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
Permian Basin Economic Indicators
Permian Basin-area employment grew in 2022. Oil production reached a new high, and the rig count increased. However, home sales slowed and median home prices declined slightly during the fourth quarter.
March 01, 2023
Trade diversion has helped ease the impact of the embargo on Russian oil
Much has been made about the effect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the price of oil. However, the price of oil was already drifting upward well before the invasion in late February 2022.
February 21, 2023
Energy Indicators
Natural gas prices have plunged since the start of the year. An unusually warm winter in both the United States and Europe kept demand low during the heating season, and European countries were able to import sufficient amounts of non-Russian gas to forestall a winter energy crisis.
February 16, 2023
Residential solar power shines on, backed by securitized lending
Residential solar is a small and rapidly expanding sector, and the securitization market—the packaging of loans to investors—has been one of the most popular sources of funding for new solar installations.
February 14, 2023
Energy Indicators
Energy prices have been dropping since summer as softening economic data and warmer-than-normal weather lowered demand expectations.
January 19, 2023
Texas electrical grid remains vulnerable to extreme weather events
New regulations, weatherization standards and operational changes have addressed many shortcomings, but some critical gaps persist.
January 17, 2023
Research Department Working Papers
Heterogeneity in the Pass-Through from Oil to Gasoline Prices: A New Instrument for Estimating the Price Elasticity of Gasoline Demand
This paper proposes a new instrument for estimating the price elasticity of gasoline demand that exploits systematic differences across U.S. states in the pass-through of oil price shocks to retail gasoline prices.
January 06, 2023
Surveys
Dallas Fed Energy Survey
Activity in the oil and gas sector continued growing in fourth quarter 2022, according to oil and gas executives responding to the Dallas Fed Energy Survey.
December 29, 2022
Southwest Economy, Fourth Quarter 2022
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