Energy Economics with Fexingo: Oil Prices, Renewables, and the Cost of Power

Episode 32 of Energy Economics with Fexingo dives into a surprising trend: even as renewable capacity surges, U.S. utilities are building new natural gas plants at a pace not seen in years. Lucas and Luna examine why — from data center electricity demand to the limitations of battery storage. They reference real numbers: Henry Hub natural gas at $3.36, and the recent jump in utilities like NextEra...

Episode 31 of Energy Economics with Fexingo: Why utilities like NextEra Energy are investing in new natural gas plants even as solar and wind capacity grows. Lucas and Luna examine the data behind the 'gas bridge' debate, the role of battery storage, and what this means for power prices and emissions. Featuring specific numbers on capacity additions and the latest CPI data. #NaturalGas #RenewableE...

Episode 30 of Energy Economics digs into Shell's 2025 annual report showing $23 billion returned to shareholders versus $18 billion in capital spending. Lucas and Luna discuss what this means for oil production growth, energy transition investment, and the signal it sends to investors. They tie it to the recent oil price rebound to $96 WTI and the broader trend of Big Oil prioritizing buybacks and...

Episode 29 of Energy Economics with Fexingo digs into a quiet but telling shift: Shell and other European majors are returning record cash to shareholders while barely growing oil output. With WTI crude at $96 a barrel—up 10% in a week—you'd expect big drilling plans. Instead, Shell's 2026 capital spending is flat, while buybacks hit $3.5 billion this quarter. Lucas and Luna explore what this says...

Episode 28 of Energy Economics with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dig into the 13.6% weekly surge in First Solar stock as of June 3, 2026, while energy giants like ExxonMobil and Chevron show only modest gains. They explore the structural reasons: First Solar's utility-scale solar contracts, the Inflation Reduction Act's production tax credits driving domestic manufacturing, and how Big Oil's reinvestme...

In this episode of Energy Economics with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising disconnect: crude oil prices are up 5% in the past week, yet gasoline at the pump has actually dropped from $4.47 to $4.30 per gallon. Using live data from June 2, 2026, they explain how refiner margins and summer blending rules create a lag between oil prices and what drivers pay. Lucas walks through the refine...

After weeks of falling crude prices, oil has bounced back to $91 a barrel. But while that might seem bad for refiners — who buy oil as their raw material — the latest data shows refiners are still printing money. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the crack spread mechanics, why WTI's rise hasn't crushed margins, and how the calendar roll in futures markets is giving refiners an extra tail...

Episode 25 of Energy Economics with Fexingo dives into the surprising mechanics of refining margins when crude prices plummet. With WTI near 91 dollars and Brent just shy of 95, you’d expect the entire oil complex to suffer — but refiners are printing money. Lucas and Luna break down why crack spreads are widening, how companies like Marathon Petroleum and Valero are hedging differently, and what...

Episode 24 of Energy Economics with Fexingo. Oil is tumbling — WTI crude fell to $89.88 a barrel — but gasoline prices are barely budging, and refinery stocks are raking in cash. Lucas and Luna break down the crack spread, why refiners like Valero and Marathon Petroleum are thriving while producers suffer, and what this means for drivers at the pump. They explore the structural shortage of refinin...

WTI crude has plunged 7 percent in a week to around 87 dollars a barrel. Yet gasoline at the pump has barely budged, hovering near 4.47 a gallon. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explain the growing crack spread — the profit margin refiners earn by turning crude into gasoline and diesel. They walk through how refinery capacity constraints, summer driving demand, and the ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions a...

Episode 22 of Energy Economics with Fexingo explores the growing divergence between solar stocks and oil prices, using First Solar's 19 percent surge over the past week as the central case. Lucas and Luna break down how First Solar's utility-scale solar contracts, U.S. manufacturing advantage, and exposure to the Inflation Reduction Act have insulated it from the broader energy sell-off, even as W...

Episode 21 of Energy Economics with Fexingo digs into a puzzle that's frustrating drivers everywhere: crude oil has plunged, but the price at the pump has barely budged. Lucas and Luna break down the three forces keeping gasoline stubbornly high — refinery margins, summer blend specs, and export demand. They walk through the specific numbers: WTI down 7 percent in a week, Brent sliding to $92 a ba...

Oil has dropped more than 7% in a week, yet the national average for regular gasoline has barely budged — falling just two cents to $4.47 a gallon. In Episode 20 of Energy Economics with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dig into the structural reasons behind the disconnect. They look at refinery margins, summer-blend specifications, and the fact that the U.S. hasn't built a new refinery in decades. They al...

