After Iran announced the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil and gas prices have plummeted in the markets. Specifically, on Friday afternoon, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil – the benchmark in Europe – fell by more than 10% and stood at around $89. Futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude—the benchmark in the United States—stood at around $83, almost 12% less than on Thursday. At some points during the conflict, the price of a barrel of Brent had touched $120. Despite Friday's drop, the price of oil remains above the $72 it stood at just before the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran.

A few days before the first anniversary of the electrical blackout on April 28th, new details about its possible causes continue to emerge. This Friday, the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) explained that it has initiated several sanctioning proceedings to determine the circumstances of the blackout. Thus, the regulatory body assures that, as a result of the investigations, "various indications of non-compliance" have been detected, some of which have been maintained for "prolonged periods of time," which could constitute administrative infractions.

The Spanish oil company Repsol has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons of Venezuela and the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) that will allow it to resume control of operations and increase oil production in the South American country.

Enagás begins a tour to seek Catalonia's complicity with green hydrogen. Specifically, with the infrastructure that will allow its transport. Starting this Tuesday, the Spanish manager of gas infrastructure launches the public participation plan for the hydrogen network in the Principality, through which it plans to gather input from affected territories: from citizen opinion to city councils. To this end, it will hold a total of 16 in-person participatory workshops in different affected municipalities from this April 13th to next May 30th. "The project information will be presented, contributions will be collected, and doubts will be resolved," indicate Enagás sources. The intention is to minimize possible social and political resistances to the project, especially after the experience with infrastructures, now completely stalled, such as the MidCat pipeline that was to connect Catalonia with France.

The cost of producing food is expected to rise in the coming months due to the war in the Middle East. The reason is the dependence of world agriculture on fertilizers, some of the main producers of which are the Persian Gulf countries. The export of these chemical products has been as affected as oil by the conflict, which has led to price increases that will likely be passed on to the final price of food.

The European Union is studying possible measures such as rationing fuel and releasing more oil from strategic reserves in the face of the risk of a "lasting" energy shock resulting from the war in the Middle East, European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen assured this Friday in an interview with the British newspaper Financial Times. The bloc is evaluating "all options," according to Jørgensen, who warned that "energy prices will be higher for a long time."

The European Union is considering possible measures such as rationing fuel and releasing more oil from strategic reserves in the face of the risk of a "lasting" energy shock stemming from the war in the Middle East, European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen said this Friday in an interview with the British newspaperFinancial Times. The bloc is evaluating "all options", according to Jørgensen, who warned that "energy prices will be higher for a long time".

The tension around the war with Iran has once again shaken energy markets and driven the price of oil above 110 dollars a barrel. After Donald Trump's speech, in which he avoided specifying when the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened, investors reacted nervously and accelerated crude oil purchases. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI), a benchmark in the United States, has climbed above this threshold —the highest level since March 9— and is heading for its most intense daily increase since 2020, while Brent, a benchmark in Europe, also maintains an upward trend in a context marked by geopolitical uncertainty and the risk of further supply disruptions.

No one could have imagined, when the US and Israel launched the first attacks against Iran on Saturday, February 28, that especially Washington and, specifically, US President Donald Trump, had not foreseen the consequences. The evolution of events makes it increasingly clear: there was no strategy. At least, not on the part of the US. Another thing is the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which takes advantage of the opportunity to achieve its expansionist goals, with no regard for international law and human rights.

The war in Iran and the resulting increase in energy costs have impacted inflation in Spain. Thus, the cost of living for families this March has notably increased compared to February, as a result of the rise in prices of fuels and electricity.

The war in Iran and the resulting energy price increase have impacted inflation in Spain. Thus, the cost of living for families this March has become notably more expensive compared to February, as a result of the rise in prices of fuels and electricity.

On October 6, 1973, thousands of Israeli soldiers were forced to eat. That day, the country was celebrating Yom Kippur, one of Judaism's holiest holidays, characterized by fasting and prayer, when it was attacked militarily by Egypt and Syria. Many members of the army had to postpone their celebrations. This war, which lasted about three weeks, was another episode in the Arab-Israeli conflict. But at the same time, it marked a turning point for the global economy, as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, comprised mainly of Arab states) implemented a crude oil embargo on Western countries (the United States and some allies, primarily European), which caused prices to skyrocket and triggered the first of the oil crises of the 1970s and early 1980s.

The price war at gas stations has erupted. At least temporarily, and with greater savings the more contracts and service agreements signed with the companies. This comes after fuel prices soared the day after the outbreak of war in the Middle East and the surge in oil prices, which reinforced the situation. from the control of abuses by the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC)The major companies have entered into a price war ahead of Easter. In any case, the biggest discounts are obtained if other services related to electricity or gas are contracted.

