Led by Climate Solutions Lab Director Jeff Colgan, the tracker estimates that the average American household has spent more than $150 in additional energy costs since the conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026. Researchers estimate the nationwide consumer burden has reached roughly $20 billion as of mid-April. The tracker was developed through Brown’s Climate Solutions Lab and compares current fuel prices from AAA with projected baseline prices that researchers estimate would have existed without the conflict. The research team also used data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the estimates.
Date
May 8, 2026
Climate Solutions Lab Launches Iran War Energy Cost Tracker
A new digital tracker developed by Climate Solutions Lab researchers measures the financial impact of the war in Iran on U.S. consumers by estimating rising gasoline and diesel costs in real time.
In The News:
- Studies Show Trump Policies Are Causing Gas Prices to Surge & Fueling Higher Costs on Consumers & Businesses (Senator Jack Reed)
- Iran war has cost the average household $183, Brown University research shows (WPRI)
- Price of diesel surges 50% in Massachusetts since start of war with Iran (CBS News)
- Iran War Has Already Cost Americans $17 Billion At the Pump (Heatmap News)