Electric reliability concerns spur Texas backup generation boom
Amid growing concerns about reliability of electricity services across power-hungry Texas, deployment of back-up power sources—microgrids and alternative generation—is increasing. These assets, serving customers ranging from college campuses to oilfield operations, help keep the lights on when disaster strikes.
December 06, 2024
Energy Indicators
The capital expenditures index from the Dallas Fed Energy Survey as well as business investment in mining were nearly flat in third quarter 2024. Increases in the development cost index for Exploration and Production (E&P) firms are increasing at a faster rate than input costs for oil and gas (O&G) support service firms.
December 05, 2024
Permian Basin Economic Indicators
Employment in the Permian Basin region contracted in the third quarter. The unemployment rate and average hourly earnings ticked down slightly in September.
November 21, 2024
Speech by President Lorie K. Logan
Navigating in shallow waters: Monetary policy strategy in a better-balanced economy
After a voyage through rough waters, the shore is in sight: the FOMC’s Congressionally mandated goals of maximum employment and stable prices. But the ship hasn't tied up yet, and risks remain that could push the economy back out to sea or slam it into the dock too hard.
November 13, 2024
Energy Indicators
The U.S. rig count declined year over year in October and has been easing over the last three months. The Permian Basin had the steepest decline in oil drilling compared with other U.S. basins.
November 07, 2024
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
In the Permian Basin both employment and wages fell in the second quarter. Oil prices declined slightly during the quarter, while oil production increased even with fewer rigs.
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