Energy Update: Week of April 4th

Friends,

The Grammys turned out to be a little lame after the Oscars...  But either way, the big winners were Jon Batiste (who won five trophies), '70s funk of Silk Sonic, H.E.R. and Olivia Rodrigo (who took home three awards).

We start off this week after Friday's White House SPR/leasing announcement which coincidentally just happens to run right up to the November midterm elections.  That’s a surprise, isn't it?  BTW, there is a great SAFE panel on this and other energy topics tomorrow at 3pm with Bob McNally, Rep. Jason Crow and former Commander of US Naval Forces in Europe Michelle Howard.

And we finally had an SEJ annual meeting after two-plus years.  It was great to see everybody in Houston and catch up.  We are also watching for the third IPCC report in a Series this morning on the societal changes necessary to address global warming.  The report was supposed to be out first thing this morning in Europe, but continuing negotiations over the final text have delayed the report's release until just now. 

With recent new DOE permits, the European gas pinch and Russian invasion of Ukraine, action continues in the LNG space.  After a major announcement to expand its Vista Pacifico LNG project last week, this morning Sempra also announced another expansion at Cameron and a partnership with KOGAS, the Korea Gas Co.

It will a busy week on the Hill highlighted Wednesday morning when major oil execs head to the House Energy Committee.  Also Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Senate Foreign Relations Committee digs into the Kigali HFC phase down amendment featuring AHRI head Steve Yurek.  Last year, Yurek and E2's Bob Keefe wrote an op-ed in the NY Times making the case for ratifying the Kigali amendment. And Michael Regan heads to Senate Environment to talk 2023 budget priorities. 

Other hearings include tomorrow’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing on ensuring transparency in petroleum markets. The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on the Postal Service’s decision to buy mostly gas-powered delivery trucks.  Then on Thursday, the House Select Climate Committee holds a hearing on the role of energy efficiency investments in promoting energy security and cutting energy bills, while Senate Energy Committee returns to demand for critical minerals and the effects of recycling those elements.

Other events this week include Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, ACORE and SAFE holding a virtual webinar today with retired military leaders on a reliable, and resilient electric grid; NHA hosting Waterpower Week 2022 tomorrow to Thursday; tomorrow morning’s LNG Allies, API, AXPC and the US Chamber’s Global Energy Institute TransAtlantic Energy Security Forum with Sens Cassidy and Manchin; C2ES’s  Wednesday policy discussion with Energy Secretary Granholm; on Thursday, the FT Energy Source Live summit is held in Houston with panels on Russia-Ukraine tensions for the energy industry, the future of US shale/LNG and tackling the methane challenge.

It is Masters Week so get ready for some great golf.  Matt Kuchar played really well at Valero.  And congrats to South Carolina who took the Women's Hoops championship last night over UConn.  Men's game tonight with Kansas taking on UNC (after that amazing SF game against Duke).  

Lastly, on Thursday, the Congressional Hockey Challenge returns to the ice after a two-plus year COVID hiatus.  The charity game which features the Congressional team taking on a team of Lobbyists raises a bunch of money for local charities.  I will be on the ice as one of the officials so please join us at the Medstar rink (Caps’ practice facility in Ballston) to enjoy a good game for a great cause.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“The reality is we don’t have the votes to do everything we want,” “So compromise is called for. Is it the compromise I would like? No. But we have a saying in the Virginia legislature. Every now and again you have to swallow a toad. And this is swallowing a toad.”

Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), a member of the House Climate Crisis Committee, said in an interview with POLITICO on moving climate legislation.

ON THE PODCAST

Kann, Jenkins Look at Russian, Europe Energy Impacts – In this episode of Catalyst with Shayle Kann, Shayle talks to Princeton energy professor Jesse Jenkins about how  and if Europe could eliminate the import of Russian fossil fuels. Shayle and Jesse explore the immediate impact of the war in Ukraine on energy markets and the ripple effects on other domains such as fertilizer, food and carbon markets. Then they discuss the tools Europe and its allies have at their disposal in the short term, such as switching from gas to coal, ramping up heat pump installations and extending the operation of nuclear plants. They also examine a possible path for the U.S.: decreasing domestic use of fossil fuels while increasing exports of coal and liquid natural gas to Europe. Finally, they consider how this rapid shift in Europe could accelerate the energy transition in the long term.

