Southwest Economy
State output remains distinctly Texan, while jobs mix increasingly resembles the U.S.
Lore and data have historically suggested that Texas is unlike any other place. Over the past 40 years, change has swept the state. Texas’ employment composition has increasingly come to resemble the entirety of the U.S., more so than even California or New York. But Texas economic output is another story.
November 17, 2023
Southwest Economy
Hotter summer days heat up Texans but chill the state economy
As climate change intensifies over the next decade, summer heat waves will likely become more common and severe. The effect on Texas GDP growth is likely to be twice as pronounced as in the rest of the U.S. Meanwhile, the effect on job growth will likely be relatively subdued but vary widely across sectors.
October 18, 2023
Energy transition means more than just additional electric vehicles
Dallas Fed economist David Rapson discusses the challenges of moving away from a fossil-fuel-dependent economy.
May 05, 2023
Texas to get new type of refinery: a lithium refinery
Tesla is developing the facility near Corpus Christi to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide, a lithium chemical used in the high-performance lithium-ion batteries that companies such as Tesla prefer.
March 10, 2023
Blame costlier natural gas, rising fees for increasing Texas power bills
The cost of keeping the lights on in Texas homes has soared this year, as natural gas prices attained highs not seen since 2008.
December 22, 2022
Houston, still an energy town, largely pins growth on the sector
In recent
months, increasing oil and
gas demand and shifting
geopolitics have become
tailwinds for energy
production and exports—as well as for Houston.
July 01, 2022
Federal dollars could drive electric vehicle charging across Texas
Consumers who are reluctant to switch to electric vehicles cite inadequate charging facilities. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act seeks to address such concerns, providing funding to expand charging infrastructure along interstates and in rural areas.
July 01, 2022
Shale oil boom gave Permian Basin a second life
We look back a decade ago as Southwest Economy told of the rebirth of the Permian Basin as part of the shale oil boom in “Permian Basin Booms as New Techniques Resurrect Old Sites.”
April 01, 2022
Natural gas demand recovers, lifts prices
Global demand for U.S. natural gas has risen as many pandemic-induced limits on economic activity have been lifted, but domestic production has only slowly recovered.
December 15, 2021
Once-oil-dependent Texas economy to keep growing as renewable energy expands
The negative environmental impacts of global warming have motivated the beginnings of a global transition from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy.
September 30, 2021