Energy Update: Week of December 14

Energy Update - December 14, 2020

Friends,

Leading off with crazy news today.  Our friend David Roberts, climate and energy reporter at Vox, last week left his publication to make the jump over to Substack to write directly for subscribers. Dave, who you know can be opinionated (and we are many times not on the same side) is calling the new newsletter Volts, and it’s sure to include wonky deep dives into the worlds of climate, energy, politics and, I suspect, dogs! You can get a free look for a while, but it is worth a subscription as his kids have to eat.  I have known Roberts a long time and always enjoy his work, even when it skewers my side (mostly unfairly, of course).  Also, just linking to his best column EVER back in 2011 when he was at Grist.  Good luck Dave and I urge you to sign up.  It will be worth it.  In fact, he is making me think I should take this Energy Update to Substack!!!

Saturday was the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and climate leaders held a celebration where they made lots of promises.  Unfortunately, they’ve done that before.  We’ll see if it sticks this time…  The US wasn’t invited, but President-Elect Biden did issue a statement re-committing to Paris.

Now let’s get to the action. The members of the Electoral College are meeting in states across the country today. The short-term budget bill extended the Government funding deadline to this Friday and the Senate is in session, while the House is not, but leadership has indicated that members would be called back to vote for major spending, tax (which is getting extra attention) and COVID packages, which seem more and more likely.  If the package is longer term, we expect some energy legislation could catch a ride as well like USE IT, Diesel Reduction (DERA) and HFC phase-out legislation where agreement has already been reached.  Finally, we expect to see some Biden energy and environmental announcements perhaps as early as Wednesday.  Check in if you want to hear the latest insider insight.

As for events, a bunch today including this evening’s Atlantic Council, Energy Innovation Reform Project virtual panel discussion on EIRP’s new report, “Energy Technology in an Era of Great Power Competition: Challenges and Opportunities in U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea Cooperation.”

Starting tomorrow, International Energy Agency is scheduled to release its monthly oil market report while in the afternoon, the Energy Department holds a meeting by teleconference of the National Petroleum Council.

OurEnergyPolicy holds a webinar on Wednesday at Noon on new concepts for energy in 2021 featuring EFI’s Melanie Kenderdine, as well as two nuclear policy panels and U.S. Energy Stream’s Energy Innovation Forum 2020.

On Thursday, AGA holds its annual issues presser mid-day with new Chairman David Anderson of NW Natural in Portland, OR, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Energy Innovation Council will host a Noon forum looking at driving innovations on decarbonization and POLITICO and API host an energy panel on at 1:00 p.m. for a deep-dive conversation on Biden’s energy agenda featuring API head Mike Sommers.

One last thing: for those of you following the bipartisan energy legislation from Reps. David McKinley and Kurt Schrader, we may see the actual legislation this week. Stay tuned and feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Y’all may go to hell. I will go to Texas.”

Davy Crockett in 1835 after losing his Congressional race in Tennessee (of course just a few months before the Alamo).  This came to mind after HP, Elon Musk and a number of others leaving California for the Lone Star State.

ON THE PODCAST

AEA Podcast Talks Biden, Cal PA-Sierra Backroom Deal – On the latest version of Unregulated, conservative energy wonks Tom Pyle and Mike McKenna discuss Biden appointees and the rampant corruption of the California Public Utilities Commission after a backroom deal with the Sierra Club was unearthed last week.

Stavins Talks with BP’s Spencer Dale – In the latest episode of his Environmental Insights Podcast, Harvard Economist Robert Stavins hosts Spencer Dale, Group Chief Economist of BP, the multinational oil & gas company based in London, where he leads BP’s global economics team.  In his current role at BP, Spencer Dale manages the company’s global economics team, and is responsible for advising the board and executive team on economic drivers and trends in global energy.  He previously served in a number of roles at the Bank of England, including as executive director for financial stability, a member of the Financial Policy Committee, and ultimately Chief Economist. 

FUN OPINIONS

Former Rep. Gene Green: Biden Should Consider Benefits of Fracking on Federal Lands – In an op-ed in the Waco Tribune-Herald, former Democrat Rep. Gene Green writes Joe Biden has vowed to pivot from the deregulatory frenzy of the Trump administration but not abandon common sense.  Green says Biden has spent a public career finding balanced policy approaches.  Green adds that Biden believes in the jobs and economic opportunities expected from a clean energy revolution, but that he will not consequently throw thousands of Americans out of work. “His connection with everyday Americans and their struggles is real. Ultimately, the underlying reasons for Biden to reject a ban on fracking — jobs, affordable energy, and reduced carbon emissions — should apply as well to fracking on federal lands.”

