Energy Update: Week of April 1

Friends,

So I had a great April Fools’ Day joke all tee’d up about me leaving Bracewell to go to the White House to run the WH Comms BUT….I just couldn’t go through with it.  Just too much for me!  Anyway, just a heads up to be on the watch for the annual April jokesters.  And this is not an April Fools’ joke: after 41 career games started at Wellesley (she plays D), Hannah scored her first college goal in Lax on Saturday in a 15-7 rout of Smith College!

See…I wasn’t just sniffin’ the Cherry blossoms when I told you two weeks ago to circle yesterday’s Duke-MSU game here in DC.  What a thriller, especially if you are POLITICO’s Zack Colman or any other of the Spartan faithful.  The other Final Four games were also great including the improbable way UVA got to overtime and won over Purdue.  Those type of bounces make me think this might be the year for Tony Bennett and Cavs, especially after last year’s early 16^th-seed exit.  But, the best stories might be both Texas Tech and Auburn, who both head to the Final Four for the first time ever.  Half of the Women’s Final Four is locked with both Oregon and UConn knocking out #1 seeds Miss St and Louisville yesterday.  #1 Baylor/#2 Iowa and overall top-seed/defending champ Notre Dame takes on #2 Stanford tonight to fill the final two spots for Tampa.  Finally, yesterday, the bids were sealed for the NCAA Hockey’s Frozen Four, which starts on Thursday, April 11^th in Buffalo.  #2 Minnesota-Duluth and #4 UMass made it through while, Denver knocked out giant-slayer American International (#16 seed that ousted top seed St. Cloud State) and Providence, who knocked out #3 MN St and top Ivy team Cornell.  On the golf front, this week is the Valero Texas Open and next week: The Masters from Augusta.  And Bryce Harper returns to DC this week as the MLB season is underway, so expect to hear the jeering from all parts of the DC Metroplex tomorrow afternoon.

With Congress in town, we will likely see a vote in Senate Energy later in the week on moving forward Interior Secretary nominee Dave Bernhardt. FY20 Budget discussions roll on with House Appropriations subcommittees holding further hearings this week for the EPA and the Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and USGS, most of them tomorrow.  The House Energy Committee also talks climate with Jay Inslee and other local officials, while House Resources looks at offshore drilling legislation. Senate Energy has Sect. Perry tomorrow and Appropriations panels will also examine budgets for the EPA, FEMA and the National Nuclear Security Administration on Wednesday. The House Interior Approps discusses BLM, BOEM and BSEE budgets on Thursday, while the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis holds its first hearing to discuss youth action on climate.

This week is the National Hydropower Association’s Waterpower Week which features DOE’s EERE head Dan Simmons and FERC Commissioner Rich Glick.  The Washington Auto Show’s policy days launch on Wednesday, Thursday and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler delivering remarks Friday at 8:45 a.m.  Other good events include ClearPath and DOE’s Atomic Wings nuke discussion on Wednesday and ARPA-E’s Innovation Showcase on the Hill, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Energy Innovation Council on Thursday evening at Rayburn.

Congrats to this weekend’s 2019 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductees honored at Friday night's ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center including Stevie Nicks, Janet Jackson, Radiohead, The Cure, Def Leppard, Roxy Music and The Zombies.  Read here for the major moments from the 2019 Rock Hall ceremony, which broadcasts on Saturday, April 27^th on HBO.

And speaking of Congrats, special props to my former GWU student and current DOE EERE Chief of Staff Alex Fitzsimmons for be named one of the American Conservative Coalition’s Green Generation “30 Under 30”.  Well deserved!!!

Just a week or so until our favorite time of the year: NHL playoffs.  We are monitoring all the action (sports, politics and otherwise), following the key stories and are happy to discuss.  Call with questions.  

 

Best,

 

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“We don’t have time for five years of a half-baked, watered-down position.  This is urgent, and to think we have time is such a privileged and removed-from-reality attitude.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talking about climate change to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes in the “All In” town hall on Sunday.

“NELA is a broad and bold step toward developing the federal goals and public-private partnerships necessary to cross valley of death that often stops groundbreaking nuclear innovation from winning in the marketplace,” “It’s also another great example of the bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for reducing carbon emissions and forging ahead with the next-generation of clean and reliable nuclear technologies that China, Russia and others are trying to corner the global market on.”

