Congress Back in Action; ACP in Houston, EEI in Vegas

Friends,

Happy June everyone.

Congrats to Shrey Parikh for winning this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee at DAR’s Constitution Hall in DC.  Parikh, a 14-yearold from San Bernardino, CA took the title in only the third “Spell-off” in Bee history. He correctly spelled 32 words, a new record for the Spell-off. His winning word: "bromocriptine."

Congress returns this week from two weeks in their states, starting the two-month sprint to August “election-year” recess. Congress needs to make progress on several key priorities before fall campaign season stops the action. Appropriations remain a priority with the Senate marking up its version and the House moving on the USDA funding bill next. Congress needs to make progress on the defense policy bill — which includes provisions on critical minerals, renewable energy technologies, nuclear power and environmental cleanups — as well as the highway bill, water resources legislation and the farm bill. Oh wait…and don’t forget comprehensive permitting reform. Finally, there will be energy action on the floor this week when the House votes on bipartisan legislation aimed at easing permitting rules for developing geothermal energy.

On the hearing front, House Energy tackles EPA mobile source legislation including a bill from Rep. Tim Walberg that would bar EPA from issuing rules that mandate specific technology (like EVs, maybe). Other hearings include House Science looking at environmental technology programs, House Resources on the 2026 wildfire season and Senate Commerce on ocean/water economic impacts issues.

Speaking of the Blue economy, Hurricane season is underway and it is Ocean Week in DC. Offshore wind advocates are headed to Capitol Hill for meetings with Members and staff. The cement industry also has execs in town this week for their annual fly-in, including a fireside chat with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and NEDC’s Brittany Kelm.

ACP’s CLEANPOWER 2026 is in Houston today to Thursday while EEI 2026, the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) annual meeting and thought leadership conference, is in Las Vegas tomorrow to Thursday. Other events includes tomorrow’s ConservAmerica webinar on what the proposed Endangered Species Act reform, the 11th annual Washington Energy Summit 2026 (with a bunch of Congressional speakers) at the Cosmos Club on Wednesday and Thursday and US Energy Association and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation virtual discussion on Thursday looking at the recent INGAA report to highlight Infrastructure and funding for pipelines.

For those of you following along at home: my Bracewell colleague Scott Segal IS IN THE BUILDING. Yes, Scott has just returned from a trip around the world that including work activities and lots of sightseeing. And for those of you that know, he doesn’t take airplanes, which means ships and trains. I hope you had a chance to see his pictures. If not, his reviews are on his Facebook page.

The French Open tumbles toward its championship rounds this week with NO MAJOR winners remaining. (It seems the heat has had an impact on a bunch of players).

Pride Month starts today so look for events in cities across America. And don’t look now, but we are a month away from the July 4th 250th birthday party for the United States.

Call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano
(202) 828-5864
C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“We’re approaching unheard of inventory levels. You can debate whether that’s going to hit, those really low levels, in two weeks or three weeks. Once you get to that point, then you’ll see price shoot up.”

Exxon Senior Vice President Neil Chapman at a conference hosted by Bernstein in New York.

ON THE PODCAST

NRECA Head Talking Power, Co-ops on Agri-Pulse Open Mic – On this week’s Agri-Pulse Open Mic podcast, NRECA CEO Jim Matheson talks demand for electricity, which is growing across the nation because of data centers and other demands. Matheson says the base load of electricity is running close to capacity in many areas of the country and vulnerable to failure in summer and winter weather extremes. He discusses why cooperatives need finances to restore electric generation and transmission following growing weather extremes in the nation.

FUN OPINIONS

Roberts Interviews McGee on Enviros, Clean Energy, New Venture – On the Volt’s forum/podcast, our friend David Roberts has a lengthy interview with investor and entrepreneur Steve McBee about Amped, his new effort to boost the industry’s political influence and give it a little swagger — by telling a more compelling story, getting better information to lawmakers, and pulling hundreds of billions of dollars in stranded capital off the sidelines. There is some juicy back-and-forth in this segment.

