Is the Strait of Hormuz Closure Accelerating Clean Energy?

This week on the podcast, Jackie and Peter are joined by Marcus Rocque, Vice President of Research at the ARC Energy Research Institute. This episode focuses on how the oil and gas shock from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is reshaping the outlook for clean energy, including how governments are rationing oil and gas use through policies such as work-from-home measures and lower speed limits. There is already evidence of increasing sales of alternatives, including EVs, heat pumps, and electric cookstoves. 

The shortage, however, is also expected to increase demand for coal as an alternative in countries like India and China, which have abundant domestic resources that provide energy security. The podcast discusses whether this could change long-term demand for oil and gas and the implications for Canada. 

They also consider some of the latest news in Canada, including last week’s visit to Ottawa by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, and reports that the federal government is proposing to reverse the order of environmental approvals, allowing cabinet to green-light projects prior to the completion of technical assessments and approvals, along with implementing a maximum one-year review period. Finally, Premier Danielle Smith also traveled to Ottawa last week and left with a confident message about the delivery of the MOU.

Content referenced in this podcast:

• Globe and Mail, “Canada should accelerate new energy infrastructure as market shifts, IEA chief says” (May 4, 2026) 
• Latitude Media, Jigar Shah, “This isn’t demand destruction. It's rationing.”  (April 24, 2026) 
• Premier Danielle Smith’s post on X regarding her positive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney on the MOU agreement (May 8, 2026) 
• FT, Spencer Dale, “Why the Iran war might not spur a faster transition to low carbon energy” (May 4, 2026) 

Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ 

Check us out on social media: 

X (Twitter): @arcenergyinst
LinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research Institute 

Subscribe to ARC Energy Ideas Podcast
Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Spotify