Energy Update: Week of April 20

Friends,

Did I say I really don’t like gardening and yard work!!!  I was supposed to be at Delaware on Saturday and JMU on Sunday doing NCAA spring field hockey, but instead I was digging holes, planting flowers and taking orders. UGH…

It will be another interesting week from home.  Today is the 10^th Anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Incident.  It is also Patriots Day in Boston, but this time without the annual Boston Marathon and no Wellesley Scream tunnel (which I have been highlighting for the 4 years Hannah has been at Wellesley). Wednesday is the 50^th Earth Day and Friday would have been the Tool concert in Baltimore. Yet, we are stuck home, in my case with college kids, who are having trouble understanding what “I’m working right now” means.

As for Congress, with PPP funds running out last Thursday, it is likely they will pass another round of COVID-19 support sometime later this week, with a potentially an even broader relief package to follow.  We are reporting regularly so stay tuned here and today’s report is below. 

As for on-line events, it is a busy week…  It all starts today with AWEA hosting its offshore economic impact report and campaign launch at 3:00 p.m. featuring Laura Morton while EPRI participates in a webinar solar energy and technologies for local governments.  Also at 3:00 p.m., the Renewable Fuels Assn holds a call on all subjects COVID and biofuels, which certainly will focus on the President’s announcement Friday for farm aid that left them out. 

Tomorrow, Business Network for Offshore Wind starts a two-day virtual conference on offshore wind opportunities and challenges while at 9:30 a.m., Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy and Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington hold webinar on global oil production.

On Earth Day Wednesday, former Energy Secretary Moniz has two events starting with an  OurEnergyPolicy Energy Leaders Webinar Series at 1:00 p.m. and an EFI virtual celebration of the 50^th Anniversary Earth Day at 3:00 p.m., while at Noon ACORE and BloombergNEF host a State of the Renewable Industry Webinar to discuss renewables and COVID. 

Johns Hopkins SAIS holds an online event on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. on hydrogen and BCSE’s Lisa Jacobson, AWEA's Tom Kiernan and SEIA’s Dan Whitten outline renewable’s efforts related to COVID-19 legislation, regulatory adjustments and challenges with construction and financing during at Infocast Webinar at 1:00 p.m.

Finally, on Friday at 1:00 p.m., RFF hosts a Zoom call that will feature a discussion on the incentives to encourage natural gas companies to produce greener gas.  Among the speakers is AGA’s Pam Lacey.

Speaking of RNG, today there is a new study out on RNG use that says that over the last five years, RNG use as a transportation fuel has increased 291% -- with 39% of all on-road fuel used in natgas vehicles in 2019 using RNG. 

Finally, because we are stuck at home, our Bracewell DC team put together a COVID Spotify playlist that I thought you mind find to your liking.  See if you can guess my selections. That’s all for today, call with questions, stay safe & healthy and review our COVID-19 updates. 

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“The macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19 have resulted in suppressed international demand for refined products, like motor fuels and diesel. We urge an expeditious answer to this request as sweeping economic impacts to industrial employment, consumer interests, and all aspects of the economy will be compounded by any delay.”

Letter to Administrator Wheeler signed by TX Gov. Greg Abbott, UT Gov. Gary Herbert, OK Gov. Kevin Stitt and WY Gov. Mark Gordon. LA Gov. John Bel Edwards filed a waiver request last week. Collectively, the states requesting RVO waivers account for a broad swath of total U.S. refining capacity.

ON THE PODCAST

RFF Podcast Discusses Delays In Climate Meetings – As the coronavirus pandemic makes large gatherings temporarily impossible, the annual UN climate talks initially planned for November have been rescheduled to 2021. The delay is a significant setback, given that COP26 is slated to be the summit where countries announce more ambitious emissions targets under the Paris Agreement. For more on why COP26 is so salient for international efforts to address climate change, especially given that COP25 “was pretty much a complete failure,” listen to this episode of Resources Radio featuring Environmental Defense Fund Senior Vice President Nathaniel Keohane.

FUN OPINIONS

E2’s Keefe: Clean Energy Jobs Being Crushed, But are Essential to Recovery – In an column in Morning Consult, Bob Keefe, executive director for E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), writes more than 106,000 clean energy workers lost their jobs in March alone, according to a new analysis of unemployment data. A half-million such workers could be out of work in the months ahead if Congress and state lawmakers don’t step up to support what has become one of our nation’s biggest employment sectors. Keefe says clean energy is not alone, but it is one of the biggest, fastest-growing job sectors in America and “one essential to our economy, resilience and environment.”