Permitting a Must for All Sectors – In a podcast visit with POLITICO’s Josh Seigel, FERC Commissioner David LaCerte the hyper-scaler industry’s naivety about the limits of the power grid has contributed to the mounting hostility that the industry is facing ahead of the midterm election, calling the public backlash a “self-inflicted wound.” LaCerte’s comments come as FERC prepares to prepare a new set of rules to govern how to bring technology giants' massive data centers online. FERC is expected to develop guardrails to help speed the development of the fleet of data centers necessary to keep the U.S. at the forefront of artificial intelligence.

FROG BLOG

Challenging Policy Questions in the Middle East – In an Substack blog, our friend Paul Saunders, President of the Center for the National Interest writes that given the unpopularity of the Iran Conflict, what is interesting to foreign policy realists is that the it is based in a simple fact: Americans don’t understand or support President Trump’s cost-benefit calculation in pursuing the war. The fact that Americans have become tired of wars, which seems fairly clear, is a problem of means rather than ends and one that U.S. leaders can conceivably solve at least in part by spending more time and effort developing other tools to advance and defend U.S. national interests, including diplomatic and economic tools.

FUN FACTS

China’s University Bachelor’s in Rare Earth: Our friend and Reuters critical minerals expert Ernest Schyder and several colleagues have a new piece out that highlight critical minerals education saying China still holds a significant advantage in the pipeline of talent that it has developed over decades. They write Beijing is tightly guarding this expertise like it has restricted exports of rare earths technology and equipment. China has also limited contact between industry professionals and foreigners, with some technicians having been ordered to surrender their passports, according to three people familiar with the matter.

IN THE NEWS

Cement Industry Heads for the Hill – American Cement Association (ACA) members from across the country will flood Capitol Hill June 3 and 4 for the Association’s 2026 Cement Fly-in. Aside from dozens of meetings, the members-only event will include a fireside chat with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Top priorities industry professionals will raise with lawmakers and Administration officials include the importance of passing the BUILD America 250 Act before the Surface Transportation Reauthorization expires on September 30, industrial permitting reform, and congressional support for policies promoting increased domestic cement production. Manufacturers will also make the case for recognizing cement as a critical material for national security and U.S. infrastructure. Other requests from cement manufacturers during the Fly-in include:

Co-sponsorship of The ReCement Act—a bill introduced by U.S. Representative Jay Obernolte (R-CA). The measure would support targeted Resource Conservation and Recovery Act reforms that expand the use of alternative fuels while maintaining existing environmental protections.

Investment in advanced cement technologies and carbon management, as the industry remains committed to decarbonization.

Preservation of reliable and affordable energy needed for industrial operations.

A strong domestic supply chain that is efficient, reduces transportation costs and ensures reliable access to materials.

The U.S. cement industry directly and indirectly employs more than 500,000 people and contributes more than $140 billion to the U.S. economy every year. Concrete—made with cement—is used in the construction of virtually every major infrastructure project in the nation.

Report: Grid’s Essential Role in Supporting the US Economy, National Security – A new independent analysis conducted by Concentric Energy Advisors for EEI shows that the U.S. electric grid is a high-value national asset that supports the economy and national security by delivering the reliable power customers depend on every day. The report concludes that continued investment in a modern, interconnected grid—and thoughtful integration of large-load customers—will be essential to protecting those benefits as electricity demand grows. America’s electric companies are projected to invest $239 billion this year to make the grid smarter, stronger, and more reliable. These investments help ensure the grid can continue to power the energy of every day, while keeping electricity as affordable as possible for all customers. The report’s key findings include:

The U.S. electric grid is critical enabling platform for economic and national security by supplying reliable power to all sectors of the economy.

Utilities continue to invest steadily in the grid while prioritizing affordability for customers.

Utilities are leading the deployment of new technologies.

New large customers should be connected to the grid.

A modern, interconnected grid remains the most scalable platform for reliable power delivery.

Gas pipelines Get a Second Wind from Data Center Boom – Natural gas infrastructure companies are striking deals to serve data centers in producing regions and high-growth markets, as developers turn to co-located gas-fired generation to work around grid interconnection delays. S&P Global Energy CERA estimates that natural gas would fuel over 80% of announced on-site generation. Williams, TC Energy, UGI Energy Services and Southwest Gas are among the midstream players that have announced contracts, expansions or new pipeline plans tied to data center power demand.