FUN OPINIONS

Pope, Diamond: Use DPA to Drill for More Oil on Unused Leases – In an opinion piece in RealClearEnergy, former Sierra Club head Carl Pope and SAFE President Robbie Diamond write getting through the Ukraine crisis – limiting the economic damage, especially on less-affluent citizens – while positioning America for long-term energy security requires a pragmatic mixture of existing policy tools applied in news ways.   First, the President can mitigate damage to the oil market by drawing down the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) further and then refilling it with production from drilled but uncompleted wells.  Second, we must accelerate existing efforts to transition America away from oil as the primary transportation fuel. Both will further our long-range energy security and decarbonization goals.

FROG BLOG

Solutions to Prices include Increasing Oil, Gas Production – In a new blog, API’s Frank Macchiarola writes the best long-term solutions the administration could implement are policies to allow U.S. oil and natural gas producers to increase supply and utilize our country’s vast energy abundance.  He adds, the Biden administration should move forward with a new 5-year program and restore a trajectory of growth in oil and natural gas production that will allow America to lead the world in delivering affordable, reliable energy for decades to come.

FUN FACTS

Offshore Wind in the US: Even with all the discussions about offshore wind in the US, it is important to note that there are five offshore wind projects in the US (near term):

1. Operating: a 30-megawatt wind farm off Block Island, Rhode Island.
2. Operating: a 12-megawatt pilot project off the coast of Virginia. 
3. Planned: a 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
4. Planned: a 132-megawatt South Fork Wind farm near Long Island, New York.
5. Demonstration: Off the Ohio coast of Lake Erie. 

IN THE NEWS

Sempra to Expand Cameron LNG Site – Sempra Infrastructure said today it has entered an agreement with TotalEnergies, Mitsui & Co. and Japan LNG Investment (a company jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK)) to expand its Cameron LNG Phase 2 export project in Hackberry, Louisiana.  The agreement provides the commercial framework for the expansion of the Cameron LNG facility by adding a fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) train and increasing the production capacity of the three operating trains through debottlenecking activities.  It also contemplates the allocation to Sempra Infrastructure of 50.2% of the projected fourth train production capacity and 25% of projected debottlenecking capacity under tolling agreements, with the remaining capacity allocated equally to the existing Cameron LNG Phase 1 customers. Sempra Infrastructure plans to sell the LNG corresponding to its capacity under long-term sale and purchase agreements prior to taking a final investment decision. The proposed Cameron LNG Phase 2 project is expected to include a single LNG train with a maximum production capacity of 6.75 million tons per annum (Mtpa) of LNG, as well as debottlenecking of the existing three LNG trains. The project is expected to include certain design enhancements resulting in a more cost-effective and efficient facility, while also reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Bechtel Gets Cameron Early Engineering Contracts -- Additionally, Sempra Infrastructure announced that Cameron LNG awarded two Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contracts to Bechtel Energy Inc. and a joint venture between JGC America Inc. and Zachry Industrial Inc. At the conclusion of this competitive FEED process, one contractor is expected to be selected to be the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

Wait there’s More: Sempra Joins with Korea Gas – Sempra Infrastructure also is partnering with Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) to explore opportunities to cooperate in the global energy transition to lower-carbon and zero-carbon fuels. The partnership contemplates the companies’ joint collaboration around project development and offtake across multiple business areas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), carbon capture and sequestration, and hydrogen infrastructure.

Data Shows LNG Expansion – Preliminary data on LNG exports from Refinitiv shows that US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports rose nearly 16% last month to a record high with shipments to Europe continuing to dominate. US LNG is in high demand as European countries try to cut gas imports from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine while also looking to rebuild low inventories.  US LNG exports to all destinations were about 7.43 million tons (MT) last month, up from 6.4 MT in February and topping the prior record of 7.25 MT in January.

