A controversial amendment to the 2026 Farm Bill is lighting up Capitol Hill, pitting big refining interests against smaller operations in a classic Washington showdown over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and ethanol mandates. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) introduced Amendment 289, which would force year-round nationwide sales of E15 (15% ethanol gasoline) by aligning its […]
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As the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed following the escalation of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict in late February 2026, the world is witnessing what energy experts are calling the largest supply shock in history. Traffic through the strait has plummeted by over 95%, choking off roughly 20% of global oil and LNG flows, along with […]
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The conflict in the Persian Gulf—sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026—has sent shockwaves through the global food system, even though the region itself is not a major agricultural breadbasket. As detailed in Bloomberg’s April 24, 2026, analysis, the war has cut off critical sources of energy and fertilizers, essential inputs for […]
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In every energy crisis, a clear pattern repeats: diesel prices climb faster and higher than gasoline. As of April 2026, with Middle East tensions disrupting tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the divergence is stark once again. Since the latest conflict intensified, U.S. national average gasoline prices have risen by roughly $1.11 per gallon, […]
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In just six weeks, the global energy paradigm has flipped. What a decade of climate summits, net-zero pledges, and green industrial policy could not achieve, Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—and the raw reality of AI’s insatiable power hunger—has done in a flash. Energy security is no longer a side note; it is […]
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ENB Pub Note: The Energy Bad Boys are one of my favorite Substack authors out there, and I am sending them a note to get them on the podcast. This is an outstanding article, and will be covered on the Energy News Beat Stand up later today. We highly recommend subscribing to their Substack as […]
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The global energy domino is falling fast — and it is carving the world into two stark categories: nations with enough fuel buffers, refining muscle, and diplomatic leverage to ride out the storm, and those staring down fuel rationing, failed harvests, and economic free-fall. One month into the Iran war, the closure of the Strait […]
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With fertilizer shortages driving up input costs and an ongoing energy crisis squeezing every link in the fuel supply chain, America’s decades-long experiment with corn-based ethanol is under fresh scrutiny. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) still mandates roughly 15 billion gallons of conventional (corn) ethanol blending annually, supported by new tax credits such as the […]
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The global agriculture sector is staring down a perfect storm of fertilizer disruptions, diesel fuel shortages, and skyrocketing energy costs—all triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East after “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28, 2026. What began as a geopolitical flashpoint has rapidly […]
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As the world grapples with escalating tensions in the Middle East, diesel and fertilizer markets are buckling under unprecedented pressure. A fresh crisis is unfolding in real time, with farmers on the front lines and consumers set to feel the ripple effects at the pump and the grocery store. Australia’s unfolding fuel emergency offers a […]
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