FROG BLOG

SJ Merc Q&A on Newsom Gas Vehicles – Our friend and enviro reporter Paul Rogers had an informative Q&A in the San Jose Mercury-News regarding California Gov. Gavin Newsom executive order requiring the sale of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035.  Paul tracks the key questions and offers insights as to what the move means to the state, drivers and car dealers.  He also looks at whether  the goal is too steep, adding that even though California has more electric vehicles on the road than any state (about 726,000), they still accounted for just 5.1% of new car registrations in California in 2019.

IN THE NEWS

Report: Global Emissions Drop Dramatically – A new report from the Global Carbon Project says global emissions are expected to drop 7% this year due to coronavirus lockdowns, with the transportation sector accounting for the biggest chunk of the decline.  Developed countries saw bigger emissions drops than large developing countries, the report found. Emissions are expected to fall 13% in the United Kingdom, 12% in the United States, and 11% across the European Union nations, whereas emissions in China are expected to drop 1.7% as the effect of coronavirus restrictions is layered on rising emissions in that country.  While some warn this hasn’t moved the needle on CO2 Concentration, it really does underscore how unrealistic climate proponents are in their approach to policy.  In a year where we completely cratered the world’s economy, their policy approach to achieve 1.5C reduction suggests we’ll have to keep this up for a dozen more years or even do more.  Unlikely world consumers or political classes will accept that massive of a shift.

Chatterjee, NextEra, Fowke Industry Dive 2020 Award Winners – Last week Industry Dive names workers, innovators, disruptors and executives among the honorees of The Dive Awards for 2020.  Since 2016, each Industry Dive publication selects the most impactful achievements, people and companies across the industry it covers. With the coronavirus pandemic, economic and workplace shifts, racial upheaval and a deep political divide in a presidential election year - along with everything else that happened in 2020 - the editorial team focused on recognizing leadership in a time of crisis.

Winners – For the Dive Awards of 2020, Utility Dive has selected:

  • Utility of the Year: NextEra Energy
  • Executive of the Year: Ben Fowke, Xcel Energy
  • Regulator of the Year: Neil Chatterjee, FERC

 For the Dive Awards of 2020, Waste Dive has selected:

  • Organization of the Year: Sanitation Foundation
  • People of the Year: Waste and recycling workers
  • ESG Action of the Year: New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law

See more on the pattern of empathy, agility, and resilience Industry Dive saw among those selected, along with the complete list of awardees and articles at industrydive.com/dive-awards-2020.

Senate Joins McKinley-Veazey 45Q Push for CCS –Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced the 45Q Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Tax Credit Amendments Act of 2020. This bipartisan legislation would provide for direct pay, a five-year extension and a Base Erosion Avoidance Tax (BEAT) fix for 45Q. Introduction of this legislation comes immediately on the heels of last Thursday’s House introduction of the ACCESS 45Q Act (Accelerating Carbon Capture and Extending Secure Storage), by Reps. McKinley (R-WV),  Veasey (D-TX) and others, which would extend 45Q for ten years and also implement a direct pay option.

Cheniere CEO Optimistic About Future of LNG Under Biden – Cheniere Energy CEO Jack Fusco doesn't expect a significant shift in the US government's attitude toward liquefied natural gas during Joe Biden's presidency and expressed confidence that the new administration will support the industry. Fusco's comments come on the heels of the loading of the first commissioning cargo from the third train at Cheniere's Corpus Christi LNG plant. The Obama administration, under which Biden served as vice president, was supportive, approving permits for 10 export terminals. Among those projects was Cheniere’s Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana, which sent its first cargo in February 2016. The company’s other terminal, Corpus Christi LNG in South Texas, saw its first consignment depart in December 2018.

Vogtle Achieves Another Significant Milestone – On Wednesday, Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, received the first nuclear fuel shipment for one of the two new nuclear reactors located at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, GA. The shipment is a significant milestone for the nuclear expansion project at the plant as Vogtle moves closer to in-service operations.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

RFF Looks at Innovation Policy – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds an innovation policy conversation, “American Energy Innovation: The Federal Policy Landscape” today at Noon. The distinguished set of panelists—including one of the lead architects of the American Energy Innovation Act—will discuss what parts of the innovation ecosystem policy can most readily support; how past innovation policies in the United States have fared, both in the energy sector and elsewhere; how the private sector takes signals from policies; and how the discussion around energy innovation policy has unfolded on Capitol Hill over the past year.  Senate Energy’s Spencer Nelson speaks.