EIA: US Households had More Efficient Lighting, Larger TVs, More Refrigerators – U.S. households have been changing the types and number of electricity consuming devices used in homes, according to the latest data released from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). The latest release presents measures of how homes used traditional devices such as lights and dishwashers in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first time, it also includes data on smart home devices and electric vehicles. Notable takeaways from the RECS analysis of the estimated 123.5 million homes in the United States include:

• The share of U.S. households that reported challenges in paying energy bills was 27% in 2020, down from 31% in the 2015 RECS. Of the 25 million households that reported reducing or forgoing basic necessities to pay energy bills, 7 million households reported having to do so every month.
• More than three-quarters of electric vehicle owners reported that they charged their electric vehicle at their homes.
• Nearly half of U.S. households used LED lighting in 2020 for all or most of their indoor lighting, which was up from 4% of households in 2015.
• About 40 million households had smart speakers in 2020, nearly 18 million of which were used to control at least one setting in the home—whether lighting, temperature, or security.
• Televisions continued to grow in size; 72% of households reported that their most-used television was 40 inches or greater, up from 58% in 2015. More than 60% of households had an LED television as their most-used TV, up from one-third in 2015.
• The percentage of homes with more than one refrigerator grew from 30% in 2015 to 34% in 2020. The percentage of households using a dishwasher four or more times per week increased from 21% in 2015 to 26% in 2020.

The 2020 RECS characteristics data were collected in late 2020 and early 2021, a time when many households were spending more time at home than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the survey, more than 36 million households (29%) had at least one person working from home at least one day a week, and 27.5 million (22%) of those households had someone working from home five days per week. Despite people spending more time at home, though, residential energy use declined by 4% in 2020 from the previous year. The warmer winter months in 2020 reduced heating demand, which typically accounts for about 40% of energy use in homes. You can find all available data from the RECS household characteristics and energy usage indicators on the EIA website.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Forum to Look at Clean Grid, Security – Today at 3:00 p.m., Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, ACORE and SAFE hold a virtual webinar with retired military leaders and senior defense officials for a discussion on the national security benefits of a more robust, reliable, and resilient electric system. ACORE CEO Dennis McGinn and former Air Mobility Commander and SAFE Energy Security Leadership Council member General Carlton Everhart II speak.

RFF Looks at Green Grid – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds an RFF Live webinar today at 3:00 p.m. to review recent research and regulatory developments, as well as on-the-ground experiences. The panel, featuring experts from across academia, policy, and industry, will discuss the various challenges and opportunities of using automation and pricing to help "green" the grid.

Book Looks at Venezuela – The Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies holds a discussion today at 78:30 p.m. with William Neuman, author of the book “Things Are Never So Bad That They Can’t Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela.”

Axios Hosts Barra – Axios holds inaugural What’s Next Summit tomorrow - an event spotlighting the innovators making their mark on the future of work, life and getting around.  Axios journalists will lead newsmaking interviews and deep-dive discussions — asking the questions that you want to know about what’s coming across 5 key themes: Next Cities, Work Shifts, Electric Everything, Financial Flux and Trending Tech. GM CEO Mary Barra, NYSE’s Lynn Martin and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser all speak.

LNG Forum to Address Policies – LNG Allies, API, AXPC and the US Chamber’s Global Energy Institute holds the TransAtlantic Energy Security Forum on tomorrow morning.  Speakers include Sen Bill Cassidy, Sen Joe Manchin, former State Department official Frank Fannon, former Energy official Mark Menezes, former Obama state Dept Official Andrew Light and Amos Hochstien, EQT CEO Toby Rice, ClearView Energy’s Kevin Book and several Key eastern European Ambassadors.

Columbia to Look at Paris Climate Governing – The Center on Global Energy Policy and the Columbia Global Centers | Paris will host a panel of experts tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. to take a step back, take stock, and ask some important questions about the Paris process.  The event will discuss can very ambitious emissions reduction goals be met by voluntary national commitments, whether commitments translate into transformative policies and what are the most promising mechanisms, initiatives, and developments that could enable developing countries to deliver on ambitious emissions reduction targets. 

Senate Commerce Looks at Oil Market Issues – The Senate Commerce Looks at The Senate Commerce Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on elevated oil and oil product prices. The committee will hear from Western Energy Alliance President Kathleen Sgamma (who testified at last month’s EPW hearing on the subject) and Robert McCullough of McCullough Research.

