Energy Update: Week of April 26

Friends,               

OK, things just really got interesting in California as Caitlin Jenner (TV Star and former Olympic Decathlon Champion known as Bruce) has tossed her hat into the race for Governor during the recall aimed at Gavin Newsom.  Maybe Nomadland winning the Oscar is relevant somewhere here. 

With Friday marking the 100^th day of the Biden Administration, the President speaks to a joint session of Congress Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m.  Happy to help with any coverage of that issue. Speaking of 100 days, mark your calendar for next Thursday when our new Bracewell PRG colleague and former VP/Sen. Harris senior staffer Yasmin Nelson provides her insights on the topic in a webinar. 

We start this week with the reaction to the Leaders Climate summit hosted by Biden last Thursday/ Friday and (the least kept secret) NDC announcement of reducing our emissions around 50% by 2030.  If symbolism and rhetoric were the bar to measure by, the event was a huge success.  All the key nations participated and said good things.  And the agenda was filled with officials who were singing clean energy hymns.  The reality…well maybe not as important to them…especially in the afterglow of the event.  Certainly more to follow as this heads toward Glasgow’s UN COP meeting in Late November.  

This week will be busy for the Supreme Court on environmental issues.  The Court heard oral arguments in Guam v. United States today, a case that has attracted the interest of my colleague Scott Segal and looks at a battle over a waste dump that first served as a disposal site for Navy waste during World War II.  Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association will discuss the RFS’s Small Refinery program and a 10^th Circuit ruling that has caused significant controversy.  Then on Wednesday, the Court addresses PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC V New Jersey where PennEast wants to use the Natural Gas Act to use eminent domain to build its 116-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to state-owned land in New Jersey.

Not only is it SCOTUS Enviro week, it is hydropower week as the National Hydropower Assn is hosting two conferences: 1) Waterpower Week 2021 tomorrow to Thursday in Washington (NHA’s annual policy conference) with DOE’s Dave Turk, FERC Commissioner Clements, Sen. Murkowski, E&C Enviro panel Chair/Ranking Tonko and McKinley and 2) the International Conference on Ocean Energy Wednesday to Friday, the first time ever being hosted in the US.

Quite a few Congressional hearings this week with the Senate Energy Committee meeting tomorrow on the future of oil and gas leasing on federal lands and Tommy Beaudreau on Thursday. EPA head Michael Regan is appearing at Senate EPW on Wednesday, then House Energy/Commerce Thursday to go over EPA’s budget. A Senate EPW subcommittee will also meet tomorrow to discuss the National Climate Bank Act, and Senate Finance focuses on the tax code’s role in a renewable energy transition.

On Saturday, we will get a little return to normalcy when the 147^th Kentucky Derby runs for the Roses.  This year may be the most wide open field in many years. Post time is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET for the fastest two minutes in sports.  Several 2021 Derby horses have proven to be top contenders during spring prep races. Known Agenda gave trainer Todd Pletcher his 6^th Florida Derby. Brad Cox-trained Essential Quality starts as the 5-2 favorite with a perfect 5-0 record, breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs.  I also like Hot Rod Charlie (wire-to-wire Louisiana Derby winner) and Highly Motivated, who are likely to be solid picks at the price.  Concert Tour was strong favorite in Arkansas but underperformed (beaten badly by Super Stock and Caddio) but has dropped out of KY to focus on the Preakness in Baltimore.  And Greatest Honour, also a strong favorite in Florida, underperformed and will not run in Kentucky. Rock Your World was the impressive winner in the Santa Anita Derby, has the fastest Beyer speed figure (of 100) and could be a good pick for the exotics.  If you are looking for a good long shot, try Soup & Sandwich (2^nd in FL to Known), probably likely to go off around 25/30-1 or Brad Cox-trained Mandaloun who is very fast but had on off-day in Louisiana (if it was a throwaway, he could be dangerous).  Post position draw tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

PICKS: Rock, Hot Rod Charlie wheeling in Soup & Sandwich, Highly Motivated and Essential Quality

Sleeper: Super Stock or Mandaloun

Long Shot: Dynamic One or Bourbonic

Open your Twin Spires account and lay the cash!!!   Hope you stay safe & healthy and get those vaccine shots if you can.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“There’s broader recognition that we can’t get to where we need to go unless we take transmission much more seriously.  We’re going to pursue every avenue to try to move this forward.”

Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) on his new effort to get transmission support through Congress in a Canary Media story by Emma Foehringer Merchant on the challenges in building additional transmission needed to produce more green energy. 

ON THE PODCAST

C3 Right Voices Discusses Economic Freedom Impact on Environment – In the latest version of C3’s Right Voices, John Hart and Drew Bond sit down with Heritage’s Nick Loris to discuss a new study of the correlation between economic freedom, limited government, open markets, private property rights, and environmental performance around the world.  Loris worked with conservative policy organization C3 Solutions to produce a compelling paper showcasing the correlation between economic freedom and a cleaner environment. This paper explores the relationship between economic freedom and environmental well-being through an examination of data, principles and case studies. It provides a broad roadmap for how countries can meet their energy needs, raise levels of prosperity and reduce pollution and waste.

