Energy Update: Week of December 12th

Friends,

The World Cup 2022 has reached its Final Four with four great QF games over the weekend. Defending champ France bounced old rival England 2-1 despite a late penalty kick by UK star Harry Kane (which sailed over the crossbar). The surprise of the tourney, Morocco, becomes the first Africa team to advance to the semifinals with a victory over heavily-favored Portugal. On Friday both games were resolved by PK Shootouts with Croatia knocking out Brazil and Argentina ousting the Dutch. Exciting times ahead with Croatia-Argentina tomorrow and France-Morocco on Wednesday. Finals are Sunday.

As we get closer to Football bowl season, let me remind you there are some great college football games ongoing in the DI FCS, the DII and DIII playoffs already.  Looking forward to South Dakota St Jackrabbits running into the North Dakota St Bison maybe for the title. And for you energy types, the Colorado School of Mines takes on Michigan’s Ferris St on Saturday in McKinney, Texas for the DII title. (I am certain our friend CSOM expert Morgan Bazilian and Tri-State PR ace Lee Boughey are tracking this one.) The FBS Bowl action launches with Bahamas Bowl featuring Miami (Ohio) and Alabama-Birmingham on Friday. Here is the full list.

Much of the focus turns to the budget this week, especially while the Senate is expected to complete the National Defense Authorization. NDAA will include Manchin’s vote to add his permitting reform proposal to the measure as an amendment. Not much is expected there but we are tracking closely. It seems budget negotiations are getting closer to a deal to fund the government short-term, but it is almost certain to extend beyond the Friday deadline to December 23^rd to get everything done.

The big news this week on the energy side is that government scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab have successfully achieved net energy gain in a fusion experiment, scooped by our friends at the FT. The recent experiment is a first-of-its-kind feat that could lead to an effective process for producing a zero-carbon alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear energy. DOE will announce it tomorrow at LLNL. Other key items on the plate this week potentially include imminent EPA rule on NAAQS PM and an interim WOTUS rule. As for events, the White House will hold an electrification forum Wednesday afternoon at the White House which also should garner some attention For heat pumps and EVs.  And FERC holds its final meeting of 2022 on Thursday (which also might be the last for Chair Rich Glick) with a couple of high-profile transmission items.

Not as many events this week, but with North Carolina power station attacks, pay attention for tomorrow’s Hill and the Bipartisan Policy Center panel on cyber/climate solutions bolstering America's power grid. The panel will feature incoming Chair of the House Energy Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers, DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security & Emergency Response director Puesh Kumar and Southern Co. Chief Executive Tom Fanning.

Finally, congrats to our friend Jason Grumet who takes over as CEO of the American Clean Power Association. Grumet said his life’s work has been about two things: Developing real climate solutions and building durable bipartisan policy. He founded the Bipartisan Policy Center in 2007 to advocate for viable policy solutions to major policy challenges.

Keep doing that shopping and call with questions…

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“If the lesson was learned from Ukraine, we need cheap, reliable, safe, secure energy, of which 80% comes from oil and gas. And that number’s going to be very high for 10 or 20 years.”

 JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday that the ongoing war in Europe highlighted that fossil fuels are still a key component of the global economy and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

 

ON THE PODCAST

Volts Talks Lithium Batteries – This week on the Volts podcast, Dave Roberts talks with Charlotte Hamilton, CEO of Conamix, a company that is working to commercialize lithium batteries with sulfur cathodes. The company was founded in 2014 using technology from Cornell, Stanford, Berkeley Lab, and elsewhere; last year it emerged from stealth, closed a B round of funding and secured an $8.6 million dollar contract from the federal Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. The Conversation with Hamilton roams into why lithium-sulfur batteries are needed, how close they are to commercialization, how easily they could fit into current LIB production infrastructure, and what kinds of technological advances they could bring in their wake.

