The Economic Perspective 2/6/2026
- klarsen94
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Latest Trending Economic, Environmental and Infrastructure News Curated for You by The Balmoral Group
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Happy Friday!
Welcome back to another edition of the Economic Perspective! We have seen record-breaking cold fronts sweeping through this past week, with iguanas even becoming stunned in South Florida! Additionally, Monday, February 2nd, was World Wetlands Day which dates back to 1971 as a national reminder of their importance!
This past weekend, TBG staff took part in the Wild Florida 5K, hosted by Conservation Florida at Lake Baldwin Park, participating in the run and supporting the event as a sponsor, with proceeds going toward the protection of natural lands. Click on the image below to view our LinkedIn post!
Articles this week cover a range of topics, with weather-related events shaping crude oil production, providing relief to farmers, and leading to the development of new technology to help prevent coral bleaching. In Washington, clean water infrastructure projects are being awarded, while in Tampa affordable housing is being constructed, and nationwide plans are accelerating for bridge repairs. The data visualization of the week covers continued declines in the cattle industry.
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Affordable Housing Construction in Tampa, FL
Through Tampa’s Infill Housing Program, local developers were able to develop and sell affordable housing to income-eligible buyers. Median home prices in Hillsborough County are $420,000, with homes built through this program selling at a maximum of $400,000. This phase of the Infill Housing Program will build 45 units in the East Tampa and Central Park areas. Programs such as these offer assistance to improve affordability for low- and middle-income households in high demand housing areas that otherwise would be less available to them. Several local family- and minority-owned businesses are participating in the program. Read more here.
WA Ecology Awarding Over $150 Million for Clean Water
Washington State Department of Ecology released their draft list of loan and grant awardees, with 121 projects estimated to receive funding pending state legislature surrounding the budget. The key areas of focus include stormwater, with $29.2 million allocated, wastewater, with $86.4 million, and addressing other sources of pollution with $17.6 million. Projects range from restoration efforts, utility hardship assistance, and management plan updates, to the design and construction of dire infrastructure updates in the state such as septic-to-sewer connections. A total of $156.8 million in grants and loans will be supporting these clean water initiatives. You can find a map of their anticipated projects here, and read more at their website here. (Image source: Washington Department of Ecology, photo by Clark County).
Winter Storm Impacts on US Crude Production
According to data released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), US crude oil production declined 4% during the winter storm that occurred in the week ending January 30th, 2026 compared to the previous week. Gasoline production fell by 565,000 barrels per day, or 6%, over the period. On the demand side, customers stuck at home during the winter storm contributed to total motor gasoline inventories rising by 685,000 barrels from a week ago, about 4% above the 5-year average. Read more here.
FL Farmers Access to $600M in USDA-Backed Disaster Relief Block Grant Program
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced that Florida agricultural producers, starting February 25th, 2026, will be able to apply for more than $600 million in federal hurricane disaster relief through a USDA-approved block grant program to help recover losses from the 2023-24 hurricane seasons. The funding will support crop, livestock, timber, and infrastructure recovery once FDACS’s work plan is finalized. In addition to hurricane recovery, Commissioner Simpson is seeking federal approval to immediately provide relief to agricultural producers impacted by the historic 2026 ice storm. Read more here. (Image source: Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel).
US Transportation Secretary and Maryland Governor Work on Bridge Plans
In March 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship. Recently, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Maryland Governor Wes Moore have met to work on agreements for the reconstruction of the bridge as well as the American Legion Bridge. Both agreed that construction needs to speed up on the American Legion Bridge, with public-private partnerships assisting. Concerns were raised over the rebuilding process of the Key Bridge due to costs and contract provisions for disadvantaged businesses. Previously, the Federal Highway Administration asked the public for input on the reconstruction, with replies expected to be shared after the February 9th deadline. Both bridges will require federal investment to be completed on time, and both bridges serve important economic needs to Maryland and the surrounding metro area. Read more here.
New AI Model to Help Prevent Coral Bleaching
Coral bleaching is not an instantaneous process, but rather takes weeks of heat-related stress. Scientists from the University of Miami have created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool that can help predict when reefs will experience heat stress due to rising ocean temperatures. This tool will alert managers in sufficient time to hopefully restore the coral reefs before any bleaching occurs. Coral bleaching poses a significant threat to coastal regions, as reefs provide food and shelter to over a quarter of marine life. The tool was trained with 40 years of data to indicate when a heating process could begin, with estimates up to six weeks in advance. Read more here. (Image source: PBS).
Data Visualization of the Week
Latest Cattle Inventory Hits Historical Low
The latest USDA Cattle Inventory Report shows the US beef cattle herd has declined again to 86.2 million head, marking the smallest total since 1951 and continuing a multi-year downward trend. Beef cow numbers fell to 27.6 million, indicating that the long-anticipated herd rebuild has not yet materialized. Despite a slight increase in beef replacement heifers, analysts say the modest uptick isn’t sufficient for meaningful expansion, meaning tight supplies and potentially higher beef prices could persist. Read more here. (Image source: USDA)
