Research Department Working Papers
What Fuels the Volatility of Electricity Prices?
This paper uses emergency outages of coal generators as an exogenous source of variation in the power generation stack to study how changes in marginal fuel affect real-time prices. Contrary to anecdotal evidence, the authors find that wholesale prices are less volatile when natural gas is on the margin more often.
October 15, 2024
Permian Basin Economic Indicators
Permian Basin employment fell during first quarter 2024, and the unemployment rate rose. The region’s rig count increased slightly, while the price of oil notably shot up.
September 26, 2024
Surveys
Oil and gas activity edges lower as outlooks dim, uncertainty rises
Activity in the oil and gas sector declined slightly in third quarter 2024, according to oil and gas executives responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey.
September 25, 2024
Research Department Working Papers
Do Bill Shocks Induce Energy Efficiency Investments?
This paper studies whether electricity bill shocks draw attention to the benefits of home energy efficiency investments.
September 20, 2024
Old oil fields reimagined as lithium sources
The Smackover Formation, extending broadly from East Texas to Florida, is ground zero in the effort to produce lithium from oilfield brines.
September 20, 2024
Energy Indicators
The annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) from the Department of Energy shows that the solar industry had the highest number of jobs related to the production of electricity in 2023, and it outgrew all other power-generation categories. However, petroleum and natural gas remains the largest energy employer.
September 13, 2024
Energy Indicators
Natural gas exports are recovering and poised to rise further. Real power prices are rising—achieving new highs—while the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) eyes the potential for August power outages.
July 17, 2024
Electricity providers hard pressed to keep up with growing tech-heavy demand
Dallas Fed economist Kunal Patel discusses the strains on the power grid, including those arising from Texas’ growing population, electrification of the economy, nearshoring and evolving technologies.
July 10, 2024
Surveys
Oil and gas activity rises modestly as production, employment little changed
Activity in the oil and gas sector grew in the second quarter of 2024, according to oil and gas executives responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey.
June 26, 2024
Research Department Working Papers
Geopolitical Oil Price Risk and Economic Fluctuations
This paper seeks to understand the general equilibrium effects of time-varying geopolitical risk in oil markets.
May 28, 2024