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[1/5] Arlo Brownlee, an engineer, checks battery banks at GlidePath's Byrd Ranch energy storage facility in Sweeny, Texas, U.S., May 23, 2023. The battery rush also puts the Republican-controlled state at the forefront of President Joe Biden's push to expand renewable energy use. Reuters drew on previously unreported data and interviewed more than a dozen executives from private equity firms, utility companies and energy storage providers involved in some of the biggest battery storage deals for this report. But the legislation also contains provisions that industry groups said could encourage investment in battery storage. Miller said he expects ancillary market prices to "collapse" as more battery storage comes online.

Persons: Arlo Brownlee, Adrees Latif, Rhett Bennett, ”, Joe Biden's, Wood Mackenzie, Andrew Waranch, David Miller, Miller, Waranch, Dick Lewis, Andrew Tang, Chris McKissack, you've, McKissack, Nichola Groom, Laila Kearney, Richard Valdmanis, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, Korea's SK, Switzerland's UBS, Black, Energy, Texans, Republican, Reuters, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Developers, BlackRock, Jupiter, EnCap Investments, Korea's SK E, Vision Ridge Partners, UBS, SK E, SK, Mercom Capital Group, Reliability, of Texas, Spearmint Energy, Inc, Wartsila, Thomson Locations: Sweeny , Texas, U.S, BlackRock, Texas, California, Gridmatic

☆ Oil drops nearly 4% as recession fears outweigh US inventory draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showing U.S. crude inventories fell last week by 5.1 million barrels to 460.9 million barrels helped to limit the price fall, far exceeding analyst forecasts of a 1.5 million drop in a Reuters poll. Gasoline and distillate stocks also drew down, sinking by 2.4 million barrels to 221.1 million barrels and almost 600,000 barrels to 111.5 million barrels, respectively, the EIA said. A forecast of higher refinery activity, but lower crude exports, will continue a push and pull for weeks. Oil prices fell more than 2% on Tuesday as lingering economic concerns and expectations of further interest rate hikes that could curtail fuel demand growth countered signs of improving short-term consumption gains. "This (data) will add credence to claims that the U.S. economy is edging closer to a recession," said PVM Oil's Stephen Brennock.

☆ Oil slides as recession fears outweigh large US inventory draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude fell by $1.08, or 1.3%, to $79.69 a barrel by 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 76 cents, or 1%, to $76.31. U.S. crude oil inventories fell last week by 5.1 million barrels to 460.9 million barrels, far exceeding analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.5 million-barrel drop, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said. Gasoline and distillate stocks also drew down by 2.4 million barrels to 221.1 million barrels and almost 600,000 barrels in to 111.5 million barrels, respectively, the EIA said. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that OPEC+ remains an efficient tool for coordination on global oil markets.

West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude fell 33 cents, also 0.4%, to $80.53 a barrel. In Europe, European Central Bank officials are also wary of inflation and suggesting interest rates must keep rising. Meanwhile, the economy of top crude oil importer China grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter, while the country's oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed. ,Adding more pressure on oil benchmarks is Asian refiners continuing to seize Russian crude in April. India and China have snapped up the vast majority of Russian oil so far in April at prices above the Western price cap of $60 per barrel, according to traders and Reuters calculations.

April 19 (Reuters) - Oil drifted lower on Wednesday as the market weighed potential interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve that could slow growth and dampen oil consumption, offsetting falling U.S. inventories and strong Chinese economic data. The U.S. Federal Reserve likely has one more interest rate rise in store to fight inflation, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the economy of top crude oil importer China grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter, while the country's oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed. ,Adding more pressure on the oil benchmarks is that Asian refiners continues to seize Russian crude in April. India and China have snapped up the vast majority of Russian oil so far in April at prices above the Western price cap of $60 per barrel, according to traders and Reuters calculations.