Forum to Look at Transmission Challenges – Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy and NYU School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity will host an event today at Noon to discuss this new research and potential next-steps that these agencies could take that would allow them to facilitate transmission system development in order to accelerate the transition to zero-carbon electricity. Our friends Rob Gramlich, David Hill and Cheryl LaFleur will be panelists. 

Forum to Look at Coal Communities, Energy Transition – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar today at 1:00 p.m., coal communities’ local perspectives on the energy transition. The event will open with presentations by Jason Walsh, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance and Adele Morris, Policy Director, Climate and Energy Policy Program, Brookings Institution. The event will also feature an expert panel discussion with Brandon Dennison, CEO of Coalfield Development in Wayne, WV, Jill Morrison, Executive Director of the Powder River Basin Resource Council in Sheridan, WY, Amanda Woodrum, Senior Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, and Emmett Pepper, Executive Director of Energy Efficient West Virginia. The panel will be co-moderated by Jason Walsh and George Frampton, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center.

AC Focused on Iran Energy – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar today at 3:00 p.m., on Iraq's energy security strategy, focusing on a path to diversity and energy independence. The discussion surrounds the upcoming report, “Iraq’s Energy Security Strategy: A Path to Diversity and Energy Independence.” Co-authored by Dr. Abbas Kadhim, director of the Iraq Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Dr. Sara Vakhshouri, founder and president of SVB Energy International, the report outlines immediate and medium-term practical measures to tackle Iraq’s most pressing issues, in its quest to attain energy independence.

Forum to Look at Energy Tech Advances – Today at 6:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Energy Innovation Reform Project (EIRP) hosts a virtual panel discussion on EIRP’s new report, “Energy Technology in an Era of Great Power Competition: Challenges and Opportunities in U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea Cooperation.” EIRP’s President Paul Saunders will present the report and participate in a discussion of challenges and opportunities in pursuing deeper collaboration to develop clean energy technologies with these two key U.S. allies. 

IEA To Release Oil Market Report – The International Energy Agency is scheduled to release its monthly oil market report tomorrow. For the first time since early March, Brent crude prices topped $50 per barrel last week, marking a recovery fueled by positive vaccine developments and supply curtailments.

Forum to Look at Mekong Dam – The Henry L. Stimson Center holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. the launch of the Mekong Dam monitor. The Mekong Dam Monitor is public resource which uses remote sensing and satellite imagery to provide near-real time reporting and data downloads across numerous previously unreported indicators in the Mekong Basin.

Web Event Features Nichols – Electric car advocate Veloz holds a webinar tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. featuring a conversation with retiring CARB head Mary Nichols, a leading but seemingly less likely EPA nominee.  The conversation with Mary will reflect on her life, career, transportation electrification and what’s coming next as she leaves her current role at CARB.

Building Design Seminar Set – In this National Grid webinar tomorrow at Noon, residential designers will present zero net energy projects involved in the National Grid Rhode Island zero net energy pilot program. New Buildings Institute will detail the process, technologies, and strategies needed to achieve deep energy savings and zero net energy designs. BriggsKnowles Architecture and Design and One Neighborhood Builders will present the Sheridan Small Homes zero net energy case study, sharing the design process, technologies, and cost control practices implemented to achieve the high performance home.

Columbia Forum Looks at EU Climate Moves – Columbia’s Global Centers Paris group holds a webinar tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.  The event is the third session of the "Debating the Future of Europe" series and will address the European Green Deal. It will look at achievements, COVID impacts and EU partnership issues that are all affecting climate change.  Jason Bordoff (SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia), Alex Halliday (Earth Institute, Columbia), Enrico Letta (PSIA), and Laurence Tubiana (European Climate Foundation) will feature a debate moderated by Adam Tooze (European Institute, Columbia).

Petroleum Council Set to Meet – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the Energy Department holds a meeting by teleconference of the National Petroleum Council.

Forum to Look at RNG – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., ICF hosts a forum on Renewable Natural Gas.  RNG is an important and cost-effective measure that can help achieve aggressive decarbonization objectives across the country. Natural gas utilities are a critical stakeholder in the RNG market, and are well positioned to drive RNG supply and demand, combined with a supportive regulatory framework. Experts from ONE Gas, Coalition for RNG, and GTI will discuss the actions natural gas utilities, along with other stakeholders, need to take to develop the RNG market.

