The Economic Perspective 8/07/2026
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! In company news, TBG's Valerie and Greg Seidel, Laila Racevskis, and Cortney Cortez are in Key West for the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Florida Annual Meeting. The annual meeting brings together water resource professionals and leaders from across the state, with this year’s program featuring representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, all five of Florida’s Water Management Districts, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local governments and utilities, academia, and conservation organizations. Discussions span Florida’s water supply and infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, water policy, and emerging water resource challenges.
In this week's Economic Perspective, we have articles covering data center development in Florida, water quality and environmental enforcement, USDA conservation and disaster assistance programs, Washington’s transition away from coal, Florida’s proposed restrictions on technical education enrollment, and more. Our data visualization examines the primary drivers of global deforestation in the 21st century, highlighting agriculture's continued role in forest loss.
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Lakeland, FL City Commission Approves Moratorium on Data Centers
Lakeland city commissioners have approved a moratorium on large scale data center developments for one year while city officials review impacts from these facilities. This will block a proposed development of a 600,000 square foot data center planned for the area. The city plans to review infrastructure and electrical needs of major data center projects and the effects these projects will have on surrounding communities. After this period of review city commissioners will decide whether further regulations will be needed to continue development. Read more here.
Florida Waterways Face Water Quality Failures
The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has recently released a report that covers information on Florida’s waterways using data from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The report discusses how 52% of waterways are not meeting water quality standards with excessive nutrients being a common problem. A decline in state level enforcement actions since 2011 has led to a decline in water quality according to the report. While some enforcement policies have been put back into place recently, they still fall short of the number of FDEP enforcement actions that were occurring in 2010. Critics also argue that current regulations do not go far enough along with being under enforced. Even waterways that have seen greater enforcement still are suffering from higher levels of pollutants. Read more here and the report here.
USDA Invests to Expand Wildlife Conservation and Outdoor Access
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $52 million in funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), which helps state and tribal governments expand public access to privately owned land for hunting, fishing, and other wildlife-dependent recreation. The competitive grant program also provides incentives for landowners to improve wildlife habitat, with up to 25% of each grant able to support habitat enhancement projects. Individual awards can be as large as $3 million, and projects may last up to three years. Previous rounds of funding have helped open millions of acres of private land to the public while supporting conservation efforts. The funding was restored through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and USDA says the program benefits both landowners and outdoor recreation opportunities. Read more here.
Florida Proposes Changing Requirements to Attend Technical Education Programs
Florida’s Department of Education is currently drafting rules prohibiting undocumented students from enrolling in postsecondary CTE programs. While CTE programs will still be offered in middle and high school, programs offered after high school providing certifications would be restricted to US citizens. Focuses on HVAC, drafting, electricity, plumbing, manufacturing, welding, composite development, automotive management, IT, and many more fields may experience drops in program enrollment numbers following this change. Less certified workers over time may result in labor shortages in construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries within Florida. Read more here.
Washington State Drives Last Nail into Coal’s Coffin
Washington State’s Department of Ecology announced last week that the only coal power plant in the state would shift to natural gas by 2028, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while retaining the plant as a backup. The plant, located in Centralia, WA, was the subject of an emergency order last year from the U.S. Department of Energy, which required the site to function as a coal plant. Despite the order last December, the plant has not been needed to provide power since. The switch is anticipated to have an environmental impact in and of itself, though TransAlta, the owner of the plant, has agreed to invest between 7 and 21 million dollars to offset this. Read more here.
USDA Aids Washington Producers Following Wildfires
Drought and wildfires have significantly affected crops, land, water supplies, and livestock in Washington. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implemented various programs under different categories including disaster assistance, risk management, conservation, community assistance, and more. Some disaster programs, such as the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), allow eligible producers to receive compensation for 2026 losses as long as they submit program applications no later than March 2027. USDA also provides risk management and insurance options for crop damage. Other notable assistance programs and tools include the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, Emergency Watershed Protection program, and the U.S. Drought Monitor. Read more about the USDA’s technical and financial assistance initiatives and tools here.
MMA Suggests Revisions to the Arctic Exploratory Drilling Rule
Recently, the U.S. Department of Interior's (USDOI) Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) proposed updates to the 2016 Arctic Exploratory Drilling Rule in order to clarify compliance options and reduce drilling regulations along Alaska’s coast. Even with these changes, Artic operations will still be subject to environmental reviews, permit regulations, inspections, and oversight. The revision intends to develop Alaska’s natural resources to bolster American energy and economic independence, but critics have noted the expansion of offshore drilling will present worsening effects on the climate. Read more here and here.
Data Visualization of the Week
Agriculture Remains the Leading Driver of Global Deforestation
A recent analysis highlights that agriculture continues to be the primary cause of global deforestation in the 21st century. Beef production is responsible for the largest share of forest loss, followed by oilseed crops such as soy and palm oil, with logging also contributing to deforestation in many regions. The report notes that the main drivers vary by location, with cattle ranching dominating in Latin America and palm oil production playing a larger role in Southeast Asia. The findings suggest that reducing deforestation will require targeted policies focused on the specific industries and regions responsible for the majority of forest clearing. Read more here and published article here. (Image source: Our World in Data)
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