4-7-26

Texas Energy Report NewsClips

Tuesday April 7, 2026

Asterisk (*) denotes news stories that may be inaccessible because portions are behind a paywall

 

Good morning! Here are today’s Texas Energy Report NewsClips

Oil prices extended gains Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to attack Iran’s civil infrastructure, warning that the nation will be “taken out in one night” if the Islamic Republic’s leadership failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for May broadened gains to trade over 4% higher at $115.41 per barrel as of 2:08 a.m. ET.

Brent crude for June delivery rose about 2.3% to $111.41 per barrel.

On Monday, Trump repeated his threat that the U.S. would destroy Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, while also signaling that Iranian leadership was negotiating in earnest.

The closure of the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman has led to a supply shock, sending prices for crude, jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline soaring since the war broke out on Feb. 28.

“They have ’til tomorrow,” the president said. “Now we’ll see what happens. I can tell you, they are negotiating, we think in good faith, we’re going to find out. We’re getting the help of some incredible countries that want this to be ended, because it affects them also.”

 

Top Stories

 

Yahoo! News – April 6, 2026

North American oil is in demand as world grasps for supplies

The spiderweb of cracks in the global oil market are spreading across the Rocky Mountains and US Great Plains as demand for a shrinking pool of accessible crude escalates. Oil grades from Texas and North Dakota to Alberta are surging as refiners compete with rivals in Asia and Europe for barrels after weeks of strangled shipments via the Strait of Hormuz.

Bakken oil traded at the Clearbrook, Minnesota, hub shot up to an US$18 premium to the monthly average of West Texas Intermediate on Monday, compared with a US$1.20 discount the day before the Iran war erupted on Feb. 28, according to Modern Commodities prices. “It’s all about US exports,” said Dennis Kissler, head of energy trading at BOK Financial Securities Inc. “We’re going to be exporting a ton of crude, that’s what’s keeping WTI elevated.”

_____________________________

 

The Guardian (UK) – April 5, 2026

‘It’s all fear and headlines’: energy traders race to keep pace with volatile oil markets

On the weekend that US-Israeli drones first began to rain down on Tehran, energy traders across the world’s major financial centres began to redraw their strategies. When they returned to their trading desks on that March Monday morning, they found oil and gas prices spiking amid a market nightmare made real: the unprecedented shutdown of the vital trade route through the strait of Hormuz.“I had been telling our oil trader for weeks to be ready for a war with Iran,” said one trading analyst at a major European energy company.

“But he didn’t see it. The market was oversupplied, and prices were already looking higher than they should, so he shorted the market. That guy lost millions after the first strikes,” he said. “He’s an idiot.” In the weeks since war engulfed the Middle East, global energy markets have whipsawed in response to the escalating conflict as it throttled flows of fossil fuels to the global market and damaged the vital energy infrastructure underpinning the Gulf economies.

_____________________________

 

Associated Press – April 6, 2026

Low-voltage utility elections face surge of attention as electricity bills rise

Rising household electricity prices and controversy over data centers are reshaping low-profile elections for control over utilities that build power plants and power lines — and then bill people for the cost. The tensions played a prominent role during last year’s elections in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, and now they’re sweeping through Arizona and Alabama, where once-sleepy contests are becoming political brawls.

Even national groups like Turning Point Action — better known for its role mobilizing young conservatives behind President Donald Trump — are getting involved by knocking on doors and texting campaign messages. The organization wants to curb environmentalists’ influence over the Phoenix-area Salt River Project, the largest public utility in the country, in a Tuesday election.

_____________________________

 

Politico – April 6, 2026

‘AI midterms’ start early in Texas

Texans have been pressing their state lawmakers for months to place more restrictions on power-hungry data centers. But Big Tech has been talking to legislators, too. And as I write today, they brought their checkbooks. The artificial intelligence industry has poured millions of dollars into the campaigns of Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Republicans in the Texas Legislature who are up for reelection this year. Texas is home to hundreds of data centers in operation or development — second only to Virginia.

“This will be thought of as the AI midterms, because there’s so much money out there,” said Marjorie Connolly, communications director for the Tech Oversight Project, a watchdog group. It’s a battle that’s brewing across the country as Americans grapple with the growing footprint of warehouse-sized data centers. The facilities consume eye-popping amounts of electricity and water, prompting both Republicans and Democrats to consider ways to limit the impact on constituents’ utility bills.