☆ Oil prices edge higher on falling US inventories, China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Wednesday as U.S. crude inventories were seen falling and on strong Chinese economic data, signalling strengthening fuel demand. Keeping prices from moving higher were concerns that potential increases in U.S. interest rates could dampen growth in the top oil-consuming country. Prices got a lift from an industry report showing that U.S. crude stocks fell by about 2.68 million barrels in the week ended April 14, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Gasoline inventories fell by about 1.02 million barrels, while distillate stocks fell by about 1.9 million barrels, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. Meanwhile, the economy of top crude oil importer China grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter, while the country's oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed.

☆ U.S. power demand seen sliding 1% in 2023 on milder weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Less demand coupled with more electricity generation from cheap renewable power sources and lower natural gas prices is forecast to slash wholesale power prices this year, the EIA said. As capacity for renewables like solar and wind ramp up and as natural gas prices ease, the EIA said it expects coal-fired power generation to be 17% less in the spring of 2023 than in the spring of 2022. The share of total generation supplied by natural gas is seen remaining at about the same this year at 39%. The nuclear share of generation is seen rising slightly to 20% this year from 19% in 2022. Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ West Coast port workers force closure of top U.S. shipping gateway - employer group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - A shortage of West Coast port workers has forced the busiest U.S. ocean trade gateway to shut on Friday, after months of strained labor negotiations between the dock workers union and their employers. "The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," the PMA said in a statement. Port of Los Angeles officials were communicating with the ILWU and PMA, along with federal, state and local officials, to "support a return to normal operations," said the group, which is managed by a unit of the City of Los Angeles. A representative of the ILWU Local 13, which represents workers at both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, declined to comment. Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Top U.S. shipping gateway mostly closes due to port worker shortage - employer group
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 7 (Reuters) - A shortage of West Coast port workers has forced the busiest U.S. ocean trade gateway to largely shut on Friday, after months of strained labor negotiations between the union dock workers and their employers. The PMA said the missing workers were a result of a coordinated action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) to withhold labor as contract talks drag on. "The action by the union has effectively shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," the PMA said in a statement. Instead, the ILWU said the slowdown was due to thousands of union workers attending a monthly membership meeting on Thursday evening and observing the Good Friday holiday the following day. Port of Los Angeles officials were communicating with the ILWU and PMA, along with federal, state and local officials, to "support a return to normal operations," said the group, which is managed by a unit of the City of Los Angeles.

☆ Oil prices stable as economic fears balance OPEC+ cuts, U.S. stock draw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Rowena Edwards | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Flames emerge from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, north of Basra, Iraq March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File PhotoLONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices were stable on Wednesday, as the market weighed gloomy economic prospects against expectations of U.S. crude inventory declines and OPEC's voluntary output cuts announcement. Bullish sentiment continued after voluntary cuts pledged by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+. However, weak manufacturing activity in the U.S. and China - the two biggest oil consumers - have capped oil oil price gains. Record Russian diesel flows to the Middle East in March, and the sluggish performance of middle distillates contracts have "acted acted as a brake on any attempt to push crude oil prices meaningfully higher," Varga said.

Companies United States of America FollowApril 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday, boosted by expectations of U.S. crude inventory declines as well as the latest output cut targets set by the OPEC+ producer alliance. The rises came as an industry report showed U.S. crude stocks fell by about 4.3 million barrels in the week ended March 31. However, weak manufacturing activity in the U.S. and China - the two biggest oil consumers - have kept oil prices from moving up further, despite the prospect of tighter supply following the OPEC+ cuts. Traders will be looking for cues on broader economic trends from the U.S. non-farm payrolls data due later this week, analysts say. Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil edges up as OPEC cuts, U.S. inventories brighten outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies United States of America FollowApril 5 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Wednesday on anticipated U.S. crude inventory declines and OPEC+'s latest output cut targets. Gasoline inventories fell by about 4 million barrels, while distillate stocks fell by about 3.7 million barrels, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The latest targets set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, a group known as OPEC+, also helped oil prices. Keeping oil prices from moving higher were concerns about demand, with U.S. job openings in February falling to the lowest level in nearly two years and U.S. manufacturing activity in March slumping. Weak manufacturing activity in China last month also added to crude oil demand concerns.

