The Economic Perspective 9/25/2026
The Latest Trending Economic, Environmental and Infrastructure News Curated for You by The Balmoral Group
The Balmoral Group provides practical, professional and precise Economics, Data Analytics, and Engineering Consulting services and is part of a globally integrated team.
Happy Friday!
Greetings, and thank you for joining for another edition of The Economic Perspective! This Saturday marks National Public Lands Day and the US Army Corps of Engineers will be waiving fees at boat launch ramps and swimming beaches for the day. Volunteers for the day will also receive coupons for a free pass to participating public parks. Find more information about the day and events here and here.
It is also Climate Week 2026 in NYC and events are being planned throughout the week. Business leaders, government representatives, philanthropic leaders, and others will be attending and discussing strategies for better climate action. An agenda of events can be found here.
As oil prices continue to remain high, Congress is looking to help alleviate the issues. Various ideas have been pushed, including passing export limitations on oil and natural gas, reducing or suspending gas taxes, and the use of a Korean War-era defense law that allows for the US government to require domestic industries to prioritize certain activities related to national defense. The US House has also voted 220-204 to halt war activities in Iran, although this is expected to be blocked by Senate and not reach the White House.
Articles this week cover gas tax debates in the House, reef insurance, wildlife curriculum in Washington, and more. Our data visualization features food loss and waste in the US and which food groups are wasted the most.
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Battle in House over Gas Taxes
The House Freedom Caucus and the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee have been debating the suspension of the gas tax to help alleviate continued price increases for gas and diesel. The Freedom Caucus attempted to force a vote while the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman argued the detriment that this would bring to the funding for state transportation programs. Current surface transportation programs are operating under temporary extensions and further funding uncertainty would risk further damages to the industry. The Freedom Caucus’s plan does not offer a funding reimbursement to the Highway Trust Fund either. Read more here.
House Passes Water Infrastructure Bill
The State of Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) is researching battery energy storage systems (BESS) in response to the state’s growing energy demand and changing climate. BESS store excess energy for later use by using large, rechargeable batteries. These systems can be used in times of emergency, when power is limited or unavailable, and can also alleviate the pressures of high electricity demand that utility companies face. The DOE recognizes the importance of researching safety concerns and environmental impacts and will therefore prioritize those factors in their research. A document detailing the planned approach for implementing BESS in Washington was released to the public on September 1st with the purpose of receiving stakeholder review and comments. Read more here.
Hawai'i to use First-Ever Reef Insurance after Hurricane Lala
About a month ago Hawai’i was hit by Hurricane Lala which inflicted significant ecological and infrastructure damage on the archipelago. The coral reefs surrounding the islands dealt with significant damage as well, leading to the Nature Conservancy (TNC) purchasing the first reef insurance policy in over four years. With a minimum payout of $200,000, the funds will be disbursed by TNC to the Hawai’i Emergency Reef Restoration Network (HERR). Restoration efforts will include reattaching broken corals and stabilizing reef structures. Further reef damage will be assessed if rescue, reattachment, or repair efforts are needed. Read more about the insurance policy here.
New $475 Million Alabama Steel Plant Expansion
US Steel has broken ground on a $475 million expansion for its Quench and Tempering (Q&T) facility in Fairfield, Alabama. This plant expansion will help with tubular operations for US Steel, which will in turn assist oil and gas producing operations in the US. Over the course of the project's timeline, it is estimated that 600 construction jobs will be created through 2029. Other work being completed includes a new training facility, a warehouse, and other employee changing areas. Last year, a project was completed to improve the premium thread line production capabilities. These investments roll in as US Steel is working towards increasing production, improving technology, and being more competitive on a global scale. Read more here.
$10 Million for Florida Recovery
FEMA has announced $10 million in funding for eight recovery and mitigation projects in Florida to assist with hurricane and other disaster-related recovery. $5 million will be coming from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and another $4.7 million will be going toward Public Assistance projects. Examples of projects funded include $560,000 to Bay County for debris removal, $490,000 to the City of Lakeland for management costs, and $400,000 to the city of Parker for repairs to the stormwater collection system. This funding going to Florida is just some of the $308 million sent out by FEMA across the nation to help fund almost 150 projects.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Launches New Curriculum
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced on September 15th a new curriculum for kindergarten centered on a poetry collection “Many Places, Many Lives” that will present students with the wildlife and habitats of Washington. This is another lesson in a series of lessons for grades K-7 to help teach kids in collaborative ways about the ecosystem around them. Lessons are designed to work with other lesson plans in science and English language arts, and encourage teachers and students to invest more in education’s partnership with environmental health. The poetry collection has been published online here and more can be read about the program here.
Data Visualization of the Week
Food Loss and Waste
In the US, food waste is the largest contributor to landfill waste, with roughly 30-40% of food being wasted along the supply chain. This inefficiency creates major issues in resource and transportation waste, along with jeopardizing food security. Additionally, as food waste decomposes, methane is released, of which 58% of total methane released into the atmosphere stems from food waste in the US. Below is a breakdown of the highest and lowest food loss commodities, with mainly vegetables and fruit juices comprising the largest percentage share. Read more about food loss here and here.
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