By PNW Staff
September 18, 2026
That efficiency can also make them extraordinarily dependent upon uninterrupted energy.
Winter Will Be The Real Test
America remains in a far stronger energy position than many countries now experiencing shortages. U.S. crude production is actually on track for another record in 2026, averaging 13.7 million barrels per day during the first half of the year.
That is important context. America is not Bangladesh or Syria.
But record crude production doesn’t automatically produce unlimited diesel, gasoline or heating oil. Refining capacity, inventories, transportation infrastructure and international demand all determine whether crude oil ultimately becomes the fuel consumers need where they need it.
That is why the coming months deserve attention.
The global fuel crisis is no longer something Americans can watch safely from across an ocean. Its effects are already appearing in trucking costs, farming expenses, gasoline prices and winter heating projections.
Overseas, we are getting a glimpse of what happens when those pressures become severe enough: rationing, shortages, factory disruptions, protests and government intervention.
America isn’t there.
But winter hasn’t arrived either.
And if $6 diesel is what September looks like, Americans have every reason to pay attention to what December, January and February could bring.