☆ Maryland announces goals for massive offshore wind power increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Wednesday announced goals to more than quadruple the state's offshore wind capacity to 8.5 gigawatts - enough to power nearly three million homes - as part of an effort by the state to achieve 100% clean energy by 2035. Moore is working "to establish new lease areas and strengthen the offshore wind supply chain," as well as establish grants to support the effort, the governor's office said in a statement. Although energy firms have proposed building offshore wind projects in the United States for more than two decades, there are only about 41 megawatts (MW) of total offshore wind capacity, located off the Rhode Island and Virginia coasts. For comparison, the United States has about 1.146 million megawatts of total generation, according to federal energy data. A timeline for Maryland's newly proposed wind power capacity was not immediately clear.

☆ Oil steadies as U.S. crude draw offset by Russian supplies, stronger dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies United States of America FollowMarch 29 (Reuters) - Oil steadied in early Asian trade on Thursday as a surprise draw in U.S. crude oil stockpiles that supported prices was offset by a smaller-than-expected cut to Russian supplies and stronger dollar. West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude fell 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $72.91 a barrel. Helping to support prices, U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell unexpectedly last week as refineries ramped up production after maintenance season and imports fell to a two-year low, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) fell by 7.5 million barrels in the week to March 24 to 473.7 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 100,000-barrel rise. Meanwhile, reports about Russian crude production falling by around 300,000 barrels a day in the first three weeks of March, less than the targeted cuts of 500,000 bpd, and strength in the U.S. dollar, erased oil price gains.

MCCAMEY, Texas, March 23 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency bankruptcies and worries over electric power consumption have failed to dent the industry's growth in Texas, according to a top trade group, citing the rise in the miners' power demands. Bitcoin miners consume about 2,100 megawatts of the state's power supplies, said Lee Bratcher, president of industry group Texas Blockchain Council. "There's been some challenges with the Bitcoin mining industry," Bratcher said, noting his group recently saw two prominent bankruptcies and other miners scaling back expansions. "Bitcoin mining is a very energy intensive business, which is why we tend to find places like West Texas to be full of Bitcoin miners," said Matt Prusak, chief commercial officer at cryptocurrency miner U.S. Bitcoin Corp, which has one of its mining operations in a 280-megawatt wind farm in Texas. In Texas, where about 250 people died during a winter storm blackout that exposed the fragility of the state's grid, the prospect of higher crypto demand has raised alarms.

March 21 (Reuters) - Oil drifted lower on Tuesday as more than a week of banking turmoil kept weighing on market confidence. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 74 cents, or 1.1%, to $66.90 a barrel. "Oil prices now mainly depend on influences on investor confidence at the macro-level," said analysts from Haitong Futures. "If the banking crisis does not spread further, market sentiment may stabilise and oil prices will have a chance to recover." A preliminary Reuters survey showed that crude oil and product inventories in the U.S were estimated to have fallen last week.

☆ Oil prices stabilize as banking deal eases some worries about crude appetite
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices stabilised on Tuesday after falling early in the previous session on investor worries that recent banking-sector problems would weigh on the global economy and limit demand for crude. Brent crude futures for May settlement gained 5 cents and traded at $73.84 per barrel by 0049 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 9 cents to $67.73 a barrel. In the previous session, both Brent and WTI fell about $3 a barrel before settling higher. The group agreed in October to cut oil production targets by 2 million barrels per day until the end of 2023.

