Energy

U.S. oil production to hit record level in 2018

Crude oil production in the United States is projected to rise by 0.5 million barrels per day to 9.3 million barrels per day in 2017, from 2016, according to the…

U.S. ethanol production might reach record level for 2017

Weekly U.S. ethanol production has risen 5% to 1.02 million barrels per day through the first six months of 2017, from the same period in 2016, according to the U.S….

EPA Chief defends Trump’s environmental decisions; stance on climate change still unknown

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt on Thursday (July 20) defended President Donald Trump’s decision to repeal and review water and clean air regulations implemented by the previous…

Mexico reallocates natural gas pipeline capacity

The National Center for Natural Gas Control in Mexico recently reallocated the country’s natural gas pipeline capacity to foreign and domestic companies after two rounds of auctions, according to the…

Few U.S. homes choose to program their thermostats

More than two-thirds of U.S. households with programmable thermostats don’t use the controls to program them, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Only 12% of the 118 million households…

U.S. coal exports to rise 19% in 2017

Coal exports rose 58% in the first quarter, from the same period in 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Steam coal exports increased 6 million short tons and…

Summer gas price to be 8 cents lower than previously expected

The U.S. retail price for regular gasoline is expected to be an average of $2.38 per gallon this summer, and if the projection holds true, it will be the second-lowest…

Oil prices to rise to $51 per barrel in 2017

Brent crude oil prices are expected to be an average of $51 per barrel in 2017 and $52 per barrel in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. West…

Refinery capacity rises in 2017

U.S. atmospheric crude distillation capacity rose 1.6% to 18.6 million barrels per calendar day as of Jan. 1, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/ Calendar-day capacity is a…

EIA releases updated energy sector forecast

U.S. Energy Information Administration released its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday (July 11). The following are some of the highlights from the outlook: Benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil prices…

Small-scale solar capacity, electricity generation to increase

U.S. small-scale solar photovoltaic capacity is expected to rise 53% to 21.9 gigawatts at the end of 2018, from 14.3 gigawatts in April 2017, according to the U.S. Energy Information…

Arkansas native Colette Honorable joins global law firm Reed Smith LLP in Washington, D.C.

Arkansas native Colette D. Honorable has joined the energy and natural resources practice of Reed Smith LLP. She will work from the firm’s office in Washington, D.C. Honorable previously served…

Energy commodity prices decline 11% in first half of 2017

Prices of energy commodities on the Standard and Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index fell 11% in the first half of 2017, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It was…

Renewable power generation exceeds nuclear generation for first time in almost 33 years

Utility-scale renewable energy generators produced more electricity than nuclear plants for the first time since July 1984, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Renewable energy generation exceeded nuclear in…

Utility-scale power plants cost less to build

Construction costs for power plants have fallen recently, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since 2013, the EIA has been collecting data on the construction costs of utility-scale generators….

Then & Now: Utilities director finds his passion in public service

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story appeared in the June 26 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business Journal’s…

Clarksville utility, Scenic Hill Solar to partner on $10 million solar power plant

Add the Johnson County seat of Clarksville to the growing list of cities and companies in Arkansas investing in solar power. Once built, it will be the largest solar power…

1 million-pound ‘superload’ starts 2-day trek through Northwest Arkansas

Three big rigs began Thursday morning (June 29) to haul a 1 million-pound load, the heaviest ever permitted in Arkansas, from an electrical substation in Tontitown. The destination is only…

Capacity of fuel ethanol rises 4% in early 2017

Fuel ethanol production capacity in the United States rose 4%, or by more than 600 million gallons, to 15.5 billion gallons per year in January 2017, from the same month…

Ouachita Electric Cooperative named SEPA Electric Cooperative Utility of the Year

Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) has recognized an Arkansas organization as part of its 2017 SEPA Power Player Awards. Ouachita Electric Cooperative (OECC) of Camden was named…