CSIS to Focus on China Enviro Challenges – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the CSIS Global Health Policy Center holds a conversation on Yanzhong Huang’s new book, Toxic Politics: China’s Environmental Health Crisis and its Challenge to the Chinese State. Yanzhong Huang is Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations and serves as Expert Advisor on the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security.

Forum Addresses Solar Issues in MN – In this webinar tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the Clean Energy States Alliance looks at research on solar overbuilding and curtailment in the Midwest ISO.  CESA hosts lead analyst Marc Perez who will discuss the project’s findings and will refer to similar projects that he has conducted for other locations around the world. Brian Ross, Senior Program Director at the Great Plains Institute, who served as lead facilitator for the project’s Technical Committee, will discuss some of the challenges and solutions for implementing an overbuilding + curtailment approach.

Forum to Look at CCS in WY, CO – The Global CCS Institute and USEA, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, holds another forum tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday morning to explore opportunities to deploy CCUS projects in Colorado and Wyoming. During this virtual seminar, business leaders and experts in capture technology, geology, transportation infrastructure, economics, and more will provide participants with a deep dive into the economics of the 45Q tax credit, and guidance on how to execute a CCUS project in Colorado and Wyoming, as well as other states in the immediate region.

USEA Workshop Looks at LNG – The United States Energy Association (USEA) will host a virtual Workshop on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. looking at the potential for small-scale LNG deployment in central and Eastern Europe.  The workshop will feature the release of a comprehensive regional study on key enablers and market potential for small-scale LNG in the region developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas Shawn Bennett will provide opening remarks for the workshop.

Energy Innovation Conference Set for Houston – U.S. Energy Stream’s Energy Innovation Forum 2020 will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Petroleum Club of Houston, Texas. The Energy Innovation Forum 2020 is an annual market intelligence platform that brings together Congressmen, Senators, government leaders, C-level energy executives, investors and experts. Speakers will include Reps. Randy Weber, Kelly Armstrong, Buddy Carter and Gary Palmer, as well as DOE’s Shawn Bennett and a number of company execs. 

Web Event Raises Climate Issues in Egypt – The Middle East Institute holds a webinar Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on the threat of climate change issues in Egypt.  This event is the first of a series of events on climate change mitigation, part of the Middle East Institute’s Egypt program’s upcoming work on hidden threats and imminent challenges.

Manchin Headline Manufacturing Tax Credit Forum – Third Way, the BlueGreen Alliance, and Environmental Defense Fund hold a webinar Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. to discuss Manufacturing tax credit 48C’s past success and how it can be revived to meet today’s urgent needs. The event will feature a conversation with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) followed by a panel of experts from industry, labor, and the environmental community.

NEI Hosts Forum on Nuke Politics – The Global Nexus Initiative (GNI), co-led by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the Partnership for Global Security (PGS), is hosting a webinar on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on the evolving politics of nuclear power.  The event will look at climate change, energy demand and geopolitics.

Forum to Look at Nuclear Future – The Energy Communities Alliance is hosting the first webinar under ECA’s New Nuclear Initiative on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. on building the nuclear energy future.  The event will address initiatives being taken across the complex as they relate to nuclear development and energy production. Our friend Jim Conca, journalist and Chief Technical Officer for UFA Ventures will keynote.

Forum Looks at 2021 – OurEnergyPolicy holds a webinar on Wednesday at Noon on new concepts for energy in 2021 featuring Melanie Kenderdine, Principal with The Energy Futures Initiative, and Jeffrey Tannenbaum, Founder of Titan Grove. The conversation will examine business, technology, and policy ideas for the energy sector in the coming year. Kate Frucher of The Clean Fight and New Energy Nexus NY will moderate. 

Book Forum Features Climate Policy Issues – On Wednesday at Noon, Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy will host Dr. Danny Cullenward, Policy Director at CarbonPlan and lecturer at Stanford Law School, and Dr. David G. Victor, Professor of International Relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego and co-lead of the initiative on energy and climate at the Brookings Institution, for a discussion of their new book, Making Climate Policy Work. Following their presentation, they will be joined by Dr. Jessica Green, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Varun Sivaram, CGEP Senior Research Scholar, for a conversation moderated by Jason Bordoff, CGEP Founding Director.