FROG BLOG

Wind Report Shows 2019 Strong Year to Build On – Although the COVID-19 pandemic is causing great uncertainty throughout our economy, American wind power rests on a strong foundation as we seek to overcome these challenging times. And AWEA’s just-released Wind Powers America Annual Report 2019 shows just how strong that foundation is. Wind energy is powering more U.S. families and businesses than ever before while providing well-paying jobs, investments in rural America, and a cleaner environment.

IN THE NEWS

RNG Use for On-Road Fuel Increasing – Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) and Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) today said in a new report that 39% of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles in calendar year 2019 was renewable natural gas (RNG). Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural, wastewater, landfill or food waste, RNG produces carbon-neutral and even carbon-negative results when fueling on-road vehicles like short- and long-haul trucks, transit buses, and refuse and recycling collection vehicles. RNG fuel has the lowest EER-adjusted carbon intensity of any on-road motor fuel, as low as -400. Over the last five years, RNG use as a transportation fuel has increased 291 percent, displacing close to 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). NGVAmerica and RNG Coalition report that in 2019 a total of 717 million gallons (GGE) 2 of natural gas were used as motor fuel. Of that, 277 million gallons (GGE) were renewable.

Specific Gains for RNG – RNG motor fuel use has eliminated 7,482,936 metric tons of CO2e over the last five years. Put into perspective, RNG motor fuel is:

• Lowering greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to removing the GHG from 18,568,079,404 miles driven by the average passenger car, or from 745,676 trips around the earth;
• Reducing CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing CO2 emission from 842,009,227 gallons of gasoline, or the total amount of fuel used annually by 63,171 transit buses; and
• Sequestering carbon, equal to growing 123,731,931 tree seedlings for ten years, or 9,772,367 acres of U.S. forests for one year.

 

Five Governors Ask EPA to Waive RFS – The Governors from five states released a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler calling for an expedited waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVO). The letter outlines how high RFS compliance costs are putting American fuel supplies and refining jobs at risk as they face plummeting transportation fuel demand associated with the extensive COVID-19-related lifestyle and travel restrictions.  The cost of RFS compliance credits, known as “renewable identification numbers” (RINs), rose to 41 cents Wednesday—an increase of 178% since the beginning of 2020—creating a substantial burden for refiners at a time when the U.S. economy and fuel demand has crashed. “Currently, significant harm to the energy economy is expected to result from depressed demand for transportation fuel,” write the Governors. “But the 2020 RFS compliance obligations, in their current form, risk transforming the current severe economic harm to existential harm for some of the refineries in our states. With the refining and petrochemical industries contributing some $600 billion annually to the national economy and employing over three million industrial workers in some 33 states, a material threat to the refining sector clearly would constitute a severe economic harm to particular states, regions and the Nation as a whole.” Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), refineries are forced to blend a given percentage of biofuels into the nation’s motor fuel supply each year, regardless of any specific financial, logistical or broader economic challenges they face.

AWEA Report Shows 2019 Strong Year for Wind – AWEA’s Wind Powers American annual report was released last week and it showed wind power emerged from 2019 as America’s top choice for new power after building 9.1 gigawatts (GW), representing 39% of new utility-scale power additions. With these additions, operating wind power capacity in the U.S. now stands at over 105 GW, enough to power 32 million American homes. In addition, wind energy is now the largest provider of renewable energy in the country, supplying over 7 percent of the nation’s electricity in 2019. The newly released Wind Powers America Annual Report 2019 reveals that U.S. wind energy supports a record 120,000 American jobs, 530 domestic factories, and $1.6 billion a year in revenue for states and communities that host wind farms.

Wind Power Capacity/Generation, Decade at New Heights – The U.S. wind industry experienced its third strongest year on record in 2019, as project developers invested nearly $14 billion in new wind projects totaling 9,137 MW. These installations made wind power the number one choice of new utility-scale power generation in 2019, capturing 39% of new additions. Total operating wind power capacity increased 9.6% to 105,591 MW, with nearly 60,000 wind turbines now operating across 41 states and two territories. This caps off a strong decade of growth that saw America more than triple its wind power capacity to become the largest renewable power resource on a capacity basis. Wind power represented 30 percent of utility-scale power plant installations over the past ten years.

Wind Energy Powering Rural Economies – The U.S. wind industry now directly employs 120,000 Americans, spread across all 50 states. Wind turbine technicians, the workers who build and maintain wind farms, continue to represent the second fastest growing career in the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, veterans find wind jobs at a rate 61 percent higher than the average U.S. industry. Texas continues to lead the way for wind power jobs, with over 25,000 wind workers employed in the Lone Star State. Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, and Indiana round out the top 5 states for wind energy employment. Wind power is one of the few industries creating new American manufacturing jobs. As of 2019, over 530 U.S. factories across 43 states build wind turbine components, employing over 26,000 Americans. Many of these jobs are in rural or small towns across America, offering young people rewarding careers that allow them to put down roots and support their families without having to leave home.