Episode 19 of Energy Economics with Fexingo drills into the widening gap between crashing oil and surging natural gas in late May 2026. Lucas and Luna examine why WTI crude has fallen 7.7% in five days while Henry Hub gas has jumped 14.5%, tying the divergence to seasonal power demand, LNG export flows, and Iran deal uncertainty. They ask whether the gas rally has room to run if summer heat arrive...

Why is natural gas up nearly 14% in a week while oil is crashing? Lucas and Luna dive into the diverging fortunes of these two commodities, examining the drivers: a hot summer forecast, low storage levels, and geopolitical risk in the Middle East that's hitting oil but sparing gas. They also look at what the surge in gas means for electricity prices and the renewable energy transition, with solar...

Episode 17 of Energy Economics with Fexingo dives into the sharp divergence between natural gas and crude oil in late May 2026. While WTI crude dropped 8% in five days to around 89 dollars a barrel and Brent fell over 10% to near 92, natural gas surged 12.5% to 3.27 dollars per MMBtu — a striking split driven by summer cooling demand, steady LNG exports, and a market that has already priced in pot...

Lucas and Luna examine the dramatic divergence in energy markets in late May 2026: crude oil is down sharply — WTI dropped 5.1% in five days and Brent 8.2% — while solar stocks are rallying hard, with Enphase Energy up 32% and First Solar up 15%. They explore why oil producers like Exxon and Chevron are falling harder than the commodity itself, and whether the clean-energy surge is a lasting rotat...

Episode 15 of Energy Economics: While crude oil is in freefall—WTI down over 7 percent in five days—solar stocks are surging. But one name is leaving the rest in the dust: Enphase Energy is up 34 percent in the same five-day window, while the broader solar ETF TAN is up 12 percent. Lucas and Luna dig into why Enphase specifically is rallying so hard: its microinverter technology is winning share i...

Brent crude is down 7.4 percent in a week. But energy stocks like ExxonMobil and Chevron have fallen even more—Exxon is off 7.8 percent. Lucas and Luna unpack this divergence, explaining how refining margins, hedge fund positioning, and a shift in investor narrative are punishing producers harder than the underlying commodity. They look at the 2026 data: WTI at $92, the XLE energy ETF dropping 5.6...

Oil prices are down sharply in late May 2026, but the stocks of major producers like ExxonMobil and Chevron are falling even faster. In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the growing disconnect between crude futures and energy equities — and what it signals about investor sentiment toward the sector. They explore why the S&P 500 energy sector has dropped 4.8 percent in five days even as WTI crude...

Lucas and Luna break down the paradox of oil prices climbing on U.S. military strikes in Iran even as a diplomatic deal remains on the table. They explore how the Strait of Hormuz risk premium is reshaping the barrel, why Brent and WTI are diverging again, and what the 10-year breakeven inflation rate tells us about market expectations. Plus, why solar stocks like Enphase Energy are surging 29 per...

Episode 11 of Energy Economics with Fexingo: Why Enphase Energy is up 29% in a week while crude oil drops 10%. Lucas and Luna break down the microinverter maker's specific advantages—its U.S. manufacturing footprint, the Inflation Reduction Act tailwind, and the sell-off in oil that is rotating capital into clean energy. They also discuss the broader divergence between the XLE energy sector ETF (d...

Episode 10 of Energy Economics zooms in on the stunning divergence this week: WTI crude is down over 10% in five days, while solar stocks like Enphase Energy have surged nearly 29%. Lucas and Luna explore what's driving the rotation — from geopolitical hopes cooling oil risk to structural demand growth in renewables. They break down the numbers: WTI at $96.60, Brent at $100.21, versus the S&P Glob...

With WTI crude down over 10% in a single week but energy stocks only slipping a few percent, Lucas and Luna explore the disconnect. They drill into the breakdown between crude futures and the companies that produce them, looking at how hedging, refining margins, and investor sentiment create a buffer. They also examine why President Trump's cautious tone on Iran negotiations is removing the risk p...

WTI crude has fallen 10 percent in five days while natural gas is up 4 percent. Lucas and Luna dig into the structural factors behind the decoupling — from storage levels to Iran deal speculation to the price of a gallon of gas at $4.49. They also explore what the divergence means for the XLE energy sector ETF, which is down 1.8 percent this week despite the oil drop. A focused look at two commodi...