Karen Young, researcher at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy,
said a conflict involving Iran is exerting irreversible pressure on the oil
sector and has pushed major economies to evaluate energy options outside the
Middle East. "Countries are now more focused on energy security and therefore
seek to diversify oil supplies and energy resources. In many regions this will
mean a shift to renewables, especially in transport and electric vehicles," she
said. Young warned the shift will reshape power-generation mixes and reduce the
scale of gas sourced from the Middle East as countries rely more on domestic and
accessible resources. "The key is not to depend on any single source, especially
oil, or any single type of fuel," she added.