Report Shows COVID Impact on Renewables – ACORE’s mid-March survey on COVID-19 impacts have now translated into hard data on lost jobs in the renewable industry says Its new unemployment analysis.  More than 16,500 renewable energy workers lost their jobs and filed for unemployment in the month of March. This represents a loss of about 3 percent of the workforce in a single month, a rate about triple the monthly job loss across the larger economy. And there is good reason for concern that the numbers for April and May could be much worse.  

Covid Update

We start with an update on negotiations over an interim COVID-19 relief package that would provide much-needed funds to the depleted Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), among other measures. Our update concludes with analysis of the Trump administration’s recent decision to postpone certain tariff payments.

PPP: A Deal Is Near, But It’s Only A Band-Aid

• A deal is near. A deal on an interim emergency COVID-19 relief package is near.
  • Over the weekend, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said negotiations were proceeding well and that a deal is imminent.
  • House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) notified House members on Sunday evening that the House could meet as early as 10:00 AM EDT on Wednesday of this week to consider the PPP legislation.
    • The Senate is expected to act first, perhaps as early as today—more on timing below.
• Deal contents. While reported numbers have fluctuated, the final package is expected to include: 
  • PPP. $310 billion for the PPP.
    • Of this sum, $60 billion is said to be set aside to provide access to underserved groups.

  • EIDL. $60 billion for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

    • Funds can be leveraged, so this sum is intended to address the existing demand.

  • Hospitals. $75 billion for hospitals.

  • Testing. $25 billion for testing.

• Sticking points. Key sticking points that remain are Democratic asks for the following provisions:

  • COVID Testing Strategy. Democrats want the final package to include a requirement that the government establish a COVID-19 testing strategy, and further disagreements remain over how the $25 billion should be used.
  • Hospital Allocations. While the deal is expected to provide an additional $75 billion to hospitals, Democrats remain unsatisfied with the existing CARES Act allocation formula, and want assurances that relief money will follow COVID-19 impact and incidence.
  • State and Local Government Aid. Democrats seek additional funding for state and local governments.
    • The GOP has firmly rebuffed Democratic demands for additional funding for state and local governments, with President Donald Trump telling reporters “that will be in our next negotiation.”
  • SNAP. Democrats want a 15 percent increase in the maximum benefit under this nutrition assistance program.
    • Treasury Secretary Mnuchin has said that these SNAP demand will not make the cut for the interim package.
• Deal timing and process. Senate leaders aim to approve a deal during a procedural pro forma session early this week.
  • The chamber is set to meet for a pro forma session this afternoon at 2:00 PM EDT. It is anticipated that the GOP will use this session to take procedural action to set up another pro forma session for Tuesday afternoon. This would buy time to finish hammering out a PPP deal that could be passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
    • Otherwise, the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 24.
  • If the Senate passes the measure, the ball moves to the House, where lawmakers must pass the bill via voice vote. The package could pass on Wednesday, and it would then head to the President’s desk, where it would in all likelihood be signed into law.
• What happens now for PPP? With roughly 800,000 pending applications left in limbo over the lapse, systematic changes required to account for new set-asides, and demand growing every day, bringing the program back online will not be without challenges.
  • Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted his concerns this morning:

If Senate can pass #PPP $ today & House acts on Wednesday we should have another $300b in funds for #PPPloans this week. Let’s not waste the next 3 days.

Will ask @SBAgov [Small Business Administration] to allow lenders to begin processing loans “Subject To Funding” to avoid overwhelming the system again.

• Phase Four. Given that the PPP funding in this interim emergency relief package will likely run dry quickly, a Phase Four stimulus package is a question of when, not if. Elements of a potential Phase Four bill, that could have a price tag as large as $4 trillion, include:
  • Direct cash payments to individuals.
  • Safety net program extensions.
  • Additional small business loan funding.
  • Additional hospital funding.
  • Additional state and local government aid.
  • Hazard pay for essential workers.

COVID-19 Tariff Payment Postponement

• Sunday, the President issued an executive order directing the Secretary of Treasury to take action to extend estimate duty payment deadlines for importers pursuant to 19 USC 1318(a).
• The tariff relief described by the President’s order is very narrow, and the interim rule released by Treasury on Sunday night in response to the Executive Order provides for the delayed payment of a limited universe of tariffs by a limited number of importers.
• Treasury’s temporary interim final rule will, effective immediately:

“[T]emporarily postpone the deadline for importers of record…to pay as of the date of entry… for merchandise entered in March or April 2020, for a period of 90 days from the date that the deposit would otherwise have been due but for this emergency action.  In addition, no interest that would otherwise accrue upon such estimated duties, taxes, and fees will accrue during the 90-day postponement period.”