House Ag Looks at Rural Opportunities for Clean Energy – The House Agriculture Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on rural opportunities for clean energy.  Witnesses will include USDA’s Xochitl Torres-Small, NRECA rep Bill Cherrier of Central Iowa Power Coop, Patrick Gruber of Gevo and Nacero CEO Jay McKenna.

Senate Enviro Looks at Drinking Water Infrastructure – The Senate Environment Committee’s Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on implementation of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act.

Resources Focuses on Wildfire Management – The House Resources National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on investing in wildfire management, ecosystem restoration and resilient communities.  The hearing will examine implementation of the bipartisan Infrastructure law.

House Oversight Looks at Postal Fleet – The House Oversight and Reform Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the Postal Service contract and electric vehicle controversy.  Among the witnesses are USPS IG Tammy Whitcomb, GAO’s Jill Naamane and ZETA’s Joe Britton.

CANCELLED - House Resources to Look at Gas Prices – The House Resources Committee cancelled its hearing to challenge industry on unused leased mimicking a Democratic argument because the CEOs chose not to attend what was likely going to be an unfair forum.

Forum Tackles European Implications of Russia Gas – Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., the German Marshall Fund holds a forum on getting off Russian gas and the implications for Germany and Europe.  Economic experts Veronika Grimm and Jacob Kirkegaard discuss.

SAFE Forum Features McNally, Rep. Crow – SAFE’s Commanding Heights hosts an expert panel tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to discuss immediate policy options and longer-term solutions to address persistent energy challenges. The intersection between economics and national security has never been greater for this crucial supply chain. Participants include Admiral Michelle J. Howard, USN (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa; Rep. Jason Crow, D-CO; Bob McNally of the Rapidan Energy Group.  SAFE CEO Robbie Diamond and Executive Director of SAFE’s Commanding Heights Initiative Jeb Nadaner also speak.  

Rep. Curtis Address Climate Issues – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the American Security Project holds a conversation with Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus. Curtis will share his perspective the climate agenda on Capitol Hill and how to provide Americans, and the rest of the world, access to cheaper, reliable, and cleaner energy.

House Transpo Minority Holds Energy Roundtable – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans hold a roundtable discussion on energy issues. Speakers include Sabine Neches Navigation District CEO Randall Reese, Eric Marchetto of Trinity Industries, AOPL’s John Stoody, Roger Guenther of the Port of Houston, EQT’s Will Jordan and INGAA’s Joan Dreskin.

ACEEE Holds Forum – On Wednesday, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) holds its 2022 International Symposium on energy efficiency.  This half-day virtual symposium to spotlight global leaders in energy efficiency, with a particular focus on opportunities for improvement in the United States. They will release and discuss the 2022 International Scorecard, which examines the energy efficiency policies and performance of the world’s top-25 energy-consuming countries. The scorecard evaluates countries on 36 metrics and shows how all can substantially reduce energy use and emissions.

Senate Enviro Hosts EPA’s Regan – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the president's proposed budget request for FY2023 for the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA head Michael Regan testifies.

House Energy to Hear from Oil CEOs – The House Energy Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on gas prices. Chief executives of BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Devon Energy Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Pioneer Natural Resources Co. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC will testify before the panel about their business practices amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rising gasoline prices.

Risch, Heinrich to Discuss Abandon Mine Update – ConservAmerica hosts Senators Jim Risch (R-ID) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) for a webinar on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on the recently introduced Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2022. The bipartisan legislation would make it easier for “Good Samaritans” such as state agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and other groups, to clean up and improve water quality in and around abandoned hardrock mines.  NMA’s Ryan Jackson and Trout Unlimited’s Chris Wood will also speak. 

Senate Foreign Relations to Discuss Kigali HFC Issues – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. focused on the Kigali HFC amendment to the Montreal Protocol. Recently the State Department submitted the treaty to the Senate For Ratification.  AHRI head Steve Yurek will be among the witnesses. 

Granholm Joins C2ES – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a fireside chat on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. featuring Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and C2ES President Nat Keohane, the latest in our series of policy discussions. Even as prospects for climate policy remain uncertain, the urgency of bold and timely action to address climate change is clear. This discussion will focus on the ways transformative investments in innovation can reduce emissions and encourage greater business ambition to accelerate the global transition to a net-zero economy.

