This series of six reports examines the economic effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the economy of the Gulf Coast and document the economic recovery of affected states, localities and industries during the two years following the hurricanes. The first report was issued in October 2005, approximately two months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast. The final report, issued in January 2008, provided a description of economic progress that had occurred in the Gulf Coast after two years.

Executive Summary

The Advisory Committee on Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economy was established by the Secretary of
Commerce in September 2006 to recommend ways to improve the measurement of innovation in the economy. In its report, the Advisory Committee outlines its recommendations to the Secretary of Commerce for steps to be taken by the government, the business community, and government and private sector researchers to foster and improve the measurement of innovation in the economy.

The first act of the Advisory Committee was to establish a definition of innovation that would identify what should be measured. The definition adopted by the Committee is:

SUMMARYPursuant to the requirements of the Propane Education and Research Act of 1996 (PERA),1 the Department of Commerce prepared this analysis of changes in propane prices relative to other energy sources. The report presents the relevant price data and concludes that propane prices have not exceeded the threshold established by PERA.