ClearPath Action Executive Director Rich Powell following the introduction of the bipartisan

Nuclear Energy Leadership Act as an important step in creating a comprehensive blueprint for

bolstering the next-generation of nuclear plants.

ON THE WEB

NWF Aiming at Ethanol – In a new effort to underscore the environmental impacts of ethanol production and RFS policy, the National Wildlife Federation has developed a new informational site that documents the true scale of the impact.  NWF argues that it has become clearer over time, and newly completed research has eliminated any remaining doubt – America’s biofuel mandate has made our environment worse, rather than better, putting at risk our health and the viability of many wildlife species, while adding billions of dollars in costs to consumers and taxpayers.  

FUN OPINIONS

The Hill: Ethanol Policy a Failure – A new op-ed in The Hill by former EPA official Win Porter says that the Renewable Fuels Standard which has advance the use of ethanol has been a disaster for the environment, the economy, consumers and small retailers and refiners. 

IN THE NEWS

Paper: Lower Cost Heating Reduce Mortality – A new working paper published with the National Bureau of Economic Research establishes a link between changes in prices for home heating and mortality rates.   The paper, “Inexpensive Heating Reduces Winter Mortality” concluded that lower natural gas prices led to fewer people dying due to home heating becoming more affordable. The authors write, “We find that lower heating prices reduce mortality in winter months…[and] that the drop in natural gas prices in the late 2000s, induced largely by the boom in shale gas production, averted 11,000 winter deaths per year in the US.”  The study underscores how important home heating costs are for many people, with literally life and death consequences. The findings have relevance to federal policy including but not limited to LIHEAP, building codes and appliance standards, and climate legislation.

Murkowski, Booker, 13 Colleagues Reintroduce Nuclear Energy Leadership Act – U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Cory Booker (D-NJ), James Risch (R-ID), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito, (R-WV) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to boost nuclear energy innovation and ensure advanced reactors can provide clean, safe, affordable, and reliable power to meet national and global energy needs.  NELA aims to reestablish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy. It will bring together private and public sector innovators to develop next-generation advanced reactor concepts.

Advanced Nuclear Advocates Applaud Senate NELA Intro – A coalition of nine advanced nuclear advocates today applauded introduction of the bipartisan Nuclear Energy Leadership Act as an important step in creating a comprehensive blueprint for bolstering the next-generation of the nation’s largest source of reliable and carbon-free power. Led by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), as well as more than a dozen other cosponsors, NELA addresses the lack of aggressive yet achievable milestones for U.S.-led advanced reactor technologies and of an overall long-term strategy for the direction of U.S. nuclear science and engineering research and development. NELA would direct DOE to establish specific goals to align the federal government, national labs and private sector in efforts to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies. It would also require DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy to develop a 10-year strategic plan that supports advanced nuclear R&D goals.  NELA addresses the lack of domestic supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HA-LEU) by establishing a program to provide a minimum amount of HA-LEU to U.S. advanced reactor developers from DOE sources until a new long-term supply is developed.   Advanced fuels and materials will also need a reliable testing ground. NELA directs DOE to construct a fast neutron research facility that will be used to test reactor components and demonstrate their safe and reliable operation, as well as fulfill other national research and development needs. Currently, the only machines capable of producing an adequate fast neutron spectrum are located in Russia and China. The bill also initiates a power purchase agreement pilot program between the DOE and utilities to procure nuclear power, and provides a technology-neutral extension of power purchasing authority for the federal government, from the current 10 years out to 40 years. The final portion of the bill reauthorizes nuclear engineering scholarships to maintain a robust pipeline of nuclear engineering talent.

White House Greenlights Keystone – President Trump issued a presidential permit authorizing the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline at the international boundary between the U.S. and Canada. Christopher Guith, Acting President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Energy Institute, today said the GEI is pleased to see action that will help clear the way for development of the Keystone XL pipeline.  Guith: “The Keystone XL pipeline is one of the most studied pieces of infrastructure in American history.  Over the course of a decade, it has been through five environmental reviews on the main route and an additional two on an alternative route.  As our president and CEO, Tom Donohue, recently said during recent Congressional testimony, ‘it shouldn’t take longer to approve a project than to build it.’  Keystone XL is in our economic and energy security interests, and review after review have found that it can be built and operated in an environmentally responsible way.  It’s time to move forward.”