FT Forum Talks Energy in Houston – The FT Energy Source Live summit will be held on Thursday.  The event will take a deep dive into the issues set to reshape the US energy industry in the years ahead, while asking what's next for America’s energy transformation.  It features industry CEOs, thought leaders, energy innovators, policymakers, investors and our world-class FT journalists to hear their expert insights on a series of panels and roundtable discussions.  On the agenda: the implications of Russia-Ukraine tensions for the energy industry, the future of US shale and LNG, tackling the methane challenge, how oil and gas pipelines will adapt to a lower-carbon world, before examining alternatives and opportunities in powering the US’s future in new energy industries from offshore wind to new nuclear and the rapidly transforming US midstream.

House Climate Committee Tackles Efficiency – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., the House Climate Crisis Committee holds a hearing on energy efficiency investments to reduce consumer costs.  Witnesses will include ASE CEO Paula Glover, Urban Efficiency Group CEO Darnell Johnson, Energy Innovation’s Sara Baldwin and APGA CEO Dave Schryver. 

Senate Energy Returns to Critical Minerals – The Senate Energy Committee returns to critical minerals on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. with a hearing on demand and recycling. It follows a hearing last week on domestic critical mineral production and the challenges it faces, where both Chair Joe Manchin and ranking member John Barrasso stressed the importance of developing U.S. supply chains to prevent reliance on foreign suppliers.

RFF Looks at Turmoil – Resources for the Future holds a Live event on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. the global energy outlook for 2022.  The event will look at turning points and turmoil in the energy transition. It coincides with the release of the 2022 Global Energy Outlook—RFF’s annual report that synthesizes global energy market projections and analysis from leading energy organizations, academics, and corporations—and an accompanying interactive web tool. The only report of its kind, RFF’s 2022 Global Energy Outlook harmonizes analyses from other organizations to allow for a clear understanding and easy comparison of potential future energy markets, climate trajectories, and policy options at global, regional, and national levels. The event will feature an in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets and the global energy system in the face of recent international climate action and energy market volatility from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

DOE Carbon Workshops Set – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (DOE-FECM) holds a Virtual Kickoff of its Regional Carbon Management Applicant Education Workshops. These workshops support implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and will target potential applicants interested in developing commercial-scale storage facilities, point-source CO2 capture demonstration projects, direct air capture hubs, hydrogen production hubs with carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon utilization, and CO2 transport that will be required by these BIL provisions and support decarbonization. DOE will address various components of large-scale projects such as capture of CO2 from point sources and the atmosphere; commercial storage and transport of carbon dioxide; developing teams for integrated projects; DOE procurement requirements and processes; NEPA requirements and processes; lessons learned from past demonstration projects; alternate opportunities for carbon management; environmental justice and community engagement requirements and energy jobs.

BPC to Discuss SEC Rule – The Bipartisan Policy Center holds a forum on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. on the release of a SEC proposed rule on climate-related risk disclosure. BPC Senior Advisor Tim Doyle holds a discussion with former SEC Commissioner Troy Paredes to discuss what’s in the proposed rule and its potential impact on publicly traded companies.

Georgetown to Look at SCOTUS Climate Case – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m. , Georgetown’s Mortara Center for International Studies holds an Energy & Climate Policy Seminar on WV v. EPA to consider the scope of EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases.  The forum features GU Law professor and former Obama EPA official Lisa Heinzerling. 

Forum to Look at Enviro Justice Initiative – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a briefing about the Justice40 Initiative and how it can deliver benefits to frontline communities.  During this briefing, experts will discuss the transformative potential of Justice40 as well as the current status of the initiative. Panelists will describe the wide range of benefits frontline communities could realize from fair and just implementation of the initiative.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum to Feature Climate Science, Policy – Hillsdale College in DC holds a lecture on Monday April 11^th at 6:00 p.m. with Willie Soon, astrophysicist and geoscientist that has challenged the climate consensus.  Soon will explain how science has become politicized to target scientists who disagree with the dominant narrative of the scientific community.  Dr. Soon will also consider how science could be reformed to be more open and better able to investigate and debate questions of public policy.