 

FUN OPINIONS

WaPo Columnists Tackle Gas Price Questions – In a pair of thoughtful columns on gas prices, Washington Post columnists Catherine Rampell and Paul Waldman each address the political reality of falling/rising gas prices. Rampell writes while gasoline prices are now falling (and consumers, President Biden are celebrating), perhaps we should all be careful what we wish for. Part of the reason energy prices are dropping, after all, is that the global economic outlook is darkening. Meanwhile, Waldman mocks both Republicans and the Biden Admin for its positioning on gas prices writing “it was a policy triumph for President Biden, a direct result of his actions. Even his Republican opponents are lining up to praise him for heeding their earlier criticisms now that he has brought down prices at the pump and put more money in the pockets of hard-working Americans.”  He then added, “Everything in the (last) paragraph is an invention, of course. Biden isn’t responsible for bringing down gas prices, any more than he was responsible for them rising in the first place. And Republicans are most decidedly not praising him — for that or anything else.” Both are really good reads.

 

FROG BLOG

Chamber Wraps Up COP27 Takeaways – In a blog post, the US Chamber Global Energy Institute head Marty Durbin writes the unprecedented actions being taken and investments being made by the business community to tackle climate challenges—and important alliances with governments and other stakeholders—is reason for optimism. A constant theme throughout the conference, especially from U.S. leaders, was the important role that business plays both to help finance and implement climate solutions at home and abroad.

BCSE Wraps COP27 – As the desert dust settles from 45,000 people that descended upon the resort town of Sharm el-Sheik, where Egypt hosted the 27^th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC, BCSE is reflecting on the outcomes. Visit the BCSE blog for our full takeaways, which include 1) the US and American clean energy industries are in the strongest position to date to accelerate the energy transition needed to meet the collective goals of the Paris Agreement; 2) BCSE believes addressing loss and damage is an opportunity for U.S. technology leadership; 3) The focus of government negotiations in Egypt aimed to move the needle on ambition, establish credible rules for international carbon markets, and identify new streams of climate finance.

 

FUN FACTS

Cali Offshore Wind Lease: The first west Coast offshore wind lease was a success despite potential challenges with floating technology and California’s potentially Unprepared grid.

The Government received $757.1 million in high bids received after a two-day auction for five offshore wind leasing areas off California's north and central coasts.

Our friends at Equinor were among the winners.

 

IN THE NEWS

EPA Phases Out More HFCs – On Friday, EPA proposed restricting the use of some of the most potent types of hydrofluorocarbons in refrigerators, air conditioners and other products. The agency said the rule will result in billions of dollars’ worth of climate benefits and help transition key industries away from this family of greenhouse gases. Congress in 2020 passed the AIM law giving EPA significant new powers to curb the use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs. The law covered 18 different types of HFC, with varying levels of "global warming potential," a measure of how much a comparable amount of the gas contributes to climate change compared to carbon dioxide. Here is a comment from Helen Walter-Terrinoni, AHRI VP of Regulatory Affairs:

We’re very pleased that the EPA has published the technology transition NOPR for public comment. It provides a pathway for compliance with the HFC phase down. We agree with most aspects of the proposal with a small number of exceptions, which we will discuss with the EPA by the comment deadline.

Industry Pushes Back on House Committee “Report” – House Oversight Committee Democrats on Friday ended their year-long probe of oil/natgas companies over alleged climate disinformation with a report that accuses the industry of greenwashing and "posturing on climate issues while avoiding real commitments." ExxonMobil spokesperson Todd Spitler said the committee report misrepresents internal company communications, while API’s Megan Bloomgren responded, "Our industry is focused on continuing to produce affordable, reliable energy while tackling the climate challenge and any allegations to the contrary are false. We are poised to be a leader in the next generation of low carbon technologies, including CCUS and Hydrogen — technologies widely recognized to be critical to meet the world’s emissions reduction targets.”

ACAA Releases Annual Coal Ash Report – The American Coal Ash Association released its annual “Production and Use Survey” saying 60% of the coal ash produced during 2021 was recycled –increasing from 59% in 2020 and marking the seventh consecutive year that more than half of the coal ash produced in the United States was beneficially used rather than disposed. The report also showed that use of harvested ash is continuing to grow. Nearly 4.5 million tons of previously disposed ash was utilized in a variety of applications in 2021, including coal ash pond closure activities, concrete products, cement kiln raw feed, and gypsum panel manufacturing. The volume of harvested ash that was utilized increased 12 percent, or more than 500,000 tons, over the previous year. According to ACAA’s 2021 survey, 46.5 million tons of coal combustion products were beneficially used in 2021, an increase of nearly 6 million tons over the previous year. Production of new CCP also increased from 69.1 million tons in 2020 to 77.3 million tons in 2021 as utilities consumed more coal for generating electricity.