New House Climate Legislation Aims Back into Paris Agreement – The Climate Action Now Act (HR 9) was also introduced in the House of Representatives last week. The legislation would prohibit the use of federal funds to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, and would direct the President to unveil a plan to meet the carbon reduction goals the United States pledged to meet when it signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016.

AOC Talks Climate in MSNBC Town Hall – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was featured in a televised town hall on MSNBC where she forcefully defended her Green New Deal and called climate change “our greatest existential threat.”  It was pretty entertaining.  “We don’t have time for five years of a half-baked, watered-down position,” Ocasio-Cortez told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes in the “All In” town hall. “This is urgent, and to think we have time is such a privileged and removed-from-reality attitude.”  Wow, that second part might be a little pot/kettle…

GM Petition Opens Door for Comment on AVs – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that autonomous vehicle (AV) petitions from General Motors (GM) and Nuro were advancing to the Federal Register for a 60-day public review and comment period. While both petitions have been met with interest, it is GM’s petition—which seeks approval to put an AV without a steering wheel or pedals on public roads—that is grabbing the spotlight.  The petition, which is the first such request from an AV developer to test a vehicle without standard human controls on a public road, will also be the first time NHTSA compares a vehicle in which all the driving decisions are made by a computer with a human driver. By opening up the petition to public comments, it will also be the first time the public will be able to formally voice their views to the federal government on AVs. Not only does it potentially represent a significant opportunity for public input on AVs, but the reaction to this petition will set precedents on NHTSA’s views and requirements for AV safety.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Waterpower Week Set – The National Hydropower Association’s Waterpower Week conference is set for today and tomorrow in DC.  Waterpower Week is comprised of NHA’s Annual Conference and the International Marine Renewable Energy Conference (IMREC).  Marine energy, America's next-gen renewable, is on a path towards commercialization. The conference will look at funding and maritime market opportunities to new deployments, Waterpower Week's IMREC sessions are focusing on the biggest challenges facing marine energy.  FERC’s Rich Glick and ACORE’s Greg Wetstone are speaking.

PGA Heads to San Anton for Valero Texas Open –This week Valero is hosting the Texas Open at the TPC in San Antonio.  Last year, Austin, TX-resident Andrew Landry claimed his first PGA TOUR victory, hoisted the Valero Texas Open trophy and slipped on the Champion's Boots.  This year’s Valero Texas Open, along with the Valero Benefit for Children, has raised a record $12 million, bringing the grand total to $138 million in charitable giving.

GWU to Host American Egypt Chamber on Energy – Today at 3:30 p.m., the GWU Elliott School of International Affairs hosts members of the Cairo-based American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt to discuss prospects for energy development and sustainability. 

House Approps Panel Hosts Wheeler – The House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the EPA budget tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. featuring Andrew Wheeler.

Perry to Stop at Senate Energy – The Senate Energy Committee will convene a hearing tomorrow to examine the President's FY 2020 Budget Request for the Department of Energy.  Secretary Perry will testify.

Senate Enviro Hosts NRC Commissioners – The Senate Environment Committee panel holds oversight hearing tomorrow on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  It will feature Commissioners Svinicki, Baran, Burns, Caputo and Wright.

House Energy Focuses on State Climate Issues – The House E&C Energy panel will hold a hearing tomorrow on state and local actions to combat climate change.  Witnesses include WA Gov/Presidential Candidate Jay Inslee, as well as a bunch of leaders from Columbia SC, Salt Lake City UT, Beaver County PA and Midland TX.

House Science to Look at NASA Budget – The House Science panel scrutinizes NASA’s fiscal 2020 budget request tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. featuring NASA Head James Bridenstine.

House Transpo to Look at Pipeline Safety – The House Transportation Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow in HVC-210 on pipeline safety the hearing will focus on reviewing the status of mandates and examine additional safety needs.  API and IPAA are expected to testify for industry.