• This postponement is very limited, and does not cover:
  • Any duties or fees already paid;
  • Antidumping duties;
  • Countervailing duties;
  • Section 232 duties (national security—used for aluminum and steel); or
  • Section 301 duties (e.g. recent China duties)
• To qualify for this postponement, the importer will request the postponement when submitting entries for imports with CBP.
  • An importer is not required to submit any additional paperwork or documentation with the request, but the interim rule requires that the importer maintain the documentation establishing “it meets the requirements for relief” in its books and records.
• The standard that an importer must meet is “significant financial hardship.”  The Treasury interim rule explains that this means:

“An eligible importer’s operation must be fully or partially suspended during March or April 2020 due to orders from a competent governmental authority limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings because of COVID-19, and as a result of such suspension, the gross receipts of such importer for March 13-31, 2020 or April 2020 are less than 60 percent of the gross receipts for the comparable period in 2019.  An eligible importer need not file additional documentation with CBP to be eligible for this relief but must maintain documentation as part of its books and records establishing that it meets the requirements for relief.”

• The rule also waives any requirement to submit estimated duties, taxes and fees to establish a date on entry, which means that importers can establish their date of entry notwithstanding the postponement of payment.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

10^th Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Incident – April 20^th

Solar Storage Discussion Set – Today at 2:00 p.m., Sustainable CT holds a forum featuring representatives from EPRI, the Solar Foundation and other organizations take part in webinar on the pairing of solar energy and energy storage technologies for local governments. The webinar provides an introduction into the topic including markets, tariffs, benefits, and interconnection agreements. It then has a deeper study of permitting considerations for communities such as safety, resources and existing challenges.

AWEA to Host Offshore Wind Discussion – AWEA hosts a webinar today at 3:00 p.m. to launch its offshore wind economic impact  This webinar will cover AWEA’s recently released report, U.S. Offshore Wind Power Economic Impact Assessment and the coinciding launch of the #SupportOffshoreWind campaign and website. The report details the huge, once-in-a-generation opportunity that offshore wind can bring to the U.S. with up to 30,000 MW of capacity and 83,000 jobs by 2030.  Our friend Laura Morton hosts.

Forum to Look at Direct A Capture – Tomorrow at Noon, the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy holds an explainer webinar on direct air capture.  Speakers will include Jen Wilcox, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Christoph Beuttler, Climateworks; and Sahag Voskian, MIT, who will discuss the ins and outs of Direct Air Capture.

Offshore Wind Conference Set – The Business Network for Offshore Wind, the leading non-profit advocate for U.S. offshore wind at the state, federal and global levels, will host its 7^th annual International Partnership Forum (IPF) on tomorrow to Friday NOW ONLINE.  They will reschedule the in-person meeting in Providence, Rhode Island for August 18-21. The annual IPF conference is the premier event for the offshore wind supply chain, which is now projected to be a $70 billion revenue opportunity through 2030.

Webinar to Look at Global Oil Production – The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy hold webinar tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on global oil production.  This forum will look at a series of questions on the impacts on all sizes of oil and gas companies.

NRC to Discuss Indian Point Decommissioning – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds a webinar on decommissioning of New York’s Indian Point nuclear power plant. The purpose of the webinar will be to provide key facts regarding the decommissioning process and how the NRC regulates such activities through on-site inspections and other reviews.

EPA Enforcement Official to Discuss Defeat Devices – The Environmental Law Institute holds webinar tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. on auto “defeat devices” contributing to air pollution. Panelists include Evan Belser, associate director of EPA’s Air Enforcement Division.

Forum to Look at Alaska Coastal Resilience – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a briefing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on scientific developments and policy initiatives that are helping protect Alaskan ecosystems and communities from erosion, sea level rise, and other coastal hazards. The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues in high-latitude or coastal areas.

Earth Day –Wednesday April 22^nd  the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day.

Wilson to Hold Environmental Forum – On Wednesday, the Wilson Center will hold a virtual conference on global cooperation on the environment.  The event will look at policy, technology and action. In partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Commons and the Earth Optimism Summit and leveraging initiatives such as the Wilson Center’s collaboration around Earth Challenge 2020, we aim to elevate solutions-based, integrated approaches to tackling today’s toughest environmental challenges. The result can be a more inclusive, resilient, and ultimately healthy environment and society.

Senate Enviro Start Water Infrastructure Legislation Stakeholder Research – Today at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Environment Committee starts an information-gathering process on two draft bills on water infrastructure and drinking water infrastructure. The Committee will electronically accept written statements from five invited stakeholders followed up with questions and responses.

