Brown researchers launch energy tracker to measure increased fuel costs tied to war in Iran

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - A Brown University research team is making it easier to track pain at the pump.

A new digital tracker aims to quantify in real time the financial impact of the war in Iran on energy costs for American consumers. As of mid-April, the average American household has spent more than $150 in increased energy costs from rising gasoline and diesel prices since the start of the conflict, according to the tracker.

The project, led by Brown University political scientist and energy researcher Jeff Colgan, highlights a growing U.S. consumer burden of about $20 billion (as of mid-April) in increased energy costs from gasoline and diesel since the start of the war with Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.

"This is an expense coming directly out of the pockets of American consumers, and consumers can use the tracker to help plan for the extra costs that might come with road trips or summer vacations," said Colgan, director of the Climate Solutions Lab at Brown's Watson School of International and Public Affairs.

A key feature of the tracker is its comparison between recorded fuel prices, which come from AAA's Fuel Prices dashboard, and an estimated baseline of what prices might have been without the conflict. The difference between the two data points forms the basis of the total cost calculation. The researchers obtained additional data inputs from federal sources, including the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The site allows users to toggle between gasoline and diesel data, view national price trends and explore state-by-state variations.

The tracker also reflects broader economic effects beyond individual fuel costs, Colgan said. Diesel prices, for example, influence the cost of transporting goods, meaning consumers may also feel energy-cost impacts through higher prices on everyday items.

"Even if you don't drive a diesel car, diesel affects you," said Colgan, noting its role in shipping and logistics.

The intended audience for the tracker includes consumers and journalists seeking clear, data-driven insights into the domestic economic consequences of international conflict. Colgan said the project was inspired in part by the Costs of War project, a Watson School-based effort that examines the broader impacts of war.

"There's a lot of discussion about the human and military costs of war, as there should be," he said. "We weren't seeing as much about energy costs and how they directly affect Americans."

Developing the tracker

The collaborative project was conceived and executed in a matter of weeks. Much of the website's technical buildout was completed by Brown senior John Perdue, who is concentrating in economics and computer science.

Perdue said he immediately knew how to make the tracker a reality after hearing about the concept from Colgan. He applied the skills and experience from a similar tool he developed for his final project in Introduction to Software Engineering, a computer science course he took during his sophomore year at Brown.

Perdue said working on the energy cost tracker gave him valuable real-world experience as he prepares to graduate in May and enter the workforce.

"I'm very passionate about energy markets and geopolitics, so getting to sit down with [Colgan] and talk through the logic of building something like this, and dig into the data, has taught me a lot," Perdue said.

While other energy-related costs - such as for jet fuel, natural gas and petrochemicals - can also be affected by global supply disruptions caused by war, they are not yet included in the model. Colgan said the research team hopes to expand the tool's coverage in the future.

The tracker will remain active for as long as elevated energy costs persist, Colgan said. He pointed to disruptions in oil transit, including conditions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, as a possible continuing driver of higher prices.

"The energy costs are likely to extend well after any pause in military activity," he said.