AEI Hosts Climate, Ag, Food Security Policy Forum – AEI hosts a forum next Tuesday morning to look at policies being proposed to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enable communities to adapt to changed climates, affect global agricultural production and food insecurity.  AEI’s Vincent Smith and a group of distinguished agricultural economists and policy experts, including Wolf Prize laureate David Zilberman, discuss how to get agricultural and other policy responses “right,” at the national and international level. Two panels will explore the implications of climate change for agricultural, food security, and policy responses. The first panel will focus on global issues; the second will focus on the likely impacts of current and proposed US agricultural policies on greenhouse gas emissions.  Our friends Scott Faber of EWG is among the speakers.

Forum to Feature State Dept Officials on Nuke Exports – Next Tuesday April 12^th at 10:00 a.m., the Global America Business Institute is hosting an event looking at global capacity building for nuclear exports.  Speakers include State Department officials Kirsten Cutler and Laura Schmidt Denlinger. 

WRI Looks at IPCC Report – Following today’s report IPCC release, the World Resources Institute hosts experts and IPCC authors on Tuesday April 12^th at Noon for an overview of the IPCC report and learn about the transformative actions across sectors (including energy, transportation, food, forests and much more) needed to curb greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Forum to Feature FERC Commissioners – The R St. Institute holds an online discussion on Tuesday April 12^th at 1:00 p.m. in which our panel of distinguished experts will talk about the record of electricity competition and the prospects for future reforms.  Former FERC Commissioners Neil Chatterjee, Pat Wood and Nora Brownell all speak. 

Forum to Hear from Defense, Climate Expert – On Tuesday April 12^th at 6:00 p.m., the American University School of International Service holds the 2022 Nancy Weiser Ignatius Lecture on the Environment, featuring keynote remarks from Sherri Goodman, the Secretary General of the International Military Council on Climate and Security. After the lecture, Goodman will speak with SIS professor Robert Kelley, and an audience Q&A will follow the discussion.

Wilson Looks at China Nuclear – The Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum holds an event on Wednesday April 13^th at 9:00 a.m. on how nuclear can help China prevent future energy crises and how, despite ongoing pricing obstacles, the nuclear industry could expand to support the country’s net zero carbon policies. Speakers at this China Environment Forum event will explore how China has been expanding nuclear power both at home and abroad.

Forum to Look at Polar Vortex-Type Events, Climate Impacts – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a briefing series starting on Wednesday April 13^th at Noon on strategies, policies, and programs preparing communities around the country for four major climate threats: polar vortices, sea level rise, wildfires, and extreme heat. Experts and practitioners will highlight the unique challenges these climate threats present along with strategies to overcome them.  Panelists will discuss the science behind the polar vortex and how the energy grid and other critical infrastructure can be made resilient to this threat.

Forum to Look at Middle East Climate Impacts – The American University School of Public Affairs holds a webinar on Thursday April 14^th at 1:30 p.m. to understand how national governments have, or have not, addressed climate mitigation and adaption issues. The event will look at the political opposition to prioritizing climate adaptation over climate mitigation, how “agenda setter” priorities heavily emphasize one set of priorities over another, and how there is little overlap, in most nations, between mitigation and adaptation policies.

Good Friday – April 15^th

Easter Sunday – April 17^th

TAX DAY – Monday, April 18^th.  Not so good!!!

Aspen Ideas Fest on Climate Set – The Aspen Institute holds Aspen Ideas: Climate 2022 on May 9–12^th in Miami Beach. The event will feature main stages both in and outdoors, breakout and roundtable sessions, tours of local and historic resilience points of interest, as well as fashion, food, art, and music activities.

US-Mex Chamber Hosts Forum – The United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Board of Directors Meeting, Conference and Good Neighbor Awards Gala on May 19^th at The Decatur House in Washington, D.C.  The conference this year will focus on the implementation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, current supply chain challenges and nearshoring opportunities.

Hydrogen Plant Opening Set for North Las Vegas – Air Liquide will formally open its new North Las Vegas Hydrogen Production Facility on May 24^th.  It will be the largest H2 Production facility in the US and is design to reach California’s emerging hydrogen market.