/a>, has exceeded $100 (around \u20ac86.38) per barrel several times since the war began. Much of this is down to the Strait of Hormuz, a fossil fuel chokepoint that remains effectively blocked as Iran targets traffic through it. <\/p>\n This 38km passage carries around one-fifth of global oil supplies, which works out at around 20 million barrels every day. Oil and gas prices are set by global markets, meaning domestic production won\u2019t significantly lower costs for consumers.<\/p>\n Petrol prices in the US have surged toward $4 (\u20ac3.46) per gallon. This is a significant jump from last month, when Trump had boasted that prices were below $3 (\u20ac2.59).<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest short-term losers of the war will be US consumers of oil and gas, as energy prices rise,\u201d climate scientist Peter Gleick tells news agency AP.<\/p>\n Trump has called the conflict a \u201cvery small price to pay\u201d after years of terror from the Iranian leadership. He predicts that oil prices will \u201cdrop like a rock\u201d once the war ends.<\/p>\n