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https://www.npr.org/2026/03/16/nx-s1-5732984/energy-iran-war-solar-pakistan-crisis-renewable-evs>
“As the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continues, the Strait of Hormuz remains
closed, cutting off a quarter of oil and natural gas supplies from the rest of
the world. Qatar has shut down its liquified natural gas or LNG production,
with no clear date to restart in sight.
But energy experts say some countries are better positioned to weather this
energy crisis than they would have been just a few years ago. That's because of
the rapid growth of renewable energy, battery systems and electric vehicles,
says Jan Rosenow, energy and climate professor at Oxford University.
"That's not a coincidence," Rosenow says. "It's a deliberate strategy to move
away from [imported oil] and electrify."
In China, more than half of new car sales are now electric. In Nepal, it's more
than 70%. As oil prices rise, residents with EVs are less vulnerable than if
they had to rely on fuel. "It's an energy security solution and it's a cost
solution," says Kingsmill Bond, analyst at the energy think tank Ember.
Natural gas and LNG prices are also rising. But countries like Pakistan are
more resilient because of the unprecedented growth of solar, says Nabiya Imran,
at the Pakistani think tank Renewables First.
"The widespread adoption of solar and batteries kind of serves as a hedge or a
protection sort of against these price shocks that the fossil fuel markets are
very vulnerable to globally," she says.”
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