Webinar to Look at Utility Prep, Continuity – Power magazine holds a webinar Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on business continuity planning and plan execution, pandemic preparation and essential services considerations for the electricity industry. Today’s emerging and continual response to the rapidly growing COVID-19 is creating new ways of doing business. Many are focused on prevention of the spread, while others consider the “what if” and recovery. This webinar will feature experts from ConEd, AEP and Burbank Power who are executing business continuity plans.

Columbia Hosts Forum on Climate, Sustainability – Columbia University’s Earth Institute holds online forum on Earth Day starting at 10:00 a.m. looking at future climate and sustainability efforts.

Webinar to Look at Energy Storage – The US Energy Assn will hold a webinar at 11:00 a.m. on DOE’s Fossil Energy office new program - the Advanced Energy Storage Program.  DOE will provide an overview of the new program, its relationship to the DOE-wide Energy Storage Grand Challenge, and engage stakeholders in a short dialogue to inform future program plans. This program will conduct research and development to advance energy storage technologies and integrate them with fossil assets to reduce barriers to wide-spread deployment.  NETL’s Briggs White will speak.

ACEEE Webinar to Look at Energy Efficiency, COVID – The American Council on an Energy-Efficiency Economy officials and others take part in webinar Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on how energy efficiency can help address the COVID-19 pandemic. The event explore how this tool can help revive the COVID-wracked economy and at the same time, get us halfway to U.S. climate goals by halving energy use and emissions. ACEEE’s new Call to Action offers a roadmap.

Webinar to Look at Energy Demand, Climate Goals – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. looking at how different actors from across the energy sector can work together to meet energy demand and achieve climate goals, while also safeguarding and bettering the environment. Actors from across the energy sector, from renewables to hydrocarbons, have an opportunity to play a proactive role in meeting these environmental challenges and in creating a cleaner, healthier, and more inhabitable environment.

Webinar Looks at Energy Investment – Rystad Energy holds another webinar Wednesday on COVID-19 and energy investment. COVID-19 has heavily impacted the global energy industry, but what opportunities has this uncovered for investors?  Rystad CEO, Jarand Rystad, and Head of Analysis, Per Magnus Nysveen, will analyze the segments where we expect to see the most activity.

Webinar to Look at State of Renewables – On Wednesday at Noon, ACORE and BloombergNEF’s State of the Industry Webinar will be held to discuss renewables and COVID.  The event is a quarterly series that offers the latest intelligence and analysis on the renewable energy sector. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds, while down 12% this year, appear to be less vulnerable to the current economic crisis than traditional funds. Analysts predict that the pandemic could elevate ESG factors in investment decisions, as investors request more information about supply chains, workforce and environmental issues, ultimately moving toward a “new normal” of sustainability. How might these developments affect investment in the renewable energy sector?  ACORE’s Greg Wetstone and BNEF’s Ethan Zindler will speak.

Moniz to Headline Webinar – OurEnergyPolicy hosts its Energy Leaders Webinar Series on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. featuring former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz where he will discuss his proposed energy stimulus program and its goals to support infrastructure modernization to help the economy rebound from COVID-19.

Forum to Look at Sustainable Transportation – The National Academies’ Transportation Research Board holds a webinar on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. looking at sustainability and transportation funding/financing. The event will address these intersections in federal surface transportation authorization, and realignment of state transportation spending. Presenters will also discuss a multi-state transportation climate initiative, and ratings agency perspectives.  Speakers include Georgetown’s Vicki Arroyo, Scott Zuchorski of Fitch Ratings and Senate Environment Committee staffer Rebecca Higgins.

EFI to Host Earth Day Forum – The Aspen Institute and Energy Future Initiative will host a virtual celebration of the 50^th Anniversary Earth Day on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., featuring remarks by EFI CEO and Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz followed by a conversation on the climate and health nexus. Experts will discuss the impacts of climate change on human health, highlighting economic, security, and social equity issues. Axios climate change and energy reporter Amy Harder will moderate a panel discussion featuring NAACP Jacqueline Patterson, Amy Luers of Future Earth and Michael Greenstone of EPIC.

NAS, ClimateMusic to Host Webinar – For Earth Day 2020 (the 50th anniversary of Earth Day), the National Academy of Sciences in collaboration with The ClimateMusic Project will host an online discussion on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. with diverse experts exploring the intersections of music, climate change, and community action.  The program will feature clips and a discussion of a previously recorded performance of Icarus in Flight, an original chamber work by composer Richard Festinger, performed by the Telegraph Quartet. Icarus in Flight is a science-guided composition that models three human drivers of climate change – population growth, fossil fuel use, and land-use change–over two centuries, from 1880-2080 based on widely accepted IPCC data.