FUN OPINIONS

AGA’s Harbert Outlines NatGas Commitment to Cleaner Future – In an op-ed in the Washington Times, AGA head Karen Harbert says new EPA data illustrates the progress natgas utilities we have made in the past three decades, and we know we will achieve more by working together with other sectors of the energy industry and through partnerships with farmers, small businesses, and community advocates. Our industry has proven that we can help lower emissions while simultaneously providing Americans with the reliable, affordable energy they need.

Delaware Refiner Blast RFS – In an op-ed in the Wilmington News Journal, PBF Energy CEO Matt Lucey writes Congress needs to fix the RFS or America’s refining jobs — and secure, domestic fuel supplies that keep our nation running — will remain at risk. At its core, the RFS is currently a $25 billion stealth tax that two parties pay — you the consumer and merchant refiners like PBF Energy.  Instead of going to the government to fund infrastructure, the proceeds subsidize large, integrated oil companies and large retailers for simply engaging in their core, profitable businesses.  Union workers across the nation recognize this threat to their jobs and families, which is why they flooded EPA with letters urging action to control RIN prices and protect jobs in Delaware, Pennsylvania and across the nation.

FROG BLOG

CRES’s Reams: Bureaucracy Boom is Not Answer to Infrastructure Challenges – In a an op-ed for The Hill, CRES Executive Director Heather Reams says massive expansion of federal bureaucracy and government control won’t make America’s roads and bridges better; and it won’t make our power grids more reliable or less polluting. For far too long, Washington-generated red tape and duplicative oversight have hamstrung our nation’s ability to repair crumbling infrastructure without massive cost overruns and unnecessary delays.  “America is underprepared to deal with extreme stresses on our electric grid. Systems designed generations ago—some more than 100 years old—can’t meet today’s needs. The answer lies in strengthening our GDP and our overall resiliency, not passing legislation, which will trash our economy and our children’s shot at prosperity. This includes a modernized energy infrastructure, including adequate transmission and new grid-scale storage to decouple electricity generation from its use.”

SEIA’s Hopper: Tackling the Climate Crisis Means Smart Solar Solutions – In a blog post, SEIA President Abby Hopper wrote on Earth Day that with the right leadership and policies in place, solar + storage can not only help us reduce emissions, but uplift communities and create hundreds of thousands of good jobs. The United States currently has 97.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity installed, reducing carbon emissions by 110 million metric tons annually. That’s the equivalent of taking 24 million vehicles off the road, saving 12 billion gallons of gas, or planting 2 billion trees. These numbers are expected to grow steadily over the next 10 years — with forecasts showing that the U.S. can reach 419 GW of solar capacity by 2030. But despite these impressive numbers, we will still fall short of President Biden’s emissions and clean energy goals without policy intervention. Achieving 100% clean electricity will require U.S. solar installations to increase by more than 80% beyond what’s currently forecasted over the next 10 years.

FUN FACTS

HYDRO FACTS – In honor of NHA’s Waterpower 2021:

• Largest US Dam, capacity-wise is the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington at 6,809 MW
• Tallest Dam in the US is the Oroville Dam in Northern California (770 ft).
• The most visited US dam is the Hoover Dam, which hosts 7 million tourists a year,  was built 1931 - 1935, 726 ft tall., required 91.8 billion cubic feet of concrete to create the arch-gravity dam with a 600-foot-wide base, weighing 6.6 million tons in total.
• Hoover also holds the most water at 8.95 cu miles.
• Hydropower accounts for 7%  of power generation in 2020 (EIA)
• The Itaipu Dam, straddling Brazil and Paraguay, opened in 1984 with a capacity of 12,600 MW - it has since been enlarged and upgraded to 14,000 MW –
• The world’s largest dam is the 22,500 MW Three Gorges Dam in China.

IN THE NEWS

Biden NDC Announced – The President released his long-awaited climate target this morning, pledging that the U.S. will slash emissions of greenhouse gases by 50-52% by 2030. It is almost double what the Obama Administration proposed for Paris. Leaders from many countries such as the UK, Japan, Canada, and even the Vatican weighed-in. Yoshihide Suga of Japan was very specific saying his country would reduce emissions by 46% below 2013 levels. One must laugh at such precise numbers which we know to be worthless. China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi said after their free emissions pass ends in 2030 they will finally pitch in.

Some Reality: The NDC amounts to 2.46 Gigatons below 2019 levels. The power sector is currently 1.5 GTs and if Biden's CES (which calls for 80% below 2005 by 2030) passes, they'll theoretically get about 900M tons of reduction (best case which also may be a stretch given transmission challenges). That leaves 1.56 GTs more from the harder to abate sectors. They get some from methane, some from light duty vehicle standards (that is overly optimistic in reality given vehicle fleet turnover), and some from land use/tree planting but even with those, it's not clear how there isn't a giant gap between the commitment and their stated policies.