House Approps Panel NNSA Leaders – The House Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hold a hearing tomorrow and on the National Nuclear Security Admin budget.  DOE Undersecretary for NNSA Lisa Gordon-Hagerty leads a team of witnesses.  They will also head to the Senate Approps Panel on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

House Resources Panel to Look at Offshore Drilling – The House Resources Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee holds a legislative hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on protecting coastal communities from offshore drilling.  The legislation to be discussed will focus on effort to prohibit more drilling.

House Panel to Look at Western Water Infrastructure – The House Resources Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee holds hearing tomorrow on the state of Western Water Infrastructure and Innovation.  

Autos 2050 Set to Lead into Auto Show – The Auto Alliance hosts Autos2050 tomorrow as a lead-in to the Washington Auto Show, known as the “policy” auto show. The showcases breakthrough moments in how we think about transportation – the best and brightest of 2019 and beyond. Set squarely within the epicenter of federal activity on public policy, Autos2050 will offer perspectives by thought leaders and policy experts on the future of driving.

JHU to Look at Utility EE – The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies holds a discussion tomorrow at Noon on energy efficiency in emerging markets.   The event will focus on applying the sustainable energy utility model in Medellin, Colombia.

Duke/GTM Host GND Panel – The Duke University Energy Initiative and Greentech Media hold panel discussion tomorrow evening in Durham, N.C., on the Green New Deal resolution.

Park Service Budget Under Review at Resources – The House Natural Resources National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee holds a hearing on examining the spending priorities and mission of the National Park Service.

Wheeler to Senate Approps – The Senate Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on the proposed budget estimates and justification for FY 2020 for EPA with Andrew Wheeler. 

Forum to Look at Resilient Energy Systems – Grid Edge East is a one-day Greentech Media forum on Wednesday at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business focused on how innovation and centralization can result in a more resilient energy system. The event will explore how frontier technologies such as AI, edge computing and power electronics are already impacting grid resiliency and customer experience, and how market leaders are innovating core systems at the edge of the grid and features expert insights from leading utilities, smart grid tech giants, and Wood Mackenzie researchers.

House Approps Panel Looks at FWS, USGS NPS Budget — The House Appropriations Interior-Environment holds a hearing on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. to look at the budget of the National Parks Service, Fish and Wildlife Services, and U.S. Geological Survey. 

House Energy Funding Panel to Look at DOE Programs — House Appropriations Energy-Water Development hearing on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. looking at the budget for DOE Science, Energy, and Environmental Management Programs.

Next Atomic Wings Forum Set – DOE and ClearPath host the next Atomic Wings advanced nuclear luncheon discussion on Wednesday in G50 Dirksen.  Speakers will include Senate Energy Committee staff Ben Reinke, Brett Papal of the Clean Air Task Force and former NRC Commissioner Jeff Merrifield.  

WCEE to Host Marine Mammal Discussion – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) hosts a lunch at the Ocean Foundation on Wednesday that will look at marine mammal protection in an era of expanded ocean development.  A panel of experts will look at the government and NGO initiatives working to protect marine mammals and balance ocean management priorities.  Speakers include NOAA’s Shannon Bettridge, Peter Thomas of the Marine Mammal Commission and Mark Spalding, President of the Ocean Foundation.  

Transatlantic Energy, Climate Breakfast Set – The German Embassy and Ecologic Institute holds its Transatlantic Climate Breakfast on Wednesday at 8.30 a.m.  U of Mich Professor Miranda Schreurs will share her insights into the work of the Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment – also known as the Coal Commission. Germany is in the midst of a major transition towards a low carbon economy. In addition to its nuclear phase out scheduled to be completed 2022, Germany is discussing concrete steps to phase out of coal. The Coal Commission has put forward a plan for a complete phase out from coal until 2038 and possibly earlier.  This talk will discuss how Germany plans to achieve these ambitious goals, the factors driving the transition, and how it could influence the country’s economic structure in the years ahead and Germany’s efforts to be a global climate leader.

