Energy crisis

• 1970s energy crisis – caused by the peaking of oil production in major industrial nations (Germany, United States, Canada, etc.) and embargoes from other producers
  • 1973 oil crisis – caused by an OAPEC oil export embargo by many of the major Arab oil-producing states, in response to Western support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War
  • 1979 oil crisis – caused by the Iranian Revolution
• 1990 oil price shock – caused by the Gulf War

• 2000 fuel protests in the United Kingdom in 2000 were caused by a rise in the price of crude oil combined with already relatively high taxation on road fuel in the UK.
• 2000s energy crisis – Since 2003, a rise in prices caused by continued global increases in petroleum demand coupled with production stagnation, the falling value of the US dollar, and a myriad of other secondary causes.
• 2000–2001 California electricity crisis – Caused by market manipulation by Enron and failed deregulation; resulted in multiple large-scale power outages
• 2000–2008 North American natural gas crisis
• 2004 energy crisis in Argentina
• 2005, 2008 China experienced severe energy shortages towards the end of 2005 and again in early 2008. During the latter crisis they suffered severe damage to power networks along with diesel and coal shortages.[5] Supplies of electricity in Guangdong province, the manufacturing hub of China, are predicted to fall short by an estimated 10 GW.[6] In 2011 China was forecast to have a second quarter electrical power deficit of 44.85 – 49.85 GW.[7]
• 2007 Political riots occurring during the 2007 Burmese anti-government protests were sparked by rising energy prices.

Kuwait's Al Burqan Oil Field, the world's second-largest oil field

• 2008 energy crisis in Central Asia, caused by abnormally cold temperatures and low water levels in an area dependent on hydroelectric power. At the same time the South African President was appeasing fears of a prolonged electricity crisis in South Africa.[8]
• 2008. In February, the President of Pakistan announced plans to tackle energy shortages that were reaching crisis stage, despite having significant hydrocarbon reserves,.[9] In April 2010, the Pakistani government announced the Pakistan national energy policy, which extended the official weekend and banned neon lights in response to a growing electricity shortage.[10]
• 2008 South African energy crisis. The South African crisis led to large price rises for platinum in February 2008 and reduced gold production.[11] and continues as of 2022.

• 2012 United Kingdom fuel crisis
• 2015 – Nepal experienced a major energy crisis in 2015 when India imposed an economic blockade on Nepal. Nepal faced shortages of various kinds of petroleum products and food materials which severely affected Nepal's economy.
• 2017 – The Gaza electricity crisis is a result of the tensions between Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Authority/Fatah, which rules the West Bank over custom tax revenue, funding of the Gaza Strip, and political authority. Residents receive electricity for a few hours a day on a rolling blackout schedule.[12][13][14][15]
• 2019 California energy crisis

Natural gas prices in Europe and United States

  National Balancing Point NBP (UK) natural gas prices

  Europe TTF natural gas prices

  United States Henry Hub natural gas prices

• 2021 Texas power crisis
• 2021 United Kingdom natural gas supplier crisis and 2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis
• 2021 global energy crisis. The record-high energy prices were driven by a global surge in demand as the world quit the economic recession caused by COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to strong energy demand in Asia.[16][17][18]
• The Lebanese liquidity crisis lead to shortages of fuel for electricity plants, resulting in the 2021 Lebanese blackout and public utilities being able to offer power for only a few hours a day.[19]

To avoid the serious social and economic implications a global decline in oil production could entail, the 2005 Hirsch report emphasized the need to find alternatives, at least ten to twenty years before the peak, and to phase out the use of petroleum over that time. Such mitigation could include energy conservation, fuel substitution, and the use of unconventional oil. Because mitigation can reduce the use of traditional petroleum sources, it can also affect the timing of peak oil and the shape of the Hubbert curve.

Energy policy may be reformed leading to greater energy intensity, for example in Iran with the 2007 Gas Rationing Plan in Iran, Canada and the National Energy Program and in the US with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 also called the Clean Energy Act of 2007. Another mitigation measure is the setup of a cache of secure fuel reserves like the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve, in case of national emergency. Chinese energy policy includes specific targets within their 5-year plans.

Andrew McKillop has been a proponent of a contract and converge model or capping scheme, to mitigate both emissions of greenhouse gases and a peak oil crisis. The imposition of a carbon tax would have mitigating effects on an oil crisis. The Oil Depletion Protocol has been developed by Richard Heinberg to implement a powerdown during a peak oil crisis. While many sustainable development and energy policy organisations have advocated reforms to energy development from the 1970s, some cater to a specific crisis in energy supply including Energy-Quest and the International Association for Energy Economics. The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre and the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas examine the timing and likely effects of peak oil.