Analysts Weight in – Energy Analysts Kevin Book of ClearView Energy and CapAlpha’s Jim Lucier both have some great analysis on the NDC and other issues related.  I would urge you to contact then to get a copy.  It is worth the read.

API on Administration NDC Announcement, Planned Executive Orders – The American Petroleum Institute today issued the following statements regarding the Biden administration’s announcement for a new U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the Paris Agreement and an anticipated executive order directing federal agencies to address climate-related financial risk.

“API supports the goals of the Paris Agreement to reduce global emissions and alleviate poverty,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said. “The new U.S. nationally determined contribution addresses only half of the dual challenge of reducing the risks of climate change while ensuring affordable, reliable energy for all Americans. With a transparent price on carbon and innovation, we can make measurable climate progress within this decade without hurting America’s middle class, jeopardizing U.S. national security, and undermining economic recovery. We are focused on working with Congress and the administration on effective government policies, while accelerating industry initiatives and innovation as outlined in API’s Climate Action Framework.”

API Climate Framework – API’s recently unveiled Climate Action Framework outlines industry initiatives and government actions to support a lower carbon future, including accelerating technology and innovation; further mitigating emissions from operations; endorsing a carbon price policy; advancing cleaner fuels and driving climate reporting. The framework reiterates API’s support for the direct regulation of methane from new and existing sources.

US Chamber Statement on Biden Climate Goal – Marty Durbin, said “President Biden is setting out an ambitious goal with today’s announcement. Achieving that goal while also supporting economic growth and job creation will require new technology and new policy that is durable and has the support of bipartisan members of congress, consumers, business, and other stakeholders. We will work with our members, the administration, and Congress to forge durable, bipartisan policy that puts us on a sustainable path to make significant and meaningful emission reductions. We welcome President Biden’s focus on returning the U.S. to international leadership on climate change. U.S. businesses are leading the world in pursuit of climate change solutions, and we see great opportunities to develop and export technologies that will help address a truly global challenge.”  To read more about the Chamber’s approach to climate change, visit here

BCSE Says NDC Sends Clear Signal – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) said the new nationally-determined contribution sends a clear market signal for an accelerated clean energy transformation. This transformation will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create new economic opportunities and jobs.

“Clean energy businesses in the energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy sectors stand ready to work with the Administration and Congress and in coordination with state and local governments and communities to achieve this goal. We need to identify durable and supportive policy pathways, and foster new public-private partnerships, to make progress in this critical climate decade. The United States can make significant GHG reductions by leveraging private sector actions and investments and by optimizing the broad portfolio of existing clean energy solutions. Looking at the data from the last decade in the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, we know that emission reductions can be made in an affordable and reliable manner. With this new U.S. NDC, we seek to accelerate clean energy deployment and expand the economic benefits of this transformation at home and abroad.”

CEBN Says NDC will Help Small/Medium Businesses – Lynn Abramson, President of the Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN) said Biden’s new target under the Paris Agreement will create new opportunities for small and medium sized businesses.

“Setting this ambitious goal will incentivize our country’s greatest resource of innovators and entrepreneurs to develop and deploy new clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and services at scale. This long-term, nation-wide market signal will foster new jobs, reduce energy costs for businesses and families, and lead to healthier communities across the country.”

Morning Consult Polling Shows Voters want Solutions – New polling from Morning Consult shows that U.S. voters want practical solutions to address climate change. According to the polling:

• 73% agree that natural gas and oil will be part of the energy mix for decades to come and should be included in the country’s energy policies. Majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans agree.
• 55% believe private-sector scientists and experts will do better than the government in solving the issue of climate change. Just 22% believe the government will do a better job than the private sector.
• 59% believe the world will use more energy in 2050 than it does now. Majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans believe more energy will be needed to heat and cool buildings, run electrical appliances, travel, grow crops and more.

SoCalGas, SunLine Transit to Test Innovative Hydrogen Technologies – SoCalGas will demonstrate a groundbreaking technological combination that will produce hydrogen from renewable natural gas (RNG) at SunLine Transit Agency's hydrogen fueling station in Thousand Palms, California. The research project, called "H2 SilverSTARS," will produce renewable hydrogen to fuel SunLine's fleet of 17 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses and support further expansion. The combination of new technologies will make it possible to provide renewable hydrogen made from RNG at natural gas fueling stations—or any location near a natural gas pipeline. The goal is to produce emissions-free renewable hydrogen for fuel cell electric cars and other vehicles at a price competitive with gasoline. Photos and video of the SunLine buses and a diagram of the STARS technology are available here.

Groups Push Ag Climate Solutions Legislation – in a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow and Ranking Member John Boozman in support of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, ConservAmerica joined 60 agriculture and environmental organizations in praising S. 1251, the Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 as a durable approach to address climate change that has bipartisan support. The legislation moved forward on Thursday and would create a certification program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help remove technical entry barriers to agricultural and forestry sector participation in carbon credit markets. These hurdles have limited both landowner participation in carbon markets and the adoption of practices to help reduce emissions. By providing access to information about carbon markets and qualified technical assistance providers, the legislation would help lower the cost of reducing emissions and provide a strong economic incentive for the agriculture community to sequester carbon. In so doing, it aims to capitalize on the synergies between our environment, the economy, and the agriculture, forestry and land use industries and is a great example of the type of nature based, market-oriented policies that are needed to deal with climate change. The full text of ConservAmerica’s letter is available here.