Washington “Policy” Auto Show Line Set –The Washington Auto Show launches on Wednesday and Thursday as the auto show circuit’s “Public Policy Show” and precedes the regular show with two Public Policy Preview Days of special events and announcements for officials in government, industry and the media.  The events will feature discussions of AI. Data mobility, AVs and other items.  EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will deliver remarks to the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association's on Friday at 8:45 a.m.  Our friend Robbie Diamond of SAFE will be on the AV panel while Reuters auto correspondent David Shepardson, NADA CEO Peter Welch, former NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind and current NHTSA Administrator Heidi King as well as others will all speak.  The regular Washington Auto Show starts Friday and runs through the 14^th and there are hundreds of vehicles on display from over 35 manufacturers. See the production, concept, luxury, electric, hybrid, exotic and historic cars that covered 750,000 square feet of floor space in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Select Climate Committee to Look at Youth Action – The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis discusses youth action on climate at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. 

House Approps Looks at BLM, BSEE, BOEM – The House Appropriations’ Interior panel assesses fiscal 2020 budget requests for Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.  Witnesses include BSEE Director Scott Angelle, BOEM veteran Walter Cruickshank and BLM Deputy for Policy/Programs Brian Steed.

Planet Forward Summit Set – The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs holds the 2019 Planet Forward Summit on Thursday and Friday at GW.  It will feature some of the best communicators, photographers, innovators, policymakers, and journalists in the world. Discover what “impact” really means for communicators and creatives alike, and network with influential people and organizations in sustainability and science. 

SEIA, NEI Headline MIT Energy Conference – The MIT Energy Club hosts its 2019 MIT Energy Conference on Thursday at the Boston Marriott Cambridge.  The focus this year will be on power grids and what they may look like in 2040.  Speakers include SEIA’s Abby Hopper, NEI’s Maria Korsnick, PSEG CEO Ralph Izzo and our friends at GTM’s Energy Gang Podcast, who will do a live show.

ACORE Looks at Renewable Trends — The American Council on Renewable Energy holds a briefing Thursday at 3:00 p.m. in 112 Cannon on current trends in the renewable energy and energy storage industries, and key public policy issues facing the 116^th Congress.

BPC Hosts Innovation Showcase with ARPA-E – ARPA-E holds its Innovation Showcase on the Hill, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Energy Innovation Council on Thursday in the Rayburn foyer at 6:30 p.m. ARPA-E Acting Director Chanette Armstrong will give remarks.

Sustainability Summit Set for LA – E2 hosts its 13^th annual Sustainability Summit in LA where local business, government and non-profit leaders at the Sustainability Summit to explore how to California is creating climate resilient economies and growing access to clean energy and water resource technologies.

JHU to Look at China Coal Policy – On Friday at 12:30 p.m., Johns Hopkins University hosts a forum on integrating air quality, water and climate concerns into China's energy strategy.  The talk will feature two examples in the energy space to highlight the potential synergies and tradeoffs between multiple environmental objectives: a) scaling up electric vehicles for air quality vs. carbon mitigation objectives, and b) building transmission infrastructure to address air pollution vs. water conservation goals. Both examples are evaluated by an integrated assessment method using scenario analysis, air quality modeling, and/or optimization modeling. These analyses highlight the importance of integrating carbon, air pollution and water objectives into China’s energy strategies to simultaneously address local and global sustainability challenges.

CSIS to Look at Nuclear Verification Issues – CSIS’s Project on Nuclear Issues holds a forum on Friday featuring a keynote address and discussion with Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on nuclear safeguards, the work the IAEA performs and the current challenges that it faces.

IN THE FUTURE

Offshore Wind Conference Set – The Business Network for Offshore Wind holds its International Partnering Forum (IPF) on Monday April 8^th to 10^th in NYC.  The event is the leading technical conference for offshore wind in the United States and is dedicated to moving the industry forward.  Speakers include our friends Liz Burdick, BOEM’s Walter Cruickshank, Equinor’s Christer af Geijerstam and Julia Bovey, Utility Dive’s Iulia Gheorghiu and UDel’s Jeremy Firestone, as well as NJ Gov. Phil Murphy, NYSERDA’s Richard Kaufman and many more.

Conference to Look at Energy in Central Asia – CERES holds an international, all-day conference at Georgetown next Monday on energy and economics in Central Asia. Ambassador Richard Morningstar of the Atlantic Council will keynote.