California Lease Sale Completed, Equinor Wins Bid – While the lease sale was more modest in California reflecting the challenges of floating turbines and lack of preparation for California’s grid for offshore projects, the first sale of offshore wind development rights off the coast of California attracted more than $787 million in bids. With a bid of $130 million for 80,062 acres in the Pacific Ocean, Equinor secured a 2GW lease in the Morro Bay area that has the potential to generate enough energy to power ~750 000 US homes. About two-thirds of America’s offshore wind energy potential is in deep waters. The narrow outer continental shelf running along the Pacific seaboard, drops down swiftly to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) or more, opening up for new power opportunities for the west coast – floating offshore wind. As the world’s leading floating offshore wind operator and developer, Equinor looks forward to applying its experience to create a sustainable offshore wind industry in California.

Following regulatory approvals, the new lease will be added to Equinor’s existing US portfolio – which includes the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects on the US Northeast coast – and has the potential to generate a total capacity of at least 2 GW of renewable power for the West Coast.

“We are delighted to get the opportunity to explore the potential for producing even more renewable energy for the US, this time in the Pacific Ocean. The US West Coast is one of the most attractive growth regions for floating offshore wind in the world due to its favorable wind conditions and proximity to markets that need reliable, clean energy. Offshore wind on the west coast could help achieve the state’s clean energy goals, bolster renewable energy sources, and create new jobs and investments in California. The US is a key market for Equinor’s offshore wind activities and one where we aspire to be a leader in growing this new energy industry,” says Molly Morris, President of Equinor Wind US.

The Biden administration has set an offshore wind target of 30 GW by 2030 and 15 GW by 2035 in floating offshore wind capacity, which is well above 100 times more than what’s currently installed in floating around the world. The administration’s offshore wind target is complemented by state offshore wind policies and actions throughout the North Pacific. California has set an offshore wind target of up to 5 GW by 2030 and 25 GW floating offshore wind by 2045.

DOE announces electrification initiative – In advance of next week’s White House Electrification Summit, the DOE today announced a new proposed rule to electrify new or newly renovated federal buildings. Beginning in 2025, these facilities will be required to reduce their on-site emissions associated with the energy consumption of the building by 90% relative to 2003 levels. In 2030, the standard will fully decarbonize the on-site emissions in new federal buildings and major renovations. In the coming weeks, DOE will solicit comment on the new rule from all entities that may be affected. On January 5th, 2023, DOE will host a webinar on the scope of the rule and the proposed implementation timeline.

The American Gas Association (AGA) strongly disagrees with the proposed rule calling it, “impractical, unscientific and expensive.” AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert:

“Eliminating natural gas in federal buildings is an impractical, unscientific and expensive idea that will have no environmental benefit. In reality, the demand for electricity fueled by natural gas will only increase and the costs will be borne by every taxpayer. Today, 187 million Americans use natural gas in their homes every day, more people than voted in the last election. According to the Department of Energy, natural gas is 3.4 times more affordable than electricity to heat buildings, including federal offices, and significantly more affordable than several other energy sources for the same amount of energy delivered. The American Gas Association (AGA) supports the goal of lower emissions and is investing every day to continue to decarbonize our systems. AGA will thoroughly evaluate the proposal and vigorously participate in the public comment process.

“The most practical, realistic way to achieve a sustainable future where energy is clean, as well as safe, reliable and affordable is to develop a plan that includes natural gas and the infrastructure that transports it. We have outlined the pathways in a study, Net-Zero Emissions Opportunities for Gas Utilities, which presents the significant environmental and economic advantages of gas technologies and distribution infrastructure to reach ambitious decarbonization goals. Energy policy by executive fiat, is not a thoughtful way to address emissions or maintain our nation's vital infrastructure which delivers life essential energy and the resilience that our national economy, businesses and families need. The American Gas Association remains committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through smart innovation, new and modernized infrastructure, and advanced technologies that maintain reliable, resilient and affordable energy service choices for consumers.”                 