Despite SVB's demise knocking the value of banks globally, particularly European lender Credit Suisse, U.N. climate envoy Mark Carney said he, too, did not expect a "material" impact on climate tech funding. "At a minimum, this will likely drive continued tightening of investments and a push to have their portfolio companies cut (cash) burn," it said in a note. Mona Dajani, partner at law firm Shearman and Sterling, said most of her clean energy clients either banked with SVB or faced some other impact from its troubles. SVB "cultivated a reputation as being very friendly to clean energy... they were willing to underwrite more risk," she said. "Not all the companies are going to make it and now that’s happening to climate companies."

☆ U.S. solar installations fell 16% in 2022, but market rebounding -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Utility-scale solar installations fell by about a third year-over year to 11.8 gigawatts, the lowest since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said. The residential segment, meanwhile, rose by 40%, with a record 700,000 homeowners installing rooftop solar in 2022, the report said. The report projects steady growth, averaging 19% a year, until 2027. The greater availability of solar panels is expected to boost installations this year, after projects were slowed by U.S. restrictions on solar panels from China's Xinjiang over concerns about forced labor. Reuters reported this week that U.S. imports of Chinese solar panels are picking up after months of gridlock stemming from the forced labor protection law.

☆ Oil extends declines on rate hike concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jeslyn Lerh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.8 million barrels in the week ended March 3, according to market sources. The drawdown defied forecasts for a 400,000 barrel rise in crude stocks from nine analysts polled by Reuters. Meanwhile, gasoline inventories rose by about 1.8 million barrels, while distillate stocks rose by about 1.9 million barrels, according to the sources. Powell's comments had propelled the U.S. dollar, which typically trades inversely with oil, to hit a three-month high against a basket of currencies. The dollar index =USD rose as high as 105.65, up 1.3% on Tuesday and the highest since Dec. 6.

Brent crude futures rose 18 cents, or 0.2%, to $83.47 per barrel by 0452 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 4 cents to $77.62 a barrel. Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.8 million barrels in the week ended March 3, according to market sources. The drawdown defied forecasts for a 400,000 barrel rise in crude stocks from nine analysts polled by Reuters. Traders were awaiting crude inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration later on Wednesday, after the API data showed a decline in crude inventories for the first time after a 10-week build, she added. Powell's comments propelled the U.S. dollar, which typically trades inversely with oil, to hit a three-month high against a basket of currencies.

☆ Oil stabilises as surprise US crude draw offsets rate hike jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures for April gained 8 cents to $83.37 per barrel by 0120 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost 4 cents to $77.54 a barrel. Supporting the market on Wednesday, data from the American Petroleum Institute showed U.S. crude inventories fell by about 3.8 million barrels in the week ended March 3, according to market sources. The drawdown defied forecasts for a 400,000 barrel rise in crude stocks from nine analysts polled by Reuters. Gasoline inventories rose by about 1.8 million barrels, while distillate stocks rose by about 1.9 million barrels, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

☆ Oil falls 3% on U.S. rate hike expectations, strong U.S. dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures shed $2.35, or 2.7%, to $83.83 a barrel by 1:05 p.m. EST (1805 GMT) . U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped by $2.48 a barrel, or 3%, at $77.98. Prices sank after Powell told Congress the Fed would likely need to increase rates more than expected in light of recent strong economic data. More pressure came from a contraction in China's exports and imports in January and February, including crude oil imports, despite a lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The American Petroleum Institute's weekly report is due at 2130 GMT on Tuesday, with U.S. Energy Information Administration data following at 1530 GMT on Wednesday.

☆ Oil falls 2% on U.S. rate hike expectations, stronger U.S. dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures shed $1.46, or 1.7%, to $84.72 a barrel by 11:06 a.m. EST (1606 GMT). Prices declined after Powell told Congress the Fed would likely need to increase rates more than expected in light of recent strong economic data. The remarks pushed up the U.S. dollar , which rose 0.70% on the day at 104.97. A stronger dollar typically reduces demand for dollar-denominated oil from buyers paying with other currencies. Further pressure came from a contraction in China's exports and imports in January and February, including crude oil imports, despite a lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

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