_____________________________

 

Solar Power World – April 6, 2026

Texas attorney general launches investigation into residential solar sales practices

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into the sales practices of residential solar companies in the state. As part of the initiative, Paxton has issued civil investigative demands (CIDs) to a number of companies (including Freedom Forever, Sunrun, Lone Star Solar Services and CAM Solar). Collectively, there have been over 100 complains filed with the Office of the Attorney General against these companies.

The attorney general says these companies are being investigated for violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, including misrepresentation of energy bill savings, the efficacy of solar panel systems and equipment implementations. The CIDs require the companies to disclose, among other information, documents regarding how they track changes to electricity bills for consumers using their systems to determine savings, warranties, service plans, marketing materials and contract information.

 

The Latest TERse Tips

Ballistic missiles and drones launched by Iran have allegedly struck Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Industrial City in the Eastern Province, sparking large fires at key petrochemical facilities, according to visuals circulated by Fars News Agency, triggering fires at key petrochemical facilities

Iranian media report that attacks have targeted facilities at the South Pars natural gas field

How Trump holding off on endorsing Cornyn has energized Paxton in the Texas race for Senate — Dallas Morning News*

El Paso Electric marked the completion of its landmark Felina Solar Facility project in Fabens — KTSM

Cheniere Energy, Inc. Monday announced the retirement of G. Andrea Botta as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors effective as of the Company’s 2026 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 14, 2026; following Mr. Botta’s retirement, Jack Fusco, Cheniere’s President and Chief Executive Officer, will assume the role of Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Patricia Collawn will become the Lead Director — see the press release

Shares of Blue Owl Capital Inc. closed at a record low on Monday, capping weeks of declines fueled by mounting concerns over the health of the $1.8 trillion private credit market — Bloomberg*

How Thomas Powell, one of Texas’ newest billionaires, grew a $6.7B Houston manufacturing business — Houston Chronicle*

 

Oil & Gas Texas

 

Midland Reporter-Telegram – April 6, 2026

Operators rethink ‘stay the course’ as sustained $100 oil more probable*

Permian Basin oil and natural gas producers remain puzzled about commodity prices in the wake of the conflict involving Iran. “Volatility” and “uncertainty” were mentioned numerous times in the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ recent first-quarter energy survey. As one respondent put it: “We really have no idea.” A second wrote: “We do not agree with expectations that the price of oil will retreat to the $50s.”

_____________________________

 

Reuters – April 6, 2026

Phillips 66 faces $900 million loss as Iran crisis lifts oil prices*

U.S. refiner Phillips 66 said on ​Monday its first-quarter results were hit by a sharp increase in ‌commodity prices, leaving it with nearly $900 million in pre-tax mark-to-market losses, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Energy prices soared after the U.S.-Israeli war on ​Iran began in late February. Iran’s effective closure of the Strait ​of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of ⁠global oil and gas supplies, has roiled global energy markets ​and sent crude prices soaring.

Phillips 66’s losses were mainly due to its ​net short position in derivatives contracts related to crude oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas liquids and renewables feedstocks. Its net short position in derivatives contracts related to crude oil and petroleum ​products was approximately 50 million barrels as of the end ​of March, the Houston, Texas-based refiner said. The losses were distributed across business segments, the ‌filing ⁠showed.

_____________________________

 

Houston Chronicle – Yahoo! News – April 6, 2026

New East Texas LNG facility is launching at ‘the right time’ as Iran war reshapes global gas markets

Terry Fritz bought her light blue lakefront house more than two years ago, as the now-hulking liquefied natural gas facility took shape across the street. Golden Pass LNG, owned by QatarEnergy and Houston oil behemoth Exxon Mobil, started commercial production last week and expects to ship its first cargo in the coming months. The water that laps against it is the same that added real estate appeal to the line of neighboring pillar-raised homes and vacation rentals.

Fritz, 70, said she didn’t mind Golden Pass. The gas processing and export facility was relatively quiet, she said. Unlike the refineries down the road in Port Arthur, she couldn’t smell the gas being piped in and, at night, the flares and lights made it look like she lived near a little city. “They do what they need to do,” Fritz said of companies operating nearby, like Exxon. “And if it keeps the gas lower than it is in California, then it’s nice.”

_____________________________

 

The Guardian (UK) – April 1, 2026

Invisible plumes and ‘terrible pollution’: the reality of the US gas sites rated ‘grade A’

Rapidly expanding certification scheme run by a UK nonprofit and used by major gas companies may be understating the actual methane emissions it purports to certify, a Guardian investigation has found. BP, ExxonMobil and EQT are among the producers that have turned to London-based MiQ to demonstrate that their US-produced natural gas complies with the European Union Methane Regulation, or EUMR, which aims to curb energy-related emissions.