Oil prices continued to rise Tuesday afternoon due to the Gulf War, fueled by uncertainty surrounding the conflict, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, and Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure in the region. Brent crude, the European benchmark, rose more than 4% Tuesday morning compared to the previous day, reaching $104.23 per barrel. However, by early afternoon, the price increase had moderated to 1.30%. Similarly, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, the US benchmark, was up nearly 1.5% at the same time Tuesday afternoon, reaching $93.99 per barrel, while natural gas rose 1.40% to €51.60 per megawatt.

As the hours pass, more details are emerging about the measures the Spanish government is considering to address the energy crisis stemming from the war in the Middle East. While on Thursday, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo hinted at specific aid for the sectors hardest hit by rising fuel prices—agriculture and road transport, among others—on Friday, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, raised the possibility of reducing the government's VAT rate in 2021, when energy prices skyrocketed. "Yes, we are also considering this measure," Aagesen told the media on Friday morning. In 2025, the VAT on electricity returned to 21%, ending the tax reductions of recent years.

The US Treasury Department announced Thursday that it will temporarily authorize the purchase of Russian oil in transit. The measure aims to curb the surge in crude oil prices, which jumped more than 9% on Thursday after several days of increases and, despite moderating the pace of the climb, continued to rise on Friday. On Friday, the price of Brent crude—the European benchmark—surfaced at over $100 a barrel. Conversely, the price of natural gas moved in the opposite direction, falling by approximately 0.60% to €50.54 per megawatt-hour (MWh) on the Dutch TTF market, which sets prices across the continent. These declines were relatively small, and gas prices rose for much of the day. With the lifting of restrictions on Russian crude, thousands of barrels will enter the market, which should contribute to a decrease—or at least a moderation of the escalating price—of oil. When it announced the embargo, President Donald Trump's administration asserted that the ban on Russian oil purchases was key to pressuring Moscow in the war in Ukraine. However, it now indicates that this temporary exemption from the restriction, which will last until April 11, will not represent a significant benefit for Russia.

Oil and natural gas prices continue to rise as the conflict in the Middle East escalates, negatively impacting stock markets. On Thursday, Brent crude oil neared $100 a barrel again, representing an increase of more than 8% compared to the previous day. The price surge accelerated after Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mukhta Khamenei, warned that he would maintain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Natural gas also rose on Thursday, reaching €50.27 per megawatt-hour (MWh) on the Dutch TTF market, around 0.56% higher than Wednesday's levels. This increase in energy costs has impacted the markets, which, for yet another day since the start of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, experienced losses. The Ibex 35 closed the session with a loss of 1.22% and will start tomorrow at 17,139.90 points. Among the stocks in Spain's main index, banks were the hardest hit: Unicaja fell 4.56%; Sabadell, 4.16%; and BBVA, 3.53%. Conversely, energy companies experienced a rebound, led by Repsol, which posted a gain of 2.63%. The other European stock exchanges followed the same trend: London and Paris fell 0.47% and 0.71%, respectively. Milan also closed lower, down 0.71%, and the best-performing European exchange was Frankfurt, with a drop of 0.29%.

The Basque Country, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community are the three regions with the lowest proportion of renewable energy generation relative to their total electricity production, according to data published Wednesday by Red Eléctrica de España, the state-owned company that operates the Spanish electricity system. Specifically, in the Basque Country, only 17% of the energy generated is from renewable sources; in Catalonia, it's 18%; and in the Valencian Community, it's 20%. At the other end of the spectrum are Castile and León, with 94% of its generation from renewable sources; Aragon, with 83%; Galicia, with 82%; and Castile-La Mancha, with 69%. These figures, however, must be put into context. For example, in the Community of Madrid, 50% of its generation is renewable, yet it is a region that produces very little energy overall. Thus, Madrid's renewable energy production is 625 GWh, while Catalonia's is 6,935 GWh.

Faced with soaring oil prices and supply problems in some countries due to the war in the Middle East, the 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) unanimously decided on Wednesday to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves, an unprecedented figure. This is the largest release in the agency's history and doubles the amount of barrels used from reserves for the war in Ukraine (182 million barrels were released at that time). Governments hope the measure will calm the markets and curb the rise in crude oil prices, which is already being felt at gas stations.

The Catalan consultancy Energy Tools and the Madrid-based ACE-Servicios de Gestión de Energía have reached an agreement to merge and create the largest energy consulting group for large consumers. The resulting company will have more than 50 professionals and a management portfolio of over 25,000 supply points and a volume exceeding 15 terawatt-hours (TWh). It will have a turnover exceeding five million euros per year.