Some Additional Background Facts:

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that natural gas will be 1/2 – 1/3 the price of other fuels through 2050.
• DOE’s published data shows that natural gas is the most affordable energy source for residential consumers.
• Removal of efficient direct-use applications will shift gas use to the electric generation sector, which can be more costly and less efficient, and results in higher greenhouse gas emissions.
• This closes the door on high-efficiency and resilient applications like natural gas combined heat and power, which DOE recognizes as providing efficient, clean, reliable, and affordable energy.

API Submits Hydrogen Comments – API submitted comments to DOE’s draft National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap. While API thanked the DOE for advancing a clean hydrogen economy, it expressed concern that the roadmap fails to adequately consider all forms of hydrogen production and the near-term benefits of working with existing hydrogen users, like refineries. “The oil and natural gas industry has a significant role to play and interest in the growth of a clean hydrogen economy,” API Vice President of Corporate Policy Aaron Padilla said in an organization statement. Enabling significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in the industrial, transportation and power sectors, the deployment of low-carbon hydrogen will be essential in meeting the nation’s climate goals. While we appreciate DOE’s commitment to a clean hydrogen economy, the current roadmap does not address the near-term low-cost GHG emissions reductions advantages of hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture and storage. To fully harness the emissions reduction potential of hydrogen, we urge DOE to support all forms of clean hydrogen production.”

Report Shows Freer Economies are Cleaner Economies – The Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions (C3 Solutions) released the second edition of its report, Free Economies are Clean Economies. The report, which includes an exclusive foreword from Edwin J. Feulner, PhD, Founder and Former President of The Heritage Foundation, finds that economically free countries are almost twice as clean as economically unfree countries. Free Economies are Clean Economies compiles data from The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom and Yale University's Environmental Performance Index to find a strong, positive relationship between economically free economies and clean economies.

Key Facts from the Report Include: 

• Economic freedom has a positive correlation with important human and societal quality metrics, such as life expectancy and poverty reduction, because economically free countries have higher levels of per capita income.
• A 2022 report in Sustainability found that technological innovation has a direct impact on the economic sustainability of a country’s growth. A 2020 Research of Industrial Economies paper found that “the transition to lower emissions technology appears at an earlier stage in economically free societies.”
• More wealth enables communities to build more resilient infrastructure and production and adapt to a changing climate. The latest International Panel on Climate Change report finds that as countries’ wealth goes up, their climate vulnerability goes down.
• A critical component for a healthier environment is having a policy framework that empowers the private sector to innovate and deploy cleaner technologies. The conditions that make a country economically free are the same conditions that incentivize more innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship.

 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Forum Hosts Experts on Africa Energy Transition –Today at 2:00 p.m., the Carnegie Endowment will host presidents from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and senior US government officials for a program on the margins of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. His Excellency President Hage Geingob of the Republic of Namibia and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks will share in a lively discussion on US global leadership in clean energy technology and African priorities for a just energy transition.

EXIM Bank Conference Set – The EXIM’s 2022 Annual Conference will be held tomorrow. The conference will bring together leaders in business, finance, government, policy and media to highlight the importance of U.S. manufacturing, supply chains, economic security through exports, critical minerals and transformational exports, clean energy technology, small businesses, doing business in Africa, and much more. The speakers include DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Houston Mayor Syl Turner, US Trade Rep Katherine Tai, our friend Yahoo Finance reporter Kevin Cirilli, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Presidential Energy Advisor Amos Hochstein and many more.

Forum Tackles Energy Security in EU – Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies holds an event focused on energy security and energy transition in Germany and The EU.  Just days after the launch of the G7’s price cap on Russian oil and the EU’s embargo of Russian oil imports, this forum will address the outlook for German and European energy supplies over the coming winter and the short- to medium-term prospects for replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources.

Senate Energy Looks at Interior IRA Implementation – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the Department of the Interior's implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Interior Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau testifies.

Methanol Conference Set – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., Transport Energy holds a forum on the future of methanol. The event will discuss the foregoing questions as well as policy implications globally will be Greg Dolan, CEO of the Methanol Institute, Ayça Yalcin, Director Market Development at Methanex and Berit Hinnemann, Head of Green Fuels Sourcing for A.P. Moller - Maersk.

