Surging oil and gas prices triggered by the war in the Middle East have renewed calls from policymakers and energy experts to accelerate the transition to renewable energy in Ireland. The war has created what the International Energy Agency (IEA) described as the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”, sending crude prices above $100 per barrel (up from around $70 before the war) and sharply raising fuel prices in Ireland. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman and the United Arab Emirates, which carries around a fifth of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, has slowed dramatically since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with the conflict spreading across the region and disrupting production in several Gulf states. Last Thursday, Climate Minister Darragh O’Brien said expanding domestic renewable energy capacity would be critical to protecting Irish consumers from volatile global fuel markets.

Source: Irish Independent March 16, 2026 13:24 UTC