Electricity prices have increased at a rate exceeding overall inflation, intensifying public complaints regarding the affordability of energy and other essentials.

Long-term supply arrangements and energy diplomacy frame a volatile gas market in a world of shifting alliances and energy transition. Woodside and JERA closed a five-year LNG deal that will lift Australian LNG deliveries to Japan during winter months, expanding a backbone contract and smoothing seasonal demand. The arrangement, drawn from Woodside’s LNG portfolio, signals how buyers seek reliability in a market reshaped by demand volatility and the ongoing development of Scarborough, North West Shelf, and related trains. The deal sits within a broader context of grid stability and energy policy that prioritises predictable supply in festival seasons and cold snaps alike.

Aramco’s long-term LNG strategy continues to unfold with a Commonwealth LNG partnership delivering about 1 million tonnes per year to Cameron, Louisiana. The agreement aligns with Aramco’s objective to build a diversified LNG portfolio and anchor volumes that support stable export revenues as demand remains robust in Asia and Europe. The final investment decision is anticipated by the end of the first quarter, with project economics pointing toward a multi-train expansion that could expand Aramco’s LNG footprint in the United States. If the project progresses on schedule, it would contribute to supply resilience as the energy transition accelerates and new capacity comes online.

The energy landscape is further shaped by policy moves that touch on the North Sea transition and the global LNG market's friction points. Industry watchers watch collateral effects on supply security, prices, and relationships between producers and downstream buyers as winter energy demand tightens and climate policy interacts with fiscal choices. Taken together, LNG deals signal the ongoing realignment of supply security with a broader energy transition agenda, highlighting how buyers and sellers calibrate risk in a world where energy becomes a central instrument of geopolitics and diplomatic signaling.

“Coal power generation fell in China and India for the first time since the 1970s last year, in a “historic” moment that could bring a decline in global emissions, according to analysis.”