HOUSTON — Instability is the defining mood at the world's most influential energy gathering this week — playing out in a split screen of oil markets jolted by the Iran war and an AI-supercharged power sector.
Why it matters: The vibe at the CERAWeek conference underscores how quickly the energy landscape has turned unpredictable, leaving billions in investment decisions — and what consumers ultimately pay — hanging in the balance.
Mortgage rates hit their highest point in five months, and mortgage applications plunged last week as escalating borrowing costs cast a heavier pall over the housing market.
Why it matters: The Iran war has triggered energy inflation that's dimming the prospects of interest rate cuts and keeping borrowing costs higher.
HOUSTON — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said Wednesday the Trump administration is expanding sales of higher-ethanol gasoline this summer as it seeks to ease concerns over rising gas prices.
Why it matters: Gas with a high ethanol content, known as E15 because its content is up to 15 percent ethanol, is generally restricted in summer because it evaporates easily in the heat and causes air pollution.
HOUSTON — The head of Ukraine's largest private energy company said Wednesdayhe has plenty of lessons to share with energy companies operating in the Middle East that are scrambling to harden themselves against attacks.
Why it matters: Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, said making detailed security plans must become the new reality for companies working in dangerous places.
HOUSTON — The glare has never been brighter on Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Why it matters: Onstage and behind closed doors, he's been seeking to reassure markets and companies spooked by a historic and unpredictable disruption — all while promoting the White House agenda at the CERAWeek conference here.
An epidemic of suspicious trading has emerged around President Trump's most consequential decisions — each time, just minutes or hours before he rattles global markets, according to exchange data.
Why it matters: As the Iran war sends prices soaring for ordinary Americans, a select few appear to be profiting in plain sight. It's precisely the kind of alleged corruption Trump built his political career railing against.
HOUSTON — The power surge fueled by the AI boom is catapulting novel battery storage technologies from niche to mainstream, with dealmaking revealed at a major industry gathering this week.
Why it matters: It's a marriage of urgent needs: The AI sector needs reliable power — fast. Battery companies need deep-pocketed customers.
Iranian officials have told the countries trying to mediate peace talks with the U.S. that they have now been tricked twice by President Trump and "we don't want to be fooled again," according to a source with direct knowledge of those discussions.
The big picture: The U.S. is pushing for in-person peace talks as soon as Thursday in Islamabad, Pakistan. But during the two previous rounds of U.S.-Iran talks, Trump green lit crippling surprise attacks while still claiming to be seeking a deal.
HOUSTON — Microsoft and Nvidia are joining forces on a new initiative aimed at breaking nuclear power bottlenecks to build plants swiftly, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said Tuesday.
Why it matters: The initiative is the latest example of the tech industry leaning on nuclear's emerging potential to deal with AI's voracious energy needs.
Army paratroopers are heading to the Middle East as President Trump weighs options to quickly end the Iran war, now entering its fourth week.
Why it matters: Putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran would escalate the conflict, but the Trump administration has made no secret that it desires to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of oil.
CarMax's financial analysts and Instacart's software engineers rank among the top roles in an index, out Tuesday, that rates U.S. employers on how well they support workers' upward mobility.
Why it matters: Where you work increasingly determines whether you'll get promoted or get stuck. This first "Where You Work Matters" list is designed to reward employers who help workers move up and expose those who don't.
The ratings of 1,750 employers (across 55,000 occupations) were assembled by the Schultz Family Foundation and the Burning Glass Institute, in partnership with Harvard Business School's Managing the Future of Work Project.
HOUSTON — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum shared a stage Monday with the CEO of a French oil giant to take aim at offshore wind — a rare alignment between a government and a private company.
Why it matters: The moment, at one of the world's largest energy conferences, offered a stark snapshot of U.S. energy policy under President Trump.
HOUSTON — Former Defense Secretary James Mattis offered a sobering take Monday on the Strait of Hormuz, criticizing the Trump administration for what he saw as a failure to think strategically about Iran.
Why it matters: The CERAWeek conference here has been clouded by uncertainty over the future of a conflict that's bringing historic supply disruptions — and upending industry planning in the process.