Murkowski, Thune to Head ConservAmerica Roosevelt Conservation Caucus – Speaking of ConservAmerica, they announced that Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Thune of South Dakota as the new Senate leadership team of the bicameral Roosevelt Conservation Caucus (RCC). Senators Murkowski and Thune will serve as the Senate co-chairs of the RCC for the 117^th Congress. They replace Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado, who helped establish the caucus in 2018. The Roosevelt Conservation Caucus was established at the start of the 116th Congress as a platform for Republicans to promote sensible policies grounded in conservative, market-based principles to national environmental, conservation and clean energy challenges. 

REPORT: Clean Energy Now Employs 3M Americans – E2’s 6^th annual “Clean Jobs America” report says energy jobs surged nearly 11% in the second half of 2020 to employ more than 3 million Americans across every state and nearly every county.  Like most of the economy, clean energy was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn in 2020. At one point more than 600,000 clean energy workers had filed for unemployment, but the sector rebounded strongly after May to recover about half of those jobs to finish the year down 307,000 clean energy workers. Several clean energy sectors did see job gains in 2020, including wind energy which added about 2,000 jobs. But the brightest spot was in manufacturing of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, where about 12,200 jobs were added as an increasing number of automakers announced shifts to producing 100% zero-emission vehicles. 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

SCOTUS Packs Enviro Cases in Late April – This week will be busy for the Supreme Court on environmental issues.  The Court hear oral arguments this morning in Guam v. United States, a case that has attracted the interest of my colleague Scott Segal and looks at a battle over a waste dump that first served as a disposal site for Navy waste during World War II.  Tomorrow, HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Association is just scheduled which is case over the RFS’s Small Refinery program and a 10^th Circuit ruling that has caused significant controversy.  Then on Wednesday, the Court addresses PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC V New Jersey where PennEast wants to use the Natural Gas Act to use eminent domain to build its 116-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to state-owned land in New Jersey.

Cato Forum Looks at Amtrak, Infrastructure – The Cato Institute holds a forum today at Noon on President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure spending plan would fund highways, transit, and Amtrak.  Three infrastructure experts to examine these issues. Robert Poole is director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation and author of Rethinking America’s Highways: A 21st‐Century Vision for Better Infrastructure. Randal O’Toole is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and author of Romance of the Rails: Why the Passenger Trains We Love Are Not the Transportation We Need. Chris Edwards is director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute and editor of DownsizingGovernment.org.

SEJ to Look at Climate Summit – The Society of Environmental Journalists holds a webinar today at 1:00 p.m. looking at last week's U.S. Climate Summit and the outcomes for the Biden Administration.  The Administration was seeking to retake the reins on global climate change leadership by setting a new carbon emissions reduction target, but will this leadership translate into environmental policy changes that protect people, including marginalized communities at home and abroad.  The event will feature an overview of the flurry of federal climate change activity since Biden took office and hear from leaders in business, environmental justice, and the climate youth movement on what comes next.

Bloomberg Green Summit Set – The Bloomberg Green Summit will be held virtually on today and tomorrow to focus on a net-zero economy, plans to rebuild while calling for real climate action, and what can inspire and enact lasting positive change. Speakers will include former VP Al Gore, American climatologist Michael Mann and the CEOs of Dow and Ariel Investments.

FP Climate Summit Set – Foreign Policy holds its inaugural Climate Summit tomorrow and Wednesday. Coming on the heels of President Biden's Earth Day Summit, the event will convene top leaders and experts from government, industry and civil society to explore transformative ideas for a sustainable future.  The event will spotlight policy and business strategies to help galvanize economically viable, cross-sector solutions for meeting local, national and global climate targets. Speakers include John Kerry, Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, House Climate Committee Reps. Kathy Castor and Garret Graves, NEI CEO Maria Korsnick, IEA’s Fatih Birol and many more.

Murkowski, Tonko McKinley, Others Headline Waterpower Week – Tomorrow to Thursday, the National Hydropower Association (NHA) holds Waterpower Week 2021.  The event is the industry’s premier policy event and focuses specifically on the regulatory, policy, markets, and legislative aspects of the industry.  Speakers will include FERC’s Allison Clements, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, House E&C Enviro Panel Chair Paul Tonko and top Republican David McKinley and DOE’s David Turk.  

US Also Hosts International Hydro Conference – Speaking of hydropower, the US is also hosting the International Conference on Ocean Energy for the first time ever on Wednesday to Friday.  ICOE 2021 is hosted by the National Hydropower Association (NHA), and is supported by the International Energy Agency (IEA) through Ocean Energy Systems (OES). OES is an intergovernmental group that works on international collaboration for ocean energy in order to accelerate the development of the sector and reduce the costs of these energies. NHA’s Marine Energy Council is the leading trade organization of the U.S. ocean energy industry, providing a united voice for the full spectrum of ocean energy technologies.  Speakers will include Oregon Rep. Susan Bonamici, DOE’s David Turk and Jennifer Garson, Solar Impulse’s Bertrand Piccard and many more. 