Hill Hosts Grid Security Forum – The Hill hosts an event on risk to resilience in the power grid tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. The event will look at cyber and climate solutions that bolster America's power grid. Speakers include incoming House Energy Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Rep. Jim Himes, Southern Co CEO Tom Fanning and DOE’s cyber/energy security Director Puesh Kumar.

WaPo Climate Series Hosts Jennifer Morgan – Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., the Washington Post climate reporter Michael Birnbaum hosts a This is Climate forum featuring a conversation with Jennifer Morgan about Europe’s efforts to slow global warming and the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Morgan ran Greenpeace International for six years before joining the German government in February as the special envoy for international climate action.

Forum Looks at Hydrogen Innovation – Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., the American Security Project holds its second installment of Innovating Out of the Climate Crisis series, focused on hydrogen. According to the IEA, demand for hydrogen has grown threefold since 1975 and has recently gained popularity as a potential source of clean energy. But with an extremely high cost and high energy consumption for production, the forum will look at what role green hydrogen can play in the clean energy transition.

Hyzon, AL Hold Hydrogen Truck Event at Port of Houston – Tomorrow at the Greater Houston Port Bureau, Hyzon Motors and Air Liquide will host a Ride-Along in their zero-emissions hydrogen powered truck. Members of the media will have the opportunity to ride in one of Hyzon’s zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles and hear leaders from the Port Houston, the Center for Houston’s Future, Texas Hydrogen Alliance, Air Liquide, Woodside Energy, and TALKE Group as they discuss how Texas is accelerating the hydrogen economy and how drayage operators are using hydrogen vehicles in their fleets.  The Ride-Along comes one day before the start of a trial program between Hyzon Motors and TALKE Group where the fuel cell electric truck will be deployed in daily drayage operations hauling cargo loads from the Port of Houston to various destinations. This will be the first commercial trial of a fuel cell electric vehicle at the Port.

WCEE Forum Feature Clean Energy Expert – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment holds its Brown Bag lunch series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. with Tom Weirich, head of Marketing & Stakeholder Relations at EDP Renewables North America.  Weirich shares insights on early risk takers, the process of becoming an author, juggling a 'day job' with writing/book tours, and the clean energy transformation.

DOE to Look at Sustainable Fuels Challenge – DOE EERE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office will hold a web event tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Grand Challenge Roadmap and their goal of producing 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year.

Granholm Headlines EV Charging Summit – The National EV Charging Western Summit is being held on Wednesday. The Summit focuses on the National EV Charging Initiative, seeking to spur bold actions in public and private sectors to fully realize the opportunities presented by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The summit’s speakers include DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other government and industry leaders.

Bloomberg holds Event on Sustainable Africa – On Wednesday at 8:00 a.m., Bloomberg hosts an in-person or virtual Breakfast Briefing on Sustainable Africa: Investment, Innovation, and the Future of Global Trade. The event will bring together international business leaders, policy makers and investors, to ask what is required from them to reshape global supply chains towards sustainability goals and support the transition to technologies such as batteries and hydrogen.

Forum Looks at Climate, Global Governance – The Institute for Policy Studies holds a virtual discussion Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on global governance and climate change. The event looks at existing institutions like the UNEP, UNFCCC, the Green Climate Fund, the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, Climate Action Network International to see if they can be more effective.

House Tax Committee Looks at Trade, Sustainability – The House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. on promoting sustainable environmental practices through trade policy.

USEA to Look at Winter Energy Challenges – To assess the coming winter, the US Energy Association, will hold a virtual press briefing on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to examine what the utility industry and the public face as winter bears down. Speakers include NERC CEO Jim Robb, Robert Rowe of NorthWestern Energy, ISO New England’s Anne George, EEI’s Scott Aaronson and former House Energy Subpanel Chair and RFF head Philip Sharp. Reporters will include former Dallas Morning News Reporter Liz Souder, the Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Hiller, veteran energy journalist Rod Kuckro, Ken Silverstein of Forbes and Matt Chester of Energy Central.