45Z Public Meetings Highlight Policy Differences – Last week’s 45Z public hearing has led to multiple discussions about where the policy heads. My Colleague Tim Urban has been monitoring the action and wrote this blog post that provided a great summary of the action and the broad swath of industry involvement, state and local ruled and Federal fuels policy. 

EPA Coal Ash Meeting Coal Ash Discusses Water, Product Re-Use – At last Thursday’s EPA virtual public comment session on the new coal ash rule, environmental groups and industry re-users had widely different opinions about How to deal with coal ash from power plants. Environmentalist widely panned the revision while the American Coal Ash Association John Ward they support EPA’s move to eliminate criteria defining “beneficial use” for coal ash. He called coal ash an underutilized domestic mineral resource. Coal ash can be useful in the production of cement, wallboard, agriculture and potentially critical minerals. Coal ash can improve concrete strength and durability, while supporting the supply chain for critical construction materials, said Leah Pilconis, vice president of government affairs and general counsel at the American Cement Association. ACA supports redefining coal ash for cement manufacturing not as an industrial waste but instead as a part of the cement production process. The proposed changes come as supply of coal ash declines, Pilconis said, and could improve access to legacy coal combustion residue.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

CLEANPOWER Set for Houston – CLEANPOWER 2026 is set for the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston today to Thursday. The annual American Clean Power Assn forum is where the industry holds its most important conversations about policy and the future of clean energy. FERC Commissioner David Rosner is among the speakers.

Climate Meeting, Extreme Weather Forum Set – The National Academies is hosts its annual Spring climate meeting today through Friday The forum starts with a Webinar today at 1:00 p.m. about how to improve public responses to forecasts of extreme weather events.

EEI Meetings Headlined by NBC Sports Tirico, DOE’s Fitzsimmons – EEI 2026, the Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI) annual meeting and thought leadership conference, will be held in Las Vegas tomorrow to Thursday. The event is the premier event for the U.S. electric power industry. Keynote speakers include Siemens Energy AG CEO Christian Bruch, Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat, Emerald AI CEO Dr. Varun Sivaram, NBC Sports & Olympics Lead Host & Play-by-Play Announcer Mike Tirico and DOE’s Alex Fitzsimmons.

Ocean Week Events Set – The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation holds its Capitol Hill Ocean Week Conference starting tomorrow and runs through Thursday. NOAA’s Neill Jacobs and USFWS’s Holly Bamford kick it off. Green 2.0; Aquarium Conservation Partnership; Azul; and Urban Ocean Lab also hold an event on ocean fairness and justice issues.

Ag Forum Set for California – Tomorrow, Agri-Pulse holds a Food & Ag Issues Summit in Sacramento, California. The event includes a full day of insights and perspectives from top industry and government leaders on current agricultural issues. Andrea Travnicek, the Interior Department’s Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, will be the luncheon keynote speaker at the Issues Summit. Travnicek plays a key role in Colorado River policies, critical minerals development and infrastructure. Other speakers and sessions will explore the state of the California agricultural economy, the Make America Healthy Again agenda, ag innovation, data centers in Rural America, challenges facing young farmers and more.

Forum Focused on Transatlantic Critical Minerals – The German Marshall Fund of the United States; and the American-German Institute hold a discussion tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. on Transatlantic cooperation on critical minerals. The discussion will examine the commercial and policy dimensions of the transatlantic critical-minerals challenge: the nature of the problem, the intersection of market dynamics and industrial policy, and Europe’s emerging approach to these issues. The second half of the program will assess the systemic implications, including the prospects for plurilateral arrangements, the role of the G7, and the meaning of expanding economic security policies for the global trading system.

Senate Ag Hosts Forest Service – The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on oversight of the US Forest Service.

Senate Commerce Looks at Blue, Coastal Economies – The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow the blue economy, focusing on advancing American fisheries, maritime strength, and coastal economies.

ConservAmerica Looks at ESA at 50 – ConservAmerica holds a webinar tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on what the proposed Endangered Species Act reform effort gets right, where additional changes are needed, and what real species recovery requires. Speakers include National Wildlife Federation CEO Collin O'Mara, Defenders of Wildlife’s             Jake Li and former Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Aurelia Giacometto.