OECD Holds Mineral Supply Chain Forum – The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development Washington Center holds a virtual Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains tomorrow and Wednesday (starting at 4:00 a.m. ET (10am GMT).  Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the European Commission; Hilde Hardeman, head of the service for foreign policy instruments at the European Commission; Yasir Ibrahim Ali Mohamed, deputy executive secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region; and Alexandre Zouev, assistant secretary-general for rule of law and security institutions at the United Nations, deliver keynote remarks.  There will also be two panels on EU Regs and COVID-19 following the initial remarks.

USEA Hosts Discussion of Asia Natgas – The US Energy Assn will host a press roundtable tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. to discuss natural gas development issues in Asia.  The U.S.-Asia Gas Partnership (AGP) is a public-private partnership that aims to optimize gas network infrastructure planning and develop domestic gas markets across the Indo-Pacific region. AGP shares best practices in the development of secure, reliable, and economic sources of natural gas. AGP convenes a diverse set of stakeholders to optimize gas network infrastructure planning to develop domestic gas markets in Asia. AGP also supports strategic planning to promote the development of resilient and least-cost power systems that will continue to meet demand over time.

Forum on Climate Leadership Set – The American Climate Leadership Summit (ACLS 2021), celebrating its 10^th  year, will be held tomorrow to Thursday to bring game-changing future-shaping ideas and a diversity of leaders together to ensure climate change is a local, regional and national priority.  Building upon ecoAmerica’s MomentUs initiative that makes climate change a primary election and post-election priority, ACLS 2021 will inspire public support for bold climate policy, grounded in a multi-sector organizational and individual sign-on commitment to climate action.

Forum Discusses Asian Megacities, Climate – The United States Institute of Peace holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. on the climate challenges of South Asia's megacities. Experts will discuss how megacities are contributing to environmental degradation and societal conflict, as well as address what policies might best combat these challenges and reflect on President Biden’s latest climate change summit. 

Forum Looks at Transatlantic Climate Agenda – The German Marshall Fund of the United States will hold a forum tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. bridging transatlantic perspectives for climate action.  This session will explore how transatlantic climate policy will evolve over the coming years and what needs to be done to meet the set targets. It will also look at the possibility for more collaboration with China on this issue and its potential impacts. Speakers include State’s David Livingston ad Alice Hill of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Senate Energy Looks at Interior Oil/Gas Policy – The full Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will convene a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to examine energy development on federal lands, focusing on the current status of the Department of the Interior’s onshore oil and gas leasing program. Witnesses include WY Gov. Mark Gordon, BLM Dep Director Nada Culver, Kathleen Sgamma of the Western Energy Alliance, Pueblo of Acoma Governor Brian Vallo and Occidental Petroleum CEO Vicki Hollub.

Senate Finance Looks at Energy Taxes – The Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on tax code's role in energy. Witnesses include PA Chamber Head Kevin Sunday, Portland General Electric CEO Maria Pope, BlueGreen’s Jason Walsh and AEI’s Alex Brill.

Forum Looks at Nord Stream 2 – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., on the consequences of Nord Stream 2.  Speakers include Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Marcy Kaptur, as well as Melinda Haring, Deputy director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst.

Farm Strategy Addressed in Forum – The Farm Foundation holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on understanding the EU Farm-to-Fork strategy and its implications for US agriculture. USDA’s Economic Research Service acting chief Jayson Beckman and economist Marcos Ivanic are among the number of speakers.

Forum Looks at Oil Industry Carbon Reductions – Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy holds a webinar tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on carbon neutral oil and gas competition.  As climate concerns outpace the transition to cleaner energy, attention is turning to the greatly varying carbon intensity of the oil industry itself — as well as that of its customers. At this webinar, a panel of experts will discuss the trends in oil company competition on carbon.  Speakers include WoodMac’s Amy Bowe, BP’s Chief U.S. Economist and Head of Oil Analysis Michael Cohen and Saudi Aramco Climate and Sustainability Technology Strategist Hassan El-Houjeiri.

Coal Council Meets – DOE’s National Coal Council meets tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. with DOE Fossil Office head Jennifer Wilcox keynoting.  There will also be presentations by David Greeson of Minnkota Power Cooperative to provide an update on Project Tundra, the world's largest carbon capture facility and Semplastics EHC CEO William Easter on using coal for value-added roofing tiles, batteries and construction materials.  Finally, there will be a discussion of the TX Polar vortex issues.

Forum Looks at Hydrogen Aircraft Techs – Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hosts the next episode of EnergySource Innovation Stream. The series highlights new energy technologies with the potential to reshape the global energy system through discussions with companies and individuals working diligently to bring those innovations to market at scale. The Global Energy Center will host Amanda Simpson, the vice president for research and technology at Airbus Americas, who will discuss how Airbus is exploring a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission concept aircraft, called ZEROe.

