Gas Dependency Cripples Eastern Europe and Italy as Middle East Conflict Scales

Columnist Gavin Maguire details how Italy and Eastern Europe face surging electricity costs due to natural gas reliance, while France and Iberia remain shielded by clean energy.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 19, 2026, 7:11 AM EDT

Source: Reuters

The Gas-Heavy Trap

Italy remains the most gas-reliant economy in Europe, sourcing 38% of its total energy from the fuel. Despite the volatile market, several nations actually increased their gas-fired generation in early 2026 compared to 2025:

Italy: Averaged 57.4 TWh/month (up from 54.5 TWh).

Hungary: Surged to 35.6 TWh/month—a 36% jump from early 2025 levels.

Romania: Continues to rank in the top five most gas-dependent power systems in mainland Europe.

The Clean Energy Shield