The UK energy debate has intensified after global oil prices surged following tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway carries around 20% of the world’s oil supply, and instability in the region has pushed prices sharply higher in recent weeks, highlighting how geopolitical events can quickly affect energy costs.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is preparing a coordinated release of around 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves after talks with G7 energy ministers, as conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global energy markets. The move is aimed at stabilizing oil supplies and easing pressure on prices as production losses and transport risks in the region raise concerns about shortages.

Energy ministers from the G7 are holding urgent talks as rising tensions involving Iran push global oil prices sharply higher and raise concerns about energy security. Crude prices briefly surged to around $119 per barrel this week — their highest level in nearly four years — amid fears that conflict in the Middle East could disrupt supplies from the Gulf region.

The government has unveiled its North Sea Future Plan — a wide-ranging package that keeps the promise of no new oil and gas exploration licences, but introduces a new mechanism that will still allow additional extraction from existing areas of the basin.

The Trump administration has launched its most aggressive effort yet to revive the U.S. coal sector, announcing a sweeping package that opens 13.1 million acres of federal land for new mining leases and allocates $625 million to upgrade and extend the life of coal-fired power plants.

The Trump administration is stepping up efforts to revive the long-stalled Alaska LNG project, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright expressing strong confidence in its future during an on-the-ground interview in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Appearing on CNBC, Energy Secretary Chris Wright described the proposed $44 billion Alaska LNG project as a “tremendous opportunity” for both domestic energy use and natural gas exports to Asia.

QatarEnergy is pressing ahead with major energy projects in the United States as part of a broader strategy to secure global supply and deepen long-term partnerships, according to Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi.

President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order to revive the U.S. coal industry, calling coal “beautiful, clean, and critical” to America’s national and economic security. The order directs federal agencies to expand coal mining on public lands, promote coal exports, and remove policies that discourage investment in coal-fired power.

Grangemouth, historically one of Scotland’s key industrial hubs, is now at the center of a major transformation effort. Plans to secure its long-term industrial future have gained momentum as a feasibility study outlines nine potential pathways for the site’s redevelopment.

Clean coal refers to the process of capturing carbon emissions from coal power plants and either storing them underground or repurposing them to reduce environmental impact. While it aims to make coal a more environmentally friendly energy source, critics argue that the technology is costly, energy-intensive, and not widely scalable.