Axios Looks at Private Sector Climate Action – Axios holds a virtual event on climate action through the private sector tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. The event will unpack how businesses are now making sustainability integral to their strategy and minimizing their own carbon footprint. Axios Business Editor Dan Primack and Markets Reporter Courtenay Brown will host one-on-one conversations with Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert and Ceres CEO Mindy Lubber.

WCEE Hosts FERC’s Glick – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) holds a conversation tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. featuring WCEE President Barbara Tyran and FERC Chairman Richard Glick about major 2021 FERC developments and plans for the future. From the Texas power outage to natural gas pipeline assessments to new Biden-Harris Administration priorities, they will touch on some of the most pressing topics for the agency today.

USEA Hosts A forum on Geopolitics of Critical Mineral Supply – The US Energy Assn holds a forum tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on the geopolitics of the critical mineral supply chain. As clean energy technology becomes the latest frontier for geoeconomic rivalry, the security of supply chains for rare earths and critical minerals—essential materials for clean energy—has become a global strategic issue. The fragility of global supply chains revealed by COVID-19 and rising competition from China have only heightened the importance of supply chain security for critical minerals. This report compares strategies and actions taken by the United States, European Union, and Japan, illuminating key economic, security, and geopolitical factors behind these evolving approaches to enhance the security of critical minerals supply chains.

House Foreign Affairs Addresses Africa, Climate Impact – The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights will convene a hearing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on the effect of climate change in Africa. Witnesses include Esther Ngumbi of the University of Illinois, CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh, Dante Disparte of the Risk Cooperative and Energy for Growth Hub executive director Todd Moss.

BPC Looks at Climate Disclosure – The Bipartisan Policy Center hold a webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on the details of climate risk disclosure and how it works. The SEC has already placed climate risk disclosure at the forefront of discussion having recently asked for stakeholder input on what and how a company should disclose regarding climate risks. Our friend and former Senate Energy staffer Lisa Epifani, now Environmental, social and governance manager for strategy and sustainability at Chevron, will be among the speakers.

EPA Hold Webinar on RECs – The EPA hosts a one-hour webinar to introduce renewable energy certificates (RECs), review different types of RECs and how they work, and discuss methods for promoting or adopting RECs at the local level. Representatives from EPA will feature a new primer, Using Renewable Energy Certificates to Achieve Local Environmental Goals. EPA representatives will also highlight how governments can get involved in EPA's Green Power Partnership. The Director of Energy and Sustainability from Greenfield, MA will describe their experiences utilizing RECs.

Senate Enviro Looks at Climate Bank – The Senate Environment Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. on S. 283 (117) , the "National Climate Bank Act."

NRC to Look at Southern Nuke Plants – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds a virtual meeting tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. to discuss the 2020 safety performance of the two-unit Farley nuclear power plant in southern Alabama and the two-unit Hatch nuclear power plant in southern Georgia, both operated by Southern Nuclear.

WoodMac Forum Looks at EU Green Deal – A forum from Wood MacKenzie starting Wednesday to Friday focused on the EU’s Green Deal.  This event will cover questions such as what the European Green Deal means for solar, wind and storage development across the continent, emerging clean energy technologies can be winners in the new decade and can green hydrogen deliver on its potential and how quickly electrolyser technology can scale and become commercially available.

African, Asian Leaders Discuss Biden Climate Summit – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on African and South Asian Perspectives on the Leaders Summit on Climate. The forum will explore climate resilience and the mitigation of climate related emergencies are integral to the sustainability of security and economic development in both South Asia and Africa, and thus it is critical that the concerns of these vulnerable regions are heard.

EPA’s Regan Heads to Senate Enviro for Budget Talk – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the President's proposed budget request for FY2022 for EPA.  Administrator Michael Regan testifies. 

Forum Looks at TVA – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a conversation on the future of low carbon generation in the Appalachian region. The discussion will highlight the Tennessee Valley Authority model and its role in advancing an equitable energy transition and power sector decarbonization. The moderated discussion will feature energy leaders as they evaluate prospects for an equitable low carbon energy transition in the Appalachian region and the ways in which the TVA’s priorities fit within the broader framework of the Biden Administration’s decarbonization and energy justice agendas.  Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin and TVA CEO Jeff Lyash hold a Fireside Chat.  Panelists include DOE’s Karen Skelton, NABTU’s Brent Booker, NEI’s Maria Korsnick and Memphis Light, Gas, Water CEO JT Young.

House Resources Marks Up Oil/Gas Legislation – The House Resources Committee marks up oil and gas legislation on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. including H.R. 1492, the "Methane Waste Prevention Act of 2021"; H.R. 1503, the "Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021"; H.R. 1506, the "Transparency in Energy Production Act of 2021"; H.R. 1517, the "Ending Taxpayer Welfare for Oil and Gas Companies Act of 2021" and others.

