03:26 PM EDT, 09/17/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher late Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index adding 0.9% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) rising 1.3%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index climbed 3.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index eased 0.2%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.9% to $71.43 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 1.6% to $73.90 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures dropped 2.3% to $2.32 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, NextEra Energy's (NEE) NextEra Energy Resources Development unit has been tasked by the US Department of Energy to negotiate a carbon-pollution-free electricity generation project at the DoE's waste isolation pilot plant in New Mexico, the DoE's Office of Environmental Management said Tuesday. NextEra Energy shares rose 0.2%.