NAS Forum Looks at AI, Carbon Removal – The National Academies is holding a webinar tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. looking at artificial intelligence and ways to improve markets for carbon dioxide removal technology. A moderated discussion with Alicia Karspeck ([C]Worthy) and Julio Friedmann (Carbon Direct) will examine how AI can strengthen monitoring, reporting, and verification across land-based and engineered pathways. Panelists will focus on how improved data integration—across field measurements, remote sensing, and modeling—can reduce uncertainty, clarify durability and additionality, and better align scientific reality with crediting frameworks.

Washington Energy Summit Set – The 11th annual Washington Energy Summit 2026 will be held at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. on Wednesday and Thursday. The Washington Energy Summit is organized by U.S. Energy Stream and convenes U.S. Senators and Members of Congress, global energy leaders, and technology executives for candid, off-the-record dialogue. The main theme of the Summit is running the World on energy with volatility, technology and American energy dominance.

House Energy to Look at Mobile Source Legislation – The House Energy & Commerce Committee’s environment subpanel is hosting a hearing on Wednesday at2:00 p.m. on mobile source legislation including a bill from Rep. Tim Walberg that would bar EPA from issuing rules that mandate a specific technology (like EVs, maybe).

House Approps Marks Up Interior/EPA, Transpo Funding – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., he House Appropriations Committee holds a markup of the FY2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill; and the FY2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill.

RFF Looks at Local Communities, Enviro Challenges – Resources for the Future holds a forum on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. exploring environmental cleanup and critical minerals as economic drivers in fossil fuel communities. Presenters will discuss to what degree these activities can drive economic growth in fossil-dependent regions, including impacts on existing local businesses and attracting new business.

Forum Looks at US-India Civilian Nuclear – On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., the Stimson Center hold a webinar on US–India civilian nuclear accord, looking at its history, analysis and reflections. The conversation will draw on those lessons to address what is needed to achieve a genuine diplomatic breakthrough between two democracies with complex domestic politics, where has the nuclear agreement delivered and fallen short and what is next.

CCS Report Discussed – The Global CCS Institute holds a webinar on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., exploring the latest global policy, legal, and regulatory developments shaping the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The session will highlight key findings from the Institute’s latest annual report, CCS Policy, Legal and Regulatory Review 2025, including regional and international trends, recent policy developments, and emerging government initiatives supporting large-scale CCS deployment.

Heatmap Forum Looks at Energy Entrepreneurs – Heatmap News holds its second annual Energy Entrepreneurship event on Wednesday that will convene founders, investors, manufacturers, and bipartisan policymakers to examine the technologies poised to define the next chapter of American energy: batteries, next-generation geothermal, nuclear fusion, and more. Beyond deployment, eh event will spotlight the industrial backbone of the transition: clean energy manufacturing and the jobs that come with it. Trent Bauserman of Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Travis Kavulla of Base Power are among the speakers.

Canada, NERO Host Security Forum – The Embassy of Canada and The National Energy Resources Organization (NERO) holds a reception highlighting Canada-U.S. Energy Security on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy of Canada.

Forum Examines Lead Exposure – On Wednesday and Thursday, the Center for Global Development is hosting its second annual Research Conference on Global Lead Exposure. The conference will convene researchers, policymakers, and implementers, all working to stamp out global lead poisoning. The event will feature researchers from across disciplines, including environment, health, epidemiology, chemistry, economics, engineering, and dentistry—alongside implementers, policymakers, and funders—to translate research into action for a lead-free future.

House Science Looks at Environmental Protection, Science – House Science’s Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. focused on advancing environmental protection through science and technology. EPA deputy associate administrator for science Maureen Gwinn testifies.

House Resources Look at Wildfire Season – On Thursday at 10:15 a.m., the House Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee holds a hearing on the state of the nation's Federal forests and outlook for the 2026 wildfire year.

USEA Forum Looks at Infrastructure, Pipelines – The US Energy Association and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation hold a virtual discussion on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on the recent INGAA report to highlight Infrastructure and funding for pipelines. The INGAA Foundation will provide a briefing on its new Midstream Infrastructure Report, which examines infrastructure needs across natural gas, NGL, oil, CO₂ and emerging hydrogen systems through 2052, finding that meeting demand will require $1.2-$1.4 trillion in total midstream investment.