Playbook Forum to Host Kerry – On Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., POLITICO Playbook Co-Authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman host a discussion with former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on his recently launched bipartisan global coalition to galvanize action to fight climate change, the global action needed to overcome the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, and his work as a surrogate for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

EPA Officials Featured in ABA Spring Conference – The American Bar Association’s Energy, Environment, and Resources section holds online version of its 49^th spring conference starting at 9:00 a.m.  The initial session will feature keynote speeches from EPA officials Doug Benevuto, deputy administrator nominee, of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention assistant administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn and Land and Emergency Management assistant administrator Peter Wright.  The afternoon session looks at emerging contaminants with Dunn and former EPA officials Stan Meiburg and Grant Nakayama.

Webinar Focused on Forests – The World Resources Institute holds a webinar on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. on how forest sector solutions such as conservation, restoration, and improved management of forests can help countries cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. During this webinar, WRI and UNDP experts will give an overview of new guidance, NDC Enhancement: Opportunities in the Forest and Land-use Sector and Ecuador's Environment Ministry will share the country’s experience and perspective, having already submitted a revised NDC in 2018, with an enhanced role for the forest sector.

JHU to Look at Hydrogen – The Johns Hopkins SAIS will hold an online event on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. on hydrogen.  The seminar will feature Christopher Jackson, Protium Green Solutions, UK; Patrick Molloy, Rocky Mountain Institute, US and Markus Wilthaner, McKinsey & Company, UK.

Webinar Looks at Renewables, COVID – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy, American Wind Energy Association, and Solar Energy Industries Association officials take part in an Infocast webinar on Thursday 1:00 p.m. looking at the renewable industry’s response to COVID-19. BCSE’s Lisa Jacobson, AWEA'’ Tom Kiernan and SEIA’s Dan Whitten outline their latest efforts related to recent legislation, regulatory adjustments, and challenges with construction and financing.

Discussion Looks at report on Plastic Pollution Challenges in Arctic – The Wilson Center’s Polar Institute and Harvard Kennedy School’s Arctic Initiative hold a teleconference on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. looking at a recent report focused on policy action on plastic pollution in the Arctic Ocean.  The discussion focuses on a recent report that describes the nature of challenges posed by Arctic marine plastic pollution while providing targeted recommendations to policymakers and researchers.  The report is based on a workshop the two organizations co-hosted with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

Forum to Look at Public Transportation – The World Resources Institute holds a webinar on investing in public transportation as a low-carbon way of rebooting urban economies. Public transport is experiencing enormous and immediate challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, as ridership plunges. But public transport is also serving a crucial role in connecting health care workers and other essential workers to their jobs. WRI’s Ross Center will bring experienced experts to discuss potential investments for countries and cities.

RFF to Look at RNG – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., Resources for the Future (RFF) is hosting a Zoom call that will feature a discussion on the incentives—economic, regulatory, or otherwise—needed to encourage natural gas companies to produce greener gas, as well as the certification standards that would need to be established in order to label such a product as “green.” Speakers include AGA’s Pam Lacey, Roy Hartsteinog of Responsible Energy Solutions, Manik Roy of Rep. Diana DeGette’s office, RFF’s Alan Krupnick and Charles Mason of the University of Wyoming.

IN THE FUTURE

JHU Hosts Forum on COVID, Climate Advocacy – The Johns Hopkins SAIS program hosts an online forum next Monday at 12:30 p.m. looking at COVID-19, climate change and environmental advocacy.  The event will JHU professor Nina Hall. 

USEA Holds Annual Meeting, Forum – The US Energy Assn holds its annual meeting and Public Policy Forum on Tuesday April 28^th in the Ronald Reagan Trade Center.  The event brings together USEA members and energy stakeholders, including Administration officials, thought leaders, lawmakers, diplomats and journalists to discuss the latest energy policy developments, share industry updates, and celebrate the achievements of the United States Energy Award and United States Energy Volunteer Award.

Webinar to Look at CCS Market Scale-up – The Global CCS Institute holds a web-based CCS Talk on Tuesday April 28^th at 9:00 a.m. EST focusing scaling up the CCS Market to deliver net-zero emissions. Institute experts explain how they see the opportunities for CCS deployment and provide an overview of the near-term and longer-term developments in the CCS market.

JHU Webinar/Report on Sustainable Road Projects – The Johns Hopkins SAIS holds a webinar Tuesday April 28^th at 10:00 a.m. to launch the report on Decision-Making on Belt and Road Projects. A new report from ISEP at Johns Hopkins University, the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, and the ClimateWorks Foundation seeks to better understand how sustainability considerations do and do not enter into decision-making around BRI projects. The report is based on in-depth elite interviews with regulatory agencies, policy banks, NGOs, and state-owned enterprises in China, and seeks to unpack BRI’s decision-making processes by revealing divergent preferences, incentives, and bureaucratic capacity of various related actors. Policy recommendations on how to green the BRI are made based on these findings. The webinar will present the report’s key findings and provide a forum to discuss their implications with key stakeholders.