RFF, EDF Energy Transition Report Released – Resources for the Future (RFF) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) hold a virtual RFF live event on Wednesday at Noon in were they will discuss a recent report that explores more than 100 policy options available for facilitating an equitable transition in the United States.  The forum will provide an overview of the report and a panel of experts will discuss what future policy is needed to support fossil fuel workers and communities in the shift to a low-carbon economy. The report also highlights research gaps that can be filled to better inform policymaking in the energy transition.

Webinar Look at Clean Energy Employment Trends – Advanced Energy Economy holds a webinar on Wednesday to look at revenue trends from AEE’s Advanced Energy Now 2021 Market Report. This webinar will present revenue trends, the latest figures on advanced energy employment, and thoughts from advanced energy executives on how their companies survived in 2020 – and are prepared to thrive in 2021.

DOE Solar Decathlon Launches – As DOE kicks off its Solar Decathlon Competition Event, on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., DOE takes you on a virtual tour of innovative homes designed and built by student teams competing for the Solar Decathlon grand winner title.

Forum Looks at Budget Recon, Climate – The Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy and the Niskanen Center will host a discussion on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. to explore how budget reconciliation could include climate policies such as a clean electricity standard or a carbon tax. We will look at what measures have historically been permissible through budget reconciliation and how climate measures would fit within the confines of the rules.  BPC’s Bill Hoagland, Niskanen’s Joe Majkut and Leah Stokes of UCSB will discuss.

Biden State of Union Speech to Congress – Wednesday at 9:00 p.m.

Forum Looks at Role of Private Sector in Latin American Energy Transition – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Dialogue holds a forum on the private sector role in energy transition in Latin America.  This event will explore how private companies investing in Latin America are adapting to meet the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition.

Beaudreau Heads to Senate Energy – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the nomination of Tommy Beaudreau to be deputy Interior secretary.  Beaudreau was nominated after Liz Klein was withdrawn after pushback from Sens. Murkowski and Manchin.

FERC to Look at Electrification – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will hold a technical conference to discuss electrification and the grid of the future on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. The conference begins a dialogue between the commission and stakeholders on how to make the administration's electrification goals. The event will focus on the shift to electric sources at the point of final consumption for vehicles, heat and cool homes and businesses and provide process heat at industrial facilities.

Regan to Testify on House Energy – The House Energy & Commerce holds a hearing on Thursday on 11:00 a.m. on the EPA budget request for FY22.  EPA Chief Michael Regan testifies. 

C2ES Webinar Looks at Power Sector Changes – The Center for Energy and Environmental Solutions (C2ES) holds a webinar on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. to discuss its new “Closer Look” report that examines how the power sector must transform to fill this role, including the necessary, rapid deployment of infrastructure to support a range of electric vehicle use cases, and enable both centralized and distributed low- and zero-carbon resources as well as energy storage in its many forms.  This webinar will provide an overview of the report and an opportunity to hear from companies that are developing the strategies and technologies to address these issues to create a zero-carbon, resilient, and affordable power system.

Web Forum Addresses EU Green Deal – The Center for Global Development holds a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. on the external dimension of the EU's Green Deal.  The event will explore the role of EU development finance in addressing climate change and delivering development impact in partner countries.

Third Way, UMich Series Looks at Clean Energy Change – On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Third Way and the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering hold their premier Fastest Path to Zero event as the Biden Administration reaches 100 days. The event features a conversation with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy priorities, a presentation from University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy professor Dr. Barry Rabe on presidential transitions and a panel with Reps. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Third Way’s Ryan Fitzpatrick to discuss the Biden-Harris climate and clean energy agenda.

Columbia Forum Features Mary Nichols – On Thursday at 4:00 p.m., the Center on Global Energy Policy holds its third episode of Columbia Energy Straight Talk, a discussion series hosted by David Hill, CGEP Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, and Cheryl LaFleur, CGEP Distinguished Visiting Fellow. In this episode, Cheryl and David will host former CARB head Mary Nichols, who has been at the forefront of American environmental regulation for more than 40 years. During this session, Mary, Cheryl, and David will discuss climate initiatives at the federal and state level, the future of carbon pricing, vehicle electrification, and what it all means for the public, the environmental community, energy markets, energy companies, and investors.

Wilson Forum Looks at China, US Carbon Neutrality – The Woodrow Wilson Center holds a virtual discussion on Friday at Noon on U.S.-China cooperation and competition in the realm of energy and carbon neutrality.  The event features an informal conversation with Kelly Sims Gallagher, where she will draw from her experience as a Senior Policy Advisor during the Obama Administration and as director of the Climate Policy Lab at The Fletcher School at Tufts University to help us understand the forward trajectory (or rocky road?) for US-China cooperation and competition in the realm of energy and carbon neutrality.

SEIA Addresses Supply Chain Protocols – On Friday at 1:00 p.m. SEIA holds an on-line event building on the industry’s work to promote corporate social responsibility and will release three key resources: Solar Supply Chain Traceability Protocol, Updated version of the Solar Industry Commitment to Environmental & Social Responsibility and Solar Buyers’ Guide on Traceability.  Together, these resources will help solar businesses navigate the ethical and sustainable procurement of solar products, provide assurances to government agencies that solar products are free of forced labor, and work to satisfy import compliance obligations. The webinar will feature remarks from a panel of experts who helped designed these resources, as well as a discussion on how businesses can implement new best practices.