The findings raise questions about whether third-party certification schemes can credibly demonstrate exporters’ compliance with the bloc’s new methane rules, an approach championed by the gas industry and now supported by the European Commission. MiQ runs the largest voluntary methane certification programme globally, covering about a fifth of US natural gas production and 7% globally. It maintains that its framework is specifically designed to comply with the EU methane regulation.

_____________________________

 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Yahoo! News – April 5, 2026

Texas wants to take oil land from New Mexico. What could go wrong?: Bud Kennedy

Texas wants to take over part of New Mexico. That was the unbelievable headline last week. It wasn’t April Fool. Two Republican lawmakers in New Mexico started this. They’d like to move Hobbs, Portales and two whole counties into redder, more oil-friendly Texas. In the words of Lovington Republican Rep. Randall Pettigrew: “We can get the hell out of New Mexico. … [Democrats] want all the money.”

Texas, of course, would love the money. We’d gladly take $13 billion a year in oil revenue from Lea and Roosevelt counties. We can even send an army of lobbyists and oil zillionaires to make it happen. After all, why stop at Texas’ current 254 counties? What’s a few counties between neighbors? Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, actually assigned a committee to consider the opportunity. … As you can imagine, this did not go over well in Santa Fe or Albuquerque. The oil from southeast New Mexico is considered the bedrock of the state’s economy.

 

Oil & Gas National & International

 

RFDTV – April 6, 2026

Ethanol Production Falls While Demand and Exports Shift

U.S. ethanol production declined last week while demand softened, even as exports and blending activity showed signs of strength. Data from the Energy Information Administration shows production dropped 3.7 percent to 1.08 million barrels per day, the lowest weekly output since January. Despite the weekly decline, production remained 1.1 percent higher than a year ago and above the three-year average. The four-week average also slipped slightly to 1.10 million barrels per day, reflecting a modest pullback in overall output levels.

Ethanol inventories tightened, falling 4.3 percent to 26.0 million barrels, with stock declines reported across nearly all regions. At the same time, gasoline demand — a key indicator for ethanol use — dropped 2.7 percent to a four-week low, though it remained above year-ago levels.

_____________________________

 

Bloomberg – April 6, 2026

Abu Dhabi Petrochemicals Plant Halts as Attack Sparks Fires*

A huge petrochemicals plant at Ruwais in the United Arab Emirates was halted after an attack sparked multiple fires, Abu Dhabi’s government media office said Sunday. The fires were caused by falling debris from air-defense interception, the office said in a post on X. No injuries were reported. The UAE and other countries around the Persian Gulf have repeatedly come under attack from Iran since the US-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic began in late February. The sprawling Ruwais industrial zone in the Al Dhafra region suffered an assault last month that shut down Abu Dhabi’s only oil refinery.

The petrochemicals plant at the complex produces polyethylene and polypropylene and is operated by Borouge Plc, a firm that recently merged with Borealis AG and Nova Chemicals Corp. to create a vast polyolefin company. State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has been developing the Ruwais area as a major hub as the firm pushes into trading refined fuels and builds a global chemicals and natural gas business. But UAE infrastructure remains a prime target for Iran more than a month into the war. Last week, the country’s largest gas-processing facility, at Habshan, suspended operations following an attack.

_____________________________

 

S&P Global Platts – April 6, 2026

Hormuz energy shock threatens food security, affordability gap for import-dependent countries

Rising energy and fertilizer costs linked to shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz are amplifying risks to global food systems, with low-income, import-dependent countries facing the brunt, according to recent analyses by the UN and Purdue University. Shipping through the critical trade corridor has effectively stalled, with transits down by more than 95% since late February. The resulting disruption to oil, gas and fertilizer flows has triggered a cascade of cost pressures across agricultural supply chains, the UN Trade and Development said in a March 30 study.

The impact is increasingly feeding into food systems through higher input, transportation and trade costs, while a separate March 31 analysis by Purdue University highlighted how the same disruption is structurally widening the gap between food-secure and food-insecure economies, said Ken Foster, professor of Agricultural Economics and director, Purdue Farm Policy Study Group, and Bernhard Dalheimer, assistant professor of Macroeconomics and Trade.

_____________________________

 

Reuters – April 6, 2026

Russian LNG producer Novatek sets up company to build vessels*

Russia’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas Novatek has set up ​a company to build its own ‌vessels and floating facilities, according to the state’s registry of authorised companies, amid a shortage ​of gas tankers due to sanctions. Ilya ​Lushchikov, who is also head of Novatek’s Murmansk ⁠LNG project, is in charge of ​the new company, called Severny Inzhiniring, or ​Northern Engineering, which was set up on March 25, according to the registry.