Forum to Look at Mitigation Deterrence – Next Tuesday, April 28^th at noon, the Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy holds its latest webinar on Mitigation Deterrence. In this webinar Nils Markusson, Duncan McLaren, and Rebecca Willis of Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University UK will present results from a project called “Assessing the Mitigation Deterrence effects of Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies”. This webinar will explore examples of MD, give quantitative estimates of the risk of MD, and look into the causes of MD. The speakers will also report from deliberative workshops on MD, and based on this spell out implications for policy and research.

PJM Event to focus on MOPR, Carbon Pricing – Next Tuesday in the afternoon, ELI and PJM host a roundtable on state clean energy policies/resources in the wake of FERC’s MOPR Decision and potential carbon pricing in PJM service region.  Speakers include PJM CEO Manu Asthana, Maryland PSC Chair Jason Stanek, RFF’s Karen Palmer, former DOE official Sue Tierney and our friend Rob Gramlich.

Energy Forum Set for CO – The Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, and National Renewable Energy Lab are hosting the 9^th annual 21^st Century Energy Transition Symposium at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Denver on April 28^th and 29^th.  Over 65 speakers (in 20 different sessions) from various expertise and backgrounds covering environmental challenges & solutions through collaboration with industry from multiple sources of energy.  Hear from keynote speakers including Colorado Governor Polis, ARPA-E Director Lane Genatowski, Tri-State CEO Duane Highley and many more.  

Whitehouse, Curbelo Featured in CERES Webinar – CERES hosts a webinar on Wednesday April 29^th at Noon on climate change and financial impacts on companies, investors and even financial markets overall. As US financial regulators play ever larger and consequential roles in buttressing the economy in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, their role in keeping in mind how climate change fits into their responsibilities and the climate impacts of their actions is more important than ever.  In this session, participants will assess how climate risk fits into the current mandate of key federal financial regulators, evaluate current actions being taken by US financial regulators and legislators on climate change and explore what U.S. financial regulators can—and should—do to integrate climate change into their prudential and supervisory roles.  Speakers include Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and former FL Rep. Carlos Curbelo and former Fed Governor and former Deputy Treasury Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin.  

Forum to Feature JCI Global EE Survey – The Alliance to Save Energy hosts a webinar forum on Wednesday April 29^th at 10:00 a.m. looking at global energy efficiency indicator study lead by Johnson Controls. This webinar will focus on the results of JCI’s 2019 Global Energy Efficiency Indicator survey, which tracks current and planned investments, key drivers, and organizational barriers to improving energy efficiency in facilities. The COVID-19 crisis provides the specific context for this webinar: With reference to historical EE Indicator Survey data, Clay Nesler will explore what the surveys revealed about companies’ priorities during the economic recovery from the 2009 recession; in the context of the 2019 data, he will then discuss what these historical lessons can teach us about what may come next.

CPS Exec to Discuss COVID Resilience – On Wednesday, April 29^th at 12:30 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) hosts a virtual live briefing by Paula Gold-Williams, President& CEO of CPS Energy, the nation's largest gas and electric municipal utility. Gold-Williams will provide an up-to-date account on how CPS Energy is maintaining power reliability and restoration, control center operations, workforce safety, cyber- and physical security, and positive customer experiences during the COVID-19 crisis. CPS Energy began addressing these issues in January and now has a remarkable record of utility industry best practices and service.

RFF to Host Review of Decarbonizing – On Thursday April 30^th at Noon, Resources for the Future (RFF) will host a webinar, “Net Zero by 2070: Decarbonizing Global Industry,” with the study’s coauthors. The interdisciplinary team of experts has found that it is possible—and critical—to bring industrial GHG emissions to net zero by 2070. Their comprehensive study, published last month in Applied Energy, assesses the range of technologies and policy interventions available to enable global industry decarbonization. This RFF Live event will feature presentations from the panelists, as well as a discussion on the technologies, innovation areas, and policies that can help achieve net-zero industrial emissions.  Speakers include Christopher Bataille of Simon Fraser University, Energy Innovation’s Jeffrey Rissman and Nan Zhou of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

Renewable Assns Discuss COVID, Clean Energy – On Thursday, April 30^th at 12:00 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) hosts a virtual live briefing looking at COVID-19’s current and anticipated impacts to clean energy technologies and jobs, as well as the potential policy options to get deployment of these energy technologies back on track.  Speakers include AWEA’s Bree Raum, SEIA’s Erin Duncan and Great Plains Institute’s Brad Crabtree, who is also Director of the Carbon Capture Coalition. 

