Energy Prices and the Economy Stephen Brown Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Refiners hurt Transportation also hurt
Petrochemical producers hurt Petrochemical users also hurt
Fertilizer producers hurt Fertilizer users also hurt
Electric utilities hurt Electricity users also hurt
Aluminum producers hurt Aluminum users also hurt
Natural gas and oil producers helped Oilfield services also helped
Oil price shocks and U.S. recessions
Overview Oil prices Natural gas prices Economic effects of higher energy prices – not a threat to recovery Differential effects by region How energy price shocks affect the economy
Why oil prices are higher
OPEC Production Near Capacity
Why oil prices are higher Strong world oil demand and loss of some production capacity has pushed OPEC close to capacity Disruption risk premium Higher tanker rates
Oil price outlook Demand Non-OPEC supply OPEC production/capacity WTI to fall toward $35 per barrel
Oil Prices Surge but Expected to Fall
Oil Prices Likely to Fall
As high as oil prices are, natural gas prices are higher
Natural Gas Prices Decouple from Oil
Oil and Natural Gas Prices Recoupling?
U.S. and Canadian natural gas sources
Natural gas prices likely to remain elevated
Natural gas price outlook Elevated relative to oil prices Likely range: $ per million Btu Most likely range: $
Estimated Economic Effects
Estimated effects of higher energy prices Assumptions: Oil prices 50 percent higher Natural gas prices 20 percent above historical relationship with crude oil prices
Estimated effects of higher energy prices U.S. GDP reduced 1.0 percent –0.85 percent from oil & natural gas together –0.15 percent from natural gas alone GDP deflator increased about 1.0 percent Slight upward pressure on short rates
Why Only Mild Economic Effects? More experience with energy price shocks –reduced adjustment costs Oil price increases moderate by historical standards Reduced energy-to-GDP ratio
Real Oil Prices Not So High
Energy-to-GDP Ratio Falling
Regional Effects
Regional Effects Uneven Energy-intensive industries most hurt Energy production helped Regions with energy-intensive industries hurt Energy-producing regions helped
Higher Oil Prices and State Economies HelpedHurt
Energy prices and U.S. economic activity Oil prices to remain elevated Natural gas prices to remain even higher A slight drag on U.S. economic activity Effects uneven across the states