Western sanctions imposed ​in 2022 significantly limited the availability for Russia ‌of ⁠ice-class tankers to transport LNG cargos. Zvezda, Russia’s most advanced shipbuilder, specializing in constructing large Arc7 ice-class tankers capable of breaking through ​ice up ​to ⁠two metres (6.6 feet) thick, has so far only delivered one Arc-7 ​class tanker for Novatek’s Arctic ​LNG ⁠2 plant.

_____________________________

 

The Wall Street Journal – April 6, 2026

The Next Target for the U.S. and Israel Is Iran’s Economy*

The U.S. and Israel have a set of targets lined up in Iran designed to cripple the country’s economy and ensure the regime’s recovery from this war is long and painful. Israel is awaiting authorization from Washington this week to begin striking Iran’s energy facilities, an Israeli official said, potentially undermining output in one of the world’s major oil-and-gas producers. In a Wall Street Journal interview, President Trump said Sunday the U.S. was prepared to hit all of Iran’s bridges and power plants, creating enough damage that it would “take 20 years to rebuild, if they’re lucky, if they have a country.”

_____________________________

 

NPR – April 1, 2026

Q&A: The oil industry is betting big on plastics. Here’s what that means for the future

Tonya Mosely: My guest today is Beth Gardiner, a journalist and author of the new book “Plastic Inc.: The Secret History And Shocking Future Of Big Oil’s Biggest Bet.” In it, she argues that while millions of us have been trying to use less plastic, the fossil fuel industry has been making more. Plastic, she says, is Big Oil’s plan B. The less we use, the more they make.

Gardiner: Well, it was about seven or eight years ago, and I still remember the morning that I saw this headline. It was an article in The Guardian about the plastic and petrochemical industry. That particular story was specific to plastic producers in the United States, and it said that because of fracking, which was such an interesting connection to me, some of these huge companies like ExxonMobil and Shell were ramping up to actually make 40%, I think it was, more plastic in the U.S. in the coming handful of years. And, I mean, it just felt like kind of a gut punch because, like you said, I’ve always been the person kind of carrying my bags to the store. I feel bad if I forget to bring them. I’m toting around my metal water bottle. I have it sitting right here.

_____________________________

 

April 3, 2026

How the Iran war could shift energy policies around the world: The Atlantic Council

The war in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have plunged global energy markets into deep uncertainty, disrupting critical oil and gas flows and accelerating structural shifts in how governments and industry approach energy policy, trade, and security. In some regions, the effects are already acute. Southeast Asia faces fuel shortages and rationing that threaten industrial activity. China is managing domestic stockpiles while balancing exports to key trading partners, exposing vulnerabilities across its supply chains.

Europe is confronting soaring energy costs that strain households and industry, heighten inflationary pressures, and force policymakers to trade off short-term relief with long-term transition goals. Africa grapples with higher fuel and fertilizer prices that exacerbate food insecurity, even as the conflict opens opportunities for oil, gas and infrastructure investment. Meanwhile, in the Western Hemisphere, the crisis is creating new opportunities for energy producers across the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Guyana to expand production and attract investment as demand for secure, diversified supply intensifies.

 

Utilities, Electricity & Renewables

 

San Antonio Express-News – April 5, 2026

Renewable energy is a ‘second opportunity’ for some rural Texans*

Ely Valdez was considering selling his flock of sheep when a solar farm moved in across the road. He was being laid off from oil field jobs every three months, he said, and money was tight. But what if his 27 sheep could graze the solar farm as a way to maintain the flock and potentially grow it to his goal of 100? When he contacted the solar development to discuss it, its owner asked a question that changed everything: “How much would you charge us?” Being paid for pasturing his sheep wasn’t at all on Valdez’s mind until that “lightbulb moment,” he said. But it opened the door for his development of companies that often work in partnership: EVA Ranch, a sheep vegetation management service, and South Texas Curbing, a ground maintenance company.

_____________________________

 

Inside Climate News – April 6, 2026

Trump’s Budget Proposes Massive Cuts for Climate and Environmental Programs

President Trump’s annual budget request to Congress continues his administration’s defunding of climate change programs, environmental protection and renewable energy, slashing the budgets of the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The spending plan for fiscal 2027 “builds on the President’s vision by continuing to constrain non-defense spending,” wrote Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a foreword to the 92-page document, which includes an historic, $1.5 trillion defense budget, an increase of 44 percent. EPA spending would be cut in half under Trump’s proposal, released Friday, and grants from the agency would be slashed by $1 billion. Congress rejected a similar budget request from the president last year. 

