Houston Oil and Gas Job Losses Forecast
A Houston-area employment forecast finds that lower oil prices, corporate consolidation, and efficiency gains will lead to thousands of job losses in the oil and gas sector this year.
Senate Bill Targets Data Center Power Costs
Data centers have grown in recent years to support the rise of artificial intelligence, but the expansion has left many worried about rising electricity costs. To combat this, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland introduced a bill that would crack down on big technology companies to ensure they pay a proper share toward energy grid upgrades.
Automakers Shift Focus to Grid-Scale Batteries
Ford and Tesla are pivoting away from electric vehicles to focus on making grid-scale batteries for data centers and electric utilities.
Mississippi Residents Press Chevron Over Pollution
Mississippi residents living near a large Chevron refinery are urging the oil company or other industrial facilities to buy their homes due to air pollution, which they expect will worsen if the refinery begins processing Venezuelan oil.
Transformer Oil Spill Contained in West Virginia
West Virginia officials say they have contained a transformer oil spill, recovering 10,000 gallons of an oil-and-water mixture before it reached downstream water intakes.
Siemens Energy Expands U.S. Manufacturing
Siemens Energy has committed $1 billion to expand, restart, and build factories in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, and Texas to manufacture gas turbines and power grid equipment.
World Energy Brief
U.S. Returns Venezuelan Oil Sale Funds
The United States has returned all $500 million from the initial sale of oil to the Venezuelan government, part of a deal reached between Caracas and Washington last month, according to a U.S. official.
U.S. Authorizes Export of Diluents to Venezuela
The U.S. Treasury Department issued a new license authorizing the export and sale of U.S. diluents to Venezuela, a key fuel needed to produce exportable crude oil grades, according to documents shown to Reuters.
Iranian Gunboats Confront Oil Tanker
Six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Wall Street Journal. The tanker was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel.
China Begins World’s Largest Open-Sea Solar Project
China has begun construction on a gigawatt-scale open-sea solar farm in Shandong province, touted as the world’s largest of its kind, covering more than 1,200 hectares.