WRI to Host Forum on Climate – The World Resources Institute holds a dialogue next Monday at 3:30 p.m. on how to advance policies in the United States that respond to the scale of the climate challenge. Axios reporter Amy Harder will moderate a keynote conversation with Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), who leads the newly created House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.  This will be followed by an interview with former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), co-founder of the Climate Solutions Caucus, and a panel of energy and climate experts that will dive deeper on what Congress can do in the near-term to shift the U.S. electricity system toward cleaner sources of power.

JHU Forum to Look at Water-Energy – Next Tuesday, April 9^th at 12:00 p.m., Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS Energy Practicum Team for Fluence with a presentation looking at how water stress impacts thermal and hydro electricity generation. Practicum students have partnered with Fluence to analyze how water stress impacts thermal and hydro electricity generation.

Senate Commerce to Look at Pipelines – The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday April 10^th to look at pipeline safety.  More on this next week.

WCEE Event to Feature Transportation – Bracewell is hosting a Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) lunch on Wednesday April 10^th at Noon to discuss infrastructure with CEQ’s Alex Hergott.  The federal environmental review and authorization for energy infrastructure often requires review across several agencies, with varying degrees of coordination on timing and scope, leading to delays and uncertainties. Reforming this process has been a cornerstone of the Trump Administration’s domestic policy agenda.  Other speakers include my colleague Ann Navaro and Army Corps Reg Chief Tammy Turley.

SAFE Event to Focus on NOPEC – Mark your calendars for a potential event by Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) at its office on April 10^th at 9:00 a.m. to look at NOPEC legislation.    More on this next week. 

Forum to Look at Book on Resilience – The New America Fellows Program and Future Tense hold a conversation on Wednesday April 10^th at 6:00 p.m. with David Wallace-Wells, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, and Vann Newkirk, Staff Writer at the Atlantic, about the far-reaching impacts of climate change and steps policymakers and citizens can take to address short-term threats and build long-term strategies for resilience.

Forum to Look at Urban Transition – The World Resources Institute’s Coalition for Urban Transitions presents a forum on investing in a sustainable urban future, a new guide to national and sub-national reform.  The creation of clean, compact, and connected cities can stimulate job creation and economic growth, improve air quality and living standards, and avoid the costs of sprawl - all while reducing carbon emissions. However, the sustainable urban infrastructure financing gap currently exceeds $1 trillion per year. Join us for a lively discussion on the means and methods of addressing this critical gap. This event will be the official launch of a major new publication 'Scaling up investment for sustainable urban infrastructure: A guide to national and sub-national reform' co-authored by the London School of Economics and the Coalition for Urban Transitions.

WOTUS Revision Comments Due – April 15^th

Petraeus to Address Energy Economists Annual Meeting – The National Capitol Area Chapter of the US Association for Energy Economics is holding its 23^rd annual conference on Wednesday April 24^th at the Marvin Center Continental Ballroom at George Washington University. The theme of this year's one-day event is Energy Security.  The confirmed keynote speaker at lunch is David Petraeus, Chairman of the KKR Global Institute. General Petraeus is former director of the Central Intelligence Agency and was commanding general of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and Commander of United States Central Command.  Morning panels will focus on the international role of the United States, the perspective of the U.S. military, and the response of the refining and shipping industries to changes in emissions limits for bunker fuel. Afternoon panels will cover the security of the electric power grid and fossil fuel delivery systems.  There are many leaders from think tanks, government, the private sector and consultancies to explain how energy security concerns are driving the energy markets.

EPIC Forum to Look at RFS Issues – On Wednesday, April 24^th, the Energy Policy Institute of Chicago (EPIC) holds a forum to release new, cutting-edge research that sheds light on long-standing questions about the precise impact of RPS policies on electricity rates and their overall efficiency as a climate policy and discuss the economic and climate impacts of renewable portfolio standards. Speakers include EPIC head Michael Greenstone, former DOE Official Melanie Kenderdine and former staff director of Senate Energy McKie Campbell.  The event will be moderated by Amy Harder of Axios.

EPA E15, RIN Market Reforms Comments Due – April 29^th