WH to Hold Electrification Summit – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will host a White House Electrification Summit to explore how electrification can help the United States meet its climate and equity goals. This event will convene energy and environmental leaders from government, industry, academia, and stakeholder groups to showcase the unprecedented opportunities for inclusive electrification created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act and have robust conversations about an updated electrification innovation strategy.

Climate Book Event Looks at Uncertain World – The Brookings Institution Talbott Center for Security, Strategy and Technology and its Energy Security and Climate Initiative hold a book discussion on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. looking at climate strategies for an uncertain world. In their visionary book “Fixing the Climate,” Charles Sabel and David Victor argue that we cannot meet the stark challenges before us through top-down global treaties. Instead, they propose a new climate regime — an experimental set of strategies evolved from the foundations of the Paris Agreement — in which the profound transformations needed to reduce global emissions arise locally.

Senate Enviro Looks at Plastics, Waste – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. examining the impact of plastic use and identifying solutions for reducing plastic waste.

FERC December Monthly Meeting – Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Wilson Looks at EV Cooperation in US, South Korea – The Wilson Center's Asia Program holds a virtual discussion on Thursday at 10:00 a.m., on electric vehicles and green transport in the U.S.-South Korea Partnership. This panel will focus on economic competitiveness and cooperation in the context of the US-ROK alliance. Former Assistant US Trade Rep for Trade Policy and Economics Ed Gresser is among the speakers.

Forum to Look at IRA Advantages – On Thursday at Noon, experts from RMI and the World Resources Institute host part five of their learning series highlighting how cities can position themselves to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act grant programs, new IRS provisions, and direct pay models to advance community wide clean energy adoption. This session will focus on the key roles’ cities can play in support their own energy procurements, as well as key roles of local government can play to catalyze clean energy adoption community-wide. Attendees will explore examples of how different clean energy projects can “stack” IRS tax provisions and utilize direct pay models to fully take advantage of a new and improved economic landscape enabled by the IRA. Join us and explore how forthcoming IRA programs and provisions can support your community’s renewable energy, equity, and economic development goals.

Forum to Look at Hydrogen Issues – The Clean Energy States Alliance holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on environmental justice strategies for hydrogen opponents. This Clean Energy Group webinar will provide an overview of some environmental justice concerns that should be considered when evaluating any hydrogen proposal, including its high NOx emissions when combusted, potential role as an indirect greenhouse gas, and dangers associated with transport and storage.

Forum to Address Climate Procurement, Supply Chain – The Carbon Disclosure Project holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on reducing public-sector emissions through the supply chain.  It is essential to reaching net-zero by 2050 and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Cities, States, Regions, and Public Authorities can act on their scope 3 emissions and have cascading impact by engaging suppliers through transparent disclosure.

Forum Looks at IRA Energy Storage Funding – The Clean Energy States Alliance holds a forum on Friday at 1:00 p.m. on new Federal Money for energy storage in the IRA. This presentation will dig into what the new Inflation Reduction Act means for energy storage in the US, what types of activity will be eligible for funding, and how the new IRA funding mechanisms fit together with the previously announced IIJA funding.

 

IN THE FUTURE

BPC to Look at Mining Supply Chains – The Bipartisan Policy Center will hold a forum on Wednesday December 21^st at 10:00 a.m. to look at domestic mining, its policy reforms, innovation and environmental stewardship. The event will feature a fireside chat with Tommy Beaudreau, Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, to discuss the Biden administration’s approach to domestic supply chain challenges and the Interagency Working Group on Mining Reform. Following the fireside, an expert panel, including SAFE’s Abby Wulf, will discuss innovative mining processes and steps to ensure a more environmentally and socially responsible industry.

Happy Holidays!!!! – Christmas Day, December 25^th

Happy New Year’s Day – January 1 

State of American Energy Set – The annual State of American Energy address from the American Petroleum Institute will be held on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. at Capital Turnaround.

Chamber’s State of American Business Address Set – The Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual State of American Business forum on Thursday January 11^th. The forum will cover a number of business issues including energy.

USEA Energy Forum Set – The US Energy Assn holds its 19^th annual State of the Energy Industry Forum on Thursday January 26^th at the National Press Club. The event will feature CEOs from all Washington’s key top trade association heads on current policy drivers, objectives and priorities for the coming year.