Working Paper
Are We Consuming Too Much Groundwater?
This paper studies the optimality of human groundwater extraction from many of the world’s 3,400 aquifers, where institutional or market failures may produce non-optimal extraction decisions.
August 10, 2026
Southwest Economy
Texas homeowners pay high insurance costs, face rising premiums
Home insurance premiums have risen dramatically in the postpandemic years, with the median Texas homeowner paying 60 percent more for home insurance in 2024 compared with 2019, American Community Survey data show.
April 15, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Measures of inflation misalign with pricier home insurance
Overall, homeowners insurance is becoming less affordable, yet this deterioration in affordability is not well captured by either of the most widely used inflation measures—CPI or PCE—both designed to track price levels rather than affordability or household financial strain.
April 09, 2026
Dallas Fed Economics
Home insurance premiums influence mortgage delinquencies, relocations
The rise in homeowners insurance premiums since the pandemic is not just a pricing issue; it is a growing source of financial stress, inequality and geographic sorting.
March 24, 2026
Working Paper
Pollution Taxes and Clean Subsidies in an Open Economy
This paper shows that the same conditions that lead to pollution leakage enhance the efficacy of clean subsidies.
August 18, 2025
Southwest Economy
Water restrictions, conservation a 24/7 routine in Abilene and the Big Country
Steve Estes, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Taylor County, offers his perspective on how ranchers, farmers and city dwellers can collectively work to ensure that the area makes the best decisions regarding precious water resources
April 18, 2025
Southwest Economy
Shoring up water supply, curbing demand key to Texas’ future growth
Funding for water infrastructure improvements has emerged as a priority for the Legislature during its 2025 legislative session. Absent changes to policy, Texans could face significant water shortages during droughts and constraints on future growth and economic development.
April 16, 2025
Working Paper
Last Resort Insurance: Wildfires and the Regulation of a Crashing Market
An increasing number of people are denied home insurance coverage in the private market and must instead turn to state-sponsored plans known as “Insurers of Last Resort.” This paper examines how insurers of last resort interact with the private market under increasing disaster risks.
March 26, 2025
Working Paper
Climate Risk, Insurance Premiums and the Effects on Mortgage and Credit Outcomes
As climate change exacerbates natural disasters, homeowners’ insurance premiums are rising dramatically. This paper examines the impact of premium increases on borrowers’ mortgage and credit outcomes using new data on home insurance policies for 6.7 million borrowers.
January 16, 2025
Working Paper
Up in Smoke: The Impact of Wildfire Pollution on Healthcare Municipal Finance
Wildfire smoke pollution is associated with significantly higher healthcare municipal borrowing costs, amounting to $250 million in realized interest costs for high-smoke counties in 2010–2019, and an estimated $570 million over the following 10 years.
January 09, 2025