Southwest Economy
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
Southwest Economy
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
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
Working Papers
Geopolitical Oil Price Risk and Economic Fluctuations
This paper provides the first systematic account of the quantitative importance of time-varying geopolitical risk to oil production for the global economy.
May 28, 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.
May 24, 2024
Dallas Fed Economics
How global oil sanctions lowered Russian oil export prices
The decline in Russian oil export revenue since January 2022 was achieved by reducing the Russian export price rather than the volume of Russian oil exports.
May 14, 2024
Southwest Economy
Addressing Texas grid reliability: Time to go nuclear?
Thirty years after Texas’ last nuclear plant opened, new nuclear generation could provide needed power without planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
May 13, 2024
Energy Indicators
Coal power usage continues to decline in Texas. Solar power will be roughly half of all new electric-generation additions in both Texas and the U.S. in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration.
May 08, 2024