EESI Forum Set for Climate mitigation, Adaptation – EESI will hold another event on its policy on climate mitigation and adaptation on Friday at 2:00 p.m.  This session will look at a suite of climate solutions that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to climate impacts. Briefing speakers will discuss how these solutions also advance environmental justice, job creation, and conservation.

IN THE FUTURE

Regan Joins Climate Leaders Forum – Climate Leaders Live is hosting EPA's Michael Regan next Monday at 1:00 p.m. for a look at the US's recent carbon emissions commitment as part of the global climate summit, environmental justice, clean economy jobs, and more.

Reps Blunt-Rochester, Welch Headline EE Forum – Energy Efficiency Global Forum 2021 will be held next Tuesday May 4^th on-line. Every year, EE Global Forum brings together the brightest minds in energy efficiency to discuss pressing issues, identify emerging trends, and connect with peers from dozens of countries around the globe. This year, the EE Global Forum will return to a one-day session full of headliner panels, industry insights, and virtual fun and networking.  Putting energy efficiency at the center of our recovery provides a brighter economy and environment for everyone. This year’s EE Global Forum will focus on how to “Build Back Brighter”.  Reps. Peter Welch and Lisa Blunt-Rochester are among the speakers. 

DOE Forum Looks at Solar Industry Workforce Equity Issues – On Tuesday May 4^th at 11:00 a.m., DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) holds a virtual roundtable with special guests as we discuss how to increase equity in the solar workforce and community solar efforts.

ELI to Look at Texas Power Issues – On next Tuesday May 4^th at Noon, the Environmental Law Institute holds an in-depth exploration of how to ensure energy grids are fit for the unique emerging challenges of this century. Leading panelists will illuminate how energy law and policy must navigate these complex and intersecting governance imperatives highlighted by the ERCOT outages.

Forum to Look at Food Systems Emissions – Following the April 22^nd Leaders Summit on Climate, the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy will host a dialogue on Tuesday May 4^th at 1:00 p.m. focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the food system while promoting public health, rural livelihoods and other important goals. Former Clinton Climate official David Sandalow, moderates a discussion with USDA’s William Hohenstein, NASA Goddard’s Cynthia Rosenzweig and David Wallerstein, Chief Exploration Officer of Tencent. 

USEA Annual Policy Forum Set – The US Energy Assn holds its annual membership meeting and Public Policy Forum on May 6^th.  Speakers include Deputy Energy Sect David Turk, FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, HIS Markit’s Dan Yergin, TVA’s Justin Maierhofer, Utility Tech Council CEO Sheryl Osiene-Riggs.

Forum Addresses Solar Geoengineering – On Thursday May 6^th at 9:30 a.m., the Wilson Center, the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment, and the Union of Concerned Scientists hold a panel discussion on a new National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report and its implications for the future of solar geoengineering.  The Report, Reflecting Sunlight: Recommendations for Solar Geoengineering Research and Research Governance, aims to provide policymakers and researchers with recommendations on the development of a robust, equitable, and responsibly governed solar geoengineering research program. 

Bracewell Talks 100 Days With former VP Harris Staffer – On May 6^th at Noon, Bracewell’s Policy Resolution Group holds a special one-on-one conversation with Yasmin Nelson, the newest member of the PRG team. Yasmin, who joined the firm as a senior principal in April 2021, is a former senior policy advisor to then-Senator Kamala D. Harris. In this one-hour event, Yasmin will discuss the Biden administration’s first 100 days and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Tune in for topics including finance and tax, trade, technology and environmental justice. The event will begin with opening remarks from Scott Segal followed by the conversation with Yasmin and PRG’s Dee Martin.

National Journal Looks at Biden 100 Days – National Journal holds a web event Thursday May 6^th at 11:00 a.m. to look at progress on the four key policy items for the Biden Administration.  In the event, the Vignette team examines the ongoing actions to deliver on President Biden's four core policy priorities—COVID Relief, The Economy, Equity, and Climate—and what to expect in the near term now that the first 100 days of the Biden administration are in the books.

USEA Talks Hydrogen – The US Energy Assn holds a forum on May 6^th at Noon on the developing hydrogen economy.  This webinar brings together industry leaders to discuss the state of hydrogen as a fuel for industry, heavy transport, power generation and more. Orrick Partner Peter Connors will co-moderate the panel discussion with USEA Program Director Michael Moore. The webinar will cover sectors ideally suited for a transition to hydrogen, where progress is currently being made and challenges the industry will need to overcome to supplant its conventional counterparts and scale-up hydrogen production and deployment.

Book Launch: Energy's Digital Future by Amy Myers Jaffe – On Tuesday May 11^th at Noon, the Center on Global Energy Policy will host Amy Myers Jaffe, Research Professor and Managing Director at the Climate Policy Lab at Tuft University's The Fletcher School and Co-Chair of the CGEP Women in Energy Steering Committee, for a discussion of her new book,

Top