EU Energy Commissioner Warns of Worst Winter Since 2022

European Union Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned member states on September 26, 2026, that the bloc may face its worst winter since the 2022 energy crisis. In a letter to energy ministers, Jorgensen attributed the looming price crisis to a supply crisis linked to the fallout of the Iran war in oil and gas markets. He urged governments to sustain gas storage injections and reduce electricity demand to avoid the vulnerabilities seen during the 2021 Russian gas supply squeeze.

Market volatility has been severe, with natural gas prices rising from approximately €27 per megawatt-hour in January to over €80 in September. The situation is further complicated by U.S. President Donald Trump's support for restricting diesel exports to lower record-high domestic prices in the United States. Because the U.S. provided up to half of Europe's diesel imports as of August, Jorgensen urged Washington to maintain energy flows while arguing that the EU must reduce its long-term dependency on fossil fuels to avoid a permanent crisis.

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev responded by claiming the crisis is a result of the EU's decision to decouple from Russian energy. In response to these pressures, the European Commission plans to expand electrification and power grids to decrease reliance on fossil fuels.