GreenBiz Analysts Look at COVID Impacts – Green Biz hosts a forum on Thursday April 30^th at 2:30 p.m. on COVID Impacts. The four GreenBiz analysts covering these dynamic markets as they assess the state of play, and what to expect in the coming months.  Topics include the oil market, foodservice operations, venture capital and several other things. Speakers include Katie Fehrenbacher (VERGE Transport), Sarah Golden (VERGE Energy), Jim Giles (VERGE Food) and Lauren Phipps (VERGE Circular). 

WRI Webinar Looks at 1.5 Target – The World Resources Institute holds a webinar on May 5^th at Noon on limiting temperature rise to 1.5 Degrees and the roles for investors, companies and policymakers. In this session, participants will explore how major asset owners decided to commit to net-zero portfolios, compare corporate strategies to set and meet ambitious carbon reduction goals and evaluate the critical role of policymakers in enabling deep carbon emissions reductions.

Webinar to Look at Corporate Risk of Climate – CERES hosts a webinar on Tuesday May 5^th at Noon on systemic risks if global temperatures rise above 1.5℃, investors, companies and policymakers have begun making commitments to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  In this session, participants will explore how major asset owners decided to commit to net-zero portfolios, compare corporate strategies to set and meet ambitious carbon reduction goals and evaluate the critical role of policymakers in enabling deep carbon emissions reductions.  Speakers include WRI’s Cynthia Cummis, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Jeff Hanratty of General Mills. 

Conservatives Talk Climate at Ceres Webinar – Ceres hosts a webinar on Wednesday May 6^th at Noon featuring Conservative voices discussing efforts to pass climate legislation and our political systems effectively require bipartisan cooperation to enact major policies.  In this session, participants will discuss the conservative case for clean energy and climate action, build a better understanding of the universe of conservative efforts on climate and clean energy policy advocacy and exxplore specific examples of conservative policy engagement.  Conservatives for Clean Energy Mark Fleming, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions head Heather Reams and Corey Schrodt, Legislative Director for Rep. Francis Rooney (FL-19) will speak. 

State Look at Climate Challenges – Ceres hosts a webinar on Wednesday May 6^th at Noon looking at State climate innovations and collaborations.  Speakers include VA DEQ’s Chris Bast, Julie Cerquiera of US Climate Alliances, CO Gov Jared Polis’ Energy advisor Zach Pierce and Mass DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg, Chairman of RGGI.

CA Conferences Set – The 8^th Annual California Energy Summit is being held on May 6^th to 8^th in the LA Grand Hotel Downtown.  It will feature top regulatory officials, utility and public power leaders, and developers to discuss the state-wide implications of wildfire mitigation measures, incentives that can drive deployment of self-generation and storage to enhance resilience, near-term resource adequacy and long-term SB100 procurement needs of CCAs, public power and IOUs and the expansion of interstate energy trading and transmission buildout needs. 

CERES Looks at Power Industry, Oil/Gas – CERES hosts two webinars both at Noon this week looking at industry decarbonization.  On Tuesday May 12^th, they will discuss the electric power industry and its transition to cleaner power.  On Thursday, the webinar will look at decarbonizing the oil industry.  Both panels are a little light on real experts though as only Exelon is on the power industry panelist and there are no oil companies or gas industry groups featured on Thursday’s webinar.

AEE Holds Eastern Policy Conference – Advanced Energy Economy holds its second annual Eastern Regional policy conference in Annapolis on May 21^st.  The event features business leaders and policymakers exploring legislative and regulatory paths to scaling advanced energy markets in electricity and transportation, in states and nationally.  Speakers will include Alison Cassady of the House Select Climate Committee, PJM’s Susan Riley and Michigan PSC Chair Sally Talberg. 

Clean Power Conference Set – CANCELLED – The first annual AWEA CleanPower Conference will be in Denver on June 1^st to 4^th. 

DC Oil/Gas Forum Set – The 6^th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2020 is set for June 10^th and 11^th at The Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.  The US leads global oil and natural gas production. U.S. shale revolution has reshaped the energy landscape in the United States and globally. The American Energy Revolution has delivered massive economic, environmental and geopolitical benefits. Today, the United States is the world’s top oil and gas producer and a leading energy exporter. The Washington Oil & Gas Forum is the foremost innovative and exclusive force for engaging oil and gas leaders in collaborative activities to shape the American and global oil and gas agendas.  Speakers include FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee, Sen Cruz, Reps. Randy Weber, Mike McCaul and Bruce Westerman.