When news editors met for the annual agenda-setting conclave last month, they determined that the official theme for today, April 13, would be “Gas Prices are Really High and Getting Higher!”

Those with adequate news-gathering resources would do the second part of the story, the conclavists agreed: “High gas prices could slow economic growth.”

• Washington Post, “$4-a-gallon gas fueling fears for recovery“
• Bellingham Herald, “Gas prices reach $4 per gallon in Bellingham; when will it top off?“
• The Daily Cougar (University of Houston), “Rising gas prices punish students“
• KMOV (St. Louis), “Skyrocketing oil prices likely to have an effect on hiring
• NPR, “Rising Gas Prices Force Consumers To Make Choices“
• San Jose Mercury News, “Bay Area gas prices soar 26 cents a gallon“
• Arizona Daily Star, “Gas prices expected to jump 40% by summer compared with 2010“
• Janesville Gazette, “Gas prices top $4 a gallon in Mukwonago“

Today the House Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to vote on three bills that could lend some stability to fuel prices by increasing production of domestic energy, legislation that comprises the American Energy Initiative. The bills represent good policy no matter what the gas prices are.

The Committee news release lists the bills: (continue reading…)

From Gallup, the polling outfit, “Americans Prioritize Energy Over Environment for First Time“:

PRINCETON, NJ — Americans are more likely to say the U.S. should prioritize development of energy supplies than to say it should prioritize protecting the environment, the first time more have favored energy production over environmental protection in this question’s 10-year history.

One reason for the trend, or so we would speculate, is that claims about a “green economy” creating millions of new “green jobs” have failed to live up to the promises. When unemployment is still stuck above 9 percent …

More…

The current data represent a continuing shift in opinion toward energy production. Since 2007, when Americans’ preferences for environmental protection were the greatest (58% to 34%), Americans’ opinions have shown significant movement each year in the direction of prioritizing energy production. This change has been evident among nearly every major demographic subgroup, although self-identified liberals have remained relatively steadfast in saying the environment should be a higher priority

And just to make the point from the real world of the North Dakota Oil Patch, the Oil & Gas Journal reports, “Bakken well yields oil, gas at record rate“:

HOUSTON, Apr. 5 — A long horizontal well completed in the Bakken formation has produced oil and gas at an early 24-hr peak flow back rate, said Brigham Exploration Co., Austin.

Rate was 4,335 b/d of oil and 4.79 MMcfd of gas at the Sorenson 29-32 1H, for a combined rate of 5,133 boe/d. That rate represents an apparent record production level for the more than 2,700 horizontal wells in the Williston basin based on publicly reported date, the company said.