Having a conversation about the potential impacts of low oil prices is better than the alternative, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI WASHINGTON, April 19 (UPI) — A balanced energy portfolio suggests the U.S. economy won’t take any major hits from lingering weakness in the oil sector, a White House spokesman said. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said last week it expected domestic production to decline in most of the Lower 48 states and Alaska because of the pressure from lower crude oil prices, which the report said should stay below $40 per barrel through the first half of 2017. Total U.S. crude oil production declines from the 9.1 million barrels per day expected during the first quarter of the year to an average 7.9 million bpd by third quarter 2017, the report said. Crude oil prices are under supply-side pressure as the global […]