Energy stocks were higher Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) each adding about 0.8%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was decreasing 0.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index rose 2.6%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was fractionally lower at $89.39 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract shed 0.5% to $99.86 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.3% to $3.11 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google has entered into a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy (CEG) to add 890 megawatts of nuclear power to the PJM interconnection grid, the companies said Tuesday. Constellation shares jumped 14%.