Second Quarter 2022
Complete issue | Print version

• Looking Back: Harris County Five Years After Hurricane Harvey Hit
  Luis Torres
  We look back five years, when then-Harris County Judge Ed Emmett went “On the Record” in Southwest Economy to discuss the response to Hurricane Harvey.
• Changing Economy Likely to Test Banks as Stimulus Ends, Growth Slows
  Amy Chapel and Kory Killgo
  Banks in the region and the U.S., which have benefited from pandemic-era fiscal stimulus, face downside risks arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ongoing COVID-19 shocks abroad and expectations of significant central bank tightening to address elevated inflation.
• Houston, Still an Energy Town, Largely Pins Growth on the Sector
  Jesse Thompson
  In recent months, increasing oil and gas demand and shifting geopolitics have become tailwinds for energy production and exports—as well as for Houston.
• Crypto Miners Eye Texas for Energy Abundance; Banks View Digital Entrée
  Jill Cetina and Ally Hoffman
  Since their launch, cryptocurrencies have grown in quantity and market capitalization. Because they rely on decentralized technology that is computationally complex, cryptocurrencies are significant energy consumers. Texas' power-generating abilities have captured the attention of cryptocurrencies as miners move to the state.
• Trade Binds Central America, Mexico to U.S. Despite Past Inequities
  On the Record: A Conversation with Raymond Robertson
  Raymond Robertson, director of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, discusses the impact of free trade agreements on Mexico and Central America.
• Spotlight: Federal Dollars Could Drive Electric Vehicle Charging Across Texas
  Jessica Rindels and Michael D. Plante
  Consumers who are reluctant to switch to electric vehicles cite inadequate charging facilities. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act seeks to address such concerns, providing funding to expand charging infrastructure along interstates and in rural areas.
• Around the Region: Texas Home Prices Rose at Record Pace in 2021
  Luis Torres
  The buyer frenzy in Texas housing markets began in summer 2020, just months after COVID-19 shut down the economy in March and April.

First Quarter 2022
Complete issue | Print version

• Looking Back: Shale Oil Boom Gave Permian Basin a Second Life
  Jesse Thompson
  We look back a decade ago as Southwest Economy told of the rebirth of the Permian Basin as part of the shale oil boom in "Permian Basin Booms as New Techniques Resurrect Old Sites.”
• Students Cut College During Pandemic; Their Return Is Uncertain
  Wenhua Di and Mytiah Caldwell
  Postsecondary institutions suddenly closed their doors with the arrival of COVID-19 in March 2020. Two years later, the impacts are coming into focus.
• Turbulent Economy Tests Texans Who Lack Financial Knowledge
  Emma Marshall, Pia Orrenius and Michael Weiss
  Texans continue to trail the nation in financial literacy as measured by the National Financial Capability Study. The Legislature has taken steps to enhance personal finance instruction in a bid to improve performance.
• Cross-Border Manufacturing Rises from Pandemic Lows
  On the Record: A Conversation with Fabiola Luna
  Fabiola Luna, president of the Association of Maquiladoras, Index Ciudad Juárez, dicusses cross-border trade and the impact of the pandemic.
• Spotlight: New Mexico Marijuana Legalization’s Costs, Benefits Remain Unclear
  Keighton Hines and Pia Orrenius
  New Mexico legalized recreational marijuana use last year, joining 17 other states. Anticipated benefits and costs partially offset one another, but there is considerable uncertainty around both.
• Around the Region: Texas Reclaims Jobs Lost in Pandemic; Some Metros Still Trying to Catch Up
  Juliette Coia and Pia Orrenius
  The recovery from the pandemic recession ushered in a massive reallocation of employment between industries with repercussions for different areas of the state.