Ecologist William Rees believes that

To avoid a serious energy crisis in coming decades, citizens in the industrial countries should actually be urging their governments to come to an international agreement on a persistent, orderly, predictable, and steepening series of oil and natural gas price hikes over the next two decades.

Due to a lack of political viability on the issue, government-mandated fuel prices hikes are unlikely and the unresolved dilemma of fossil fuel dependence is becoming a wicked problem. A global soft energy path seems improbable, due to the rebound effect. Conclusions that the world is heading towards an unprecedented large and potentially devastating global energy crisis due to a decline in the availability of cheap oil lead to calls for a decreasing dependency on fossil fuel.

Other ideas concentrate on design and development of improved, energy-efficient urban infrastructure in developing nations.[21] Government funding for alternative energy is more likely to increase during an energy crisis, so too are incentives for oil exploration. For example, funding for research into inertial confinement fusion technology increased during the 1970s.

Kirk Sorensen and others[22] have suggested that additional nuclear power plants, particularly liquid fluoride thorium reactors have the energy density to mitigate global warming and replace the energy from peak oil, peak coal and peak gas. The reactors produce electricity and heat so much of the transportation infrastructure should move over to electric vehicles. However, the high process heat of the molten salt reactors could be used to make liquid fuels from any carbon source.

An electricity shortage is felt most acutely in heating, cooking, and water supply. Therefore, a sustained energy crisis may become a humanitarian crisis. If an energy shortage is prolonged a crisis management phase is enforced by authorities. Energy audits may be conducted to monitor usage. Various curfews with the intention of increasing energy conservation may be initiated to reduce consumption. For example, to conserve power during the Central Asia energy crisis, authorities in Tajikistan ordered bars and cafes to operate by candlelight."Crisis Looms as Bitter Cold, Blackouts Hit Tajikistan". NPR. Retrieved 10 February 2008.

In the worst kind of energy crisis energy rationing and fuel rationing may be incurred. Panic buying may beset outlets as awareness of shortages spread. Facilities close down to save on heating oil; and factories cut production and lay off workers. The risk of stagflation increases.

Price of gas have been through the ruff. Not only are prices high but supplies for gas is low. There are many causes for this. One being the war in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has been going on for several months as of ( October 17th, 2022) and there is no end in sight. Just like any war Ukraine is using a lot of resources but has no time to deliver the resources that it normally does. This dose not just effect Ukraine but the effects are being felt globally. The war that Ukraine is in is a war with Russia. Russia has stopped producing oil in turn to fight this war. "Global access to oil and gas has been significantly reduced."[28] Now that gas is reduced that means the demand for what is produced will be higher. "Crude oil prices—currently up 33 per cent—are projected to rise above 50 per cent by the end of the year" [28] Now since Ukraine is in the war with Russia they are experiencing the worst of the problem. "For the past three weeks the country has found itself in the midst of an acute fuel shortage which means that all but a handful of pumps nationwide are closed to the public."[29]

Now you may be thinking ok they don't have gas how bad can it be. Bad it can be very bad. "Ukraine in a given year is either the third or fourth biggest source of agricultural imports."[30]With the lack of fuel Ukraine can not operate like it used to. "Farmers need fuel, mostly diesel, to power their tractors, plows, combines, and delivery trucks."[30] Since they are not getting fuel due to power outages and the dock imports being blocked all of the normal exports are not being produced and if they are then they are not leaving Ukraine.

So now that we understand a little about why we are in a fuel crisis lets talk about the effects that its having. The American government just released that there is only about a 25 day supply of diesel fuel left.[31]  Now how does that effect people in America. Well one article says that "most likely scenario is higher prices, with some sporadic local outages that get filled in by surrounding markets"[32] Now what going to be one of the biggest problems in the next few months is that the majority of the United State uses fuel to heat there house.[33]

There is some good news. There are solutions to help with this crisis. "In short, the solution is to slash energy demand: grow more food and less fodder, drive and fly less, turn down the thermostat."[34] There is also the solution of changing the type of energy that we are currently using.[35] The easiest solution at the moment is to not use fuel if you don't need to[36]. If you can walk do your part and walk to where you are going. If you need to drive thin k about carpooling. For this to be effective everyone will need to participate not just the United States. Many people are on the same page that clean energy is the way to go. "The solution to this price crunch is a swift and urgent transition to clean energy—not more leasing, drilling, or investments in the same volatile fuel sources that are contributing to the current energy crisis."[37]