_____________________________

 

March 31, 2026

EIA Launches Pilot Survey on Energy Use at Data Centers: American Public Power Association

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is launching three voluntary pilot field studies to evaluate energy consumption in data centers, with web-based pilot surveys in Texas and Washington state as well as in-person interviews in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. EIA identified 196 companies operating data centers across Texas, Washington state, and the Northern Virginia-DC region. Each company will be asked to report on the energy use of at least one data center in the targeted region. The questionnaire will cover energy sources, electricity consumption, site characteristics, server metrics, and cooling systems.

EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey is prioritizing data collection efforts in the rapidly evolving energy sector, EIA said. In February, EIA launched three voluntary pilot field studies to assess the feasibility of collecting data on graphite, vanadium, and zirconium, all of which are minerals critical to the energy sector. Graphite is used in batteries and advanced manufacturing; Vanadium is extracted in petroleum refining; and zirconium is used for nuclear fuel cladding.

_____________________________

 

March 31, 2026

Utilities lobby for re-regulation across PJM: Timeline tracks private meetings, legislation, advertising: Energy & Policy Institute

Over the past two years, electric distribution utility companies operating in the PJM Interconnection region have mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign, urging lawmakers to allow them to own and build power plants once again.  As part of this effort, utilities – including Exelon, FirstEnergy, and PPL Electric – have held extensive private meetings with officials, lobbied for legislation, testified before public bodies, and mounted public-relations campaigns. EPI has compiled a timeline documenting these activities, including materials obtained through public records requests.

This campaign – commonly referred to as “re-regulation” – would reverse restructuring policies adopted by PJM-region states in the late 1990s, which required utilities to divest their power plants and shifted electricity generation to competitive wholesale markets. Electric distribution utilities in states such as Maryland and Pennsylvania no longer own generation assets, unlike vertically integrated monopoly utilities elsewhere in the country that continue to own generation, transmission, and distribution under state regulatory oversight.

_____________________________

 

E&E News By Politico – March 24, 2026

Offshore wind’s cloudy day had a silver lining

As the Trump administration finalized a deal Monday to pay an offshore wind developer for abandoning a pair of leases, the country’s largest offshore wind farm announced it had begun generating electricity. The split-screen captures the state of offshore wind in America. Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, which energized the first of its 176 turbines, is the largest of five projects under construction. All five will rank among the largest renewable energy projects ever built in the United States — adding electricity to the grid at a time when utilities are racing to keep up with power demand from data centers.

“This achievement marks another important step forward, adding much‑needed electricity to help meet the fastest‑growing power demand in the country,” Dominion Energy CEO Robert Blue wrote in a post on LinkedIn. The project represents the culmination of a decades-long push to build offshore wind projects along the East Coast. But whether any future offshore wind projects follow is an open question. The industry has been battered by rising costs and political attacks from President Donald Trump, a long-standing wind opponent who has tried to halt projects under construction and yank permits from planned developments. On Monday, his administration unveiled a new tactic: paying offshore wind developers to walk away.

_____________________________

 

Renewables Now – March 24, 2026

Doral Renewables closes USD 900m for Texas solar-storage project

US solar and battery storage developer Doral Renewables LLC has achieved financial close on its Cold Creek project in Texas, which will combine 430 MWac of solar generation and 340 MWh of storage. The company said today it has secured almost USD 900 million (EUR 777m) of financing commitments to build the project in Schleicher and Tom Green Counties, with full construction now underway and start-up expected in the summer of 2028. Doral Renewables secured an off-taker for most of the project’s output in October 2025.

The lender group was led by MUFG and also included Santander, HSBC, Ally and IDB. The debt financing consists of over USD 400 million of construction-to-term financing, close to USD 35 million of tax equity bridge loan financing and about USD 55 million of letters of credit.

 

Regulatory

 

Texas Lawbook – April 6, 2026

Pipeline Owner Sued for $200M Breach Owes $1 Biz Court Determines

A Texas Business Court judge ruled Thursday that although Antero Resources, one of the largest U.S. suppliers of natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, had won earlier rulings in a breach of contract lawsuit against a West Virginia pipeline owner, Stonewall Gas Gathering, Antero would take only $1 of the $200 million it asked for under a “favored shipper” provision in a gas gathering agreement.

“Antero sued asking for $200 million in damages. It is rewarding for Stonewall to have prevailed and defeated this claim by continuing to defend the case vigorously through trial,” Todd Mensing, partner at the Houston-based trial boutique Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, said in a news release.