IN THE FUTURE

GridIron Dialogue Report, Series Set for Finale – The Earthshot Foundation, in partnership with OurEnergyPolicy, will host the GridIron Dialogues Finale on June 8th in Washington, D.C. The event marks the culmination of a year-long, whole-of-grid dialogue series that engaged more than 200 engineers, economists, regulators, and operators across a dozen sessions spanning every element of grid planning, investment, and operations. From fuel supply to transmission, distribution, and customer energy management, the GridIron Dialogues examined the grid as a system of systems – the single largest machine ever built, and the infrastructure on which every sector of our economy depends. The Finale will share key findings from the series and premiere a white paper—The GridIron: From Rivals in Gridlock to Champions of a Stronger, Smarter Grid—that summarizes whole-of-grid insights and includes an Electricity Abundance Playbook.

California Hydrogen Summit Set – The California Hydrogen Business Council holds a its 2026 California Hydrogen Summit on June 8th and 9th at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento. The Summit will showcase the strategies accelerating affordable production, infrastructure build out, market adoption, and policy alignment. This is where California’s next steps for hydrogen are being decided.

Atlantic Council Energy Forum Set – The Atlantic Council holds its 2026 Global Energy Forum on featuring the world's top energy experts on June 9th and 10th. The 2026 Forum will serve as both a reflection on the evolution of the global energy landscape and a forward-looking platform to chart its future based on building systems, strengthening partnerships, and empowering the public. Speakers include Jarrod Agen, Bob McNally, EQT’s Toby Rice, Baker Hughes’ Lorenzo Simonelli, NEI’s Maria Korsnick, Dominion’s Robert Blue, Jigar Shah, ClearPath’s Jeremy Harrell and many more.

POLITICO Holds Energy Summit – POLITICO holds its 2026 Energy Summit on Wednesday June 10th at the JW Marriott in DC. The event will convene administration officials, lawmakers, industry executives and more for urgent conversations on what’s next for the nation's energy agenda. Speakers include FERC Chair Laura Swett, NRC Chair Ho Nieh, NEDC’s Jarrod Agen, Sens. Dave McCormick and Sheldon Whitehouse, House Energy Committee Chair Brett Guthrie and many more.

Trans-Caspian Forum Set for Press Club – The Caspian Policy Center holds its Trans-Caspian Forum 2026 will be held on Wednesday June 10th at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. This year’s forum will convene senior U.S. and regional government officials, leading experts, and private sector executives to explore the evolving strategic relationship between the United States and the Greater Caspian region. USEA’s Mark Menezes and former State Department official Geoff Pyatt speak.

AGA to Discuss Summer Gas Outlook – The American Gas Association will roll out its Summer Natural Gas Outlook at a presser on Friday June 12th at 9:00 a.m. As affordability draws headlines as a top agenda item for elected officials and candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm election, AGA’s Richard Meyer and Liz Pardue will share details about the energy market outlook for the coming months. RSVP with Emily Ellis at AGA or me.

Chamber Environment Summit Set – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will host its 2026 Environmental Innovation Summit on Wednesday, June 17 at its headquarters in Washington, DC. Speakers and participants will focus on where the private sector is driving environmental innovation both domestically and globally, including in energy, the circular economy, agriculture, biodiversity, resilience, and more. NOAA’s Neil Jacobs will be among the speakers.

London Climate Action Week – London Climate week will be held on June 20th to June 28th in London, England.

SEIA Holds Finance, Tax Seminar in NYC – On June 23rd and 24th, the Solar Energy Industries Association holds its annual Finance, Tax, and Buyers Seminar in New York, NY.

Reuters Global Energy Event Set for NYC – Reuters Global Energy Forum 2026 is Set for June 23rd and -24th in New York City. The event focuses on uniting for a resilient energy future. Speakers include Exelon CEO Calvin Butler.

Congressional Renewable Expo Set – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the House and Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucuses are holding the 29th Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2026) on Wednesday June 24th. Leading experts will showcase technologies and solutions that create jobs, lower utility bills for households and businesses, build resilience, protect our national security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Speakers include Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and more.

JULY 4th – Saturday, 250th US Birthday Celebration

CEN Sets Energy Summit for Boston – Conservative Energy Network at the third annual National Conservative Energy Summit on August 3rd to 5th in Boston, MA. This event gathers local, state, and federal policymakers, industry leaders, and grassroots advocates from across the country to explore the future of energy policy in America.