Forum to Look at International Negotiations Surrounding Climate – The Wilson Center is hosting a forum Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. on new modes of multilateralism and the call for a more equity. The event will look at if the foreign policy community can harness the transformative power of the new leadership coalitions that have emerged to strengthen the UNFCCC process—an indispensable mode of diplomacy.  And as decision-makers push forward on climate action, they incorporate the increasingly compelling calls for social and racial justice into efforts to address climate change.

Forum Focused on Accelerating Geothermal Energy – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar Thursday at 9:30 a.m. focused on key technologies to accelerate geothermal energy development.  The event is part of the EnergySource Innovation Stream series. Tim Latimer, founder and chief executive officer of Fervo Energy, discusses how novel drilling techniques can scale up geothermal energy development.

Groups Post DER report – The Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR) and Climatelinks hold a joint event on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to explore the findings and recommendations of a new report on distributed energy resources. This will be the sixth event in a series highlighting research products from CEADIR’s final year. The report features recommendations for preparation of a DER roadmap or plan, including a three-phase process and resources for data collection and analysis. It draws on the experiences of U.S. utilities, regulatory agencies, and market operators that have participated in state or regional DER roadmaps and plans in the U.S., Colombia, Mexico, and Vietnam.

Whitehouse Headlines WRI Paris Event – On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute holds a virtual event where speakers will celebrate what the Paris Agreement has accomplished thus far and reflect on what further efforts are needed to exponentially step up climate action. European ambassadors will outline the bloc’s continued resolve to lead the charge – such as through the European Green Deal, its green recovery from COVID-19 and a bolder national climate commitment under the Paris Agreement. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will speak to how the United States should re-establish itself as a climate leader on the global stage under the incoming Biden administration.

Forum to Look at Enforcement – The Democracy Journal and Student Defense hold a webinar Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on rebuilding enforcement in the Biden-Harris administration. A panel of experts and veterans from previous administrations lays out how the Biden-Harris Administration can take affirmative steps to hold companies accountable when they step outside the law.

AGA to Host Media Availability With Incoming Chair – The American Gas Association (AGA) Board of Directors has elected David H. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of NW Natural, to be the organization’s chair for 2021. AGA will host a media availability Thursday at Noon with Anderson and AGA President and CEO Karen Harbert. Connect with Adam Cloch to RSVP (acloch@aga.org, (202) 824-7215)

Browner to Headline Climate Panel – The Center for American Progress, the League of Conservation Voters, and Ocean Defense Initiative hold a discussion Thursday at Noon on the future of ocean climate action. Former EPA Administrator Carol Browner will moderate a panel of experts and stakeholders - including House Resources Committee Chair Raúl Grijalva - who will discuss the ocean climate nexus and how to build momentum to implement ocean climate solutions.

ELI Forum Look at Biden, Climate – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Thursday at Noon to look at the incoming Biden Administration and the issues it will face on climate action.  Speakers include former Justice Enviro head Jon Cruden, EPA’s Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Southern Center for EJ’s Monique Harden and UCLA’s Anne Carlson.

BPC to Discuss Innovation Agenda for 2021 – On Thursday at Noon, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s American Energy Innovation Council will host a forum looking at driving innovations on decarbonization. In the event, AEIC is proposing updated, more ambitious policy recommendations that will help the new Congress and administration enact a dynamic energy innovation agenda in 2021, benefiting our economy, workers, and environment.  Speakers include Air Liquide CEO Mike Graff, former Lockheed CEO Norm Augustine, Shell’s Chad Holliday, PG&E’s Geisha Williams and others.

API Hosts POLITICO Energy Event – POLITICO hosts an energy panel on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. for a deep-dive conversation on Biden’s energy agenda including fossil fuel production, renewable and clean energy and climate policies.  The virtual program will feature an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and API CEO Mike Sommers and a panel that features former Interior official Randall Luthi.

Academies Looks at Advance Reactors – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) hosts the first meeting of the newly announced study committee for laying the foundation for new and advanced nuclear reactors in the United States. The meeting will feature talks on advanced reactor demonstration projects, government collaborations with utilities and private industry, updates on licensing, and a panel of congressional stakeholders.

DOE to Host Solar Meeting – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office is hosting its last quarterly stakeholder webinar of the year on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. DOE will give an overview of work supporting solar entrepreneurs and commercialization pathways of new solar technologies, with special guests from the American-Made Solar Prize, the Small Business Innovation Research program, and a competitive funding program.

Schatz Headline Event on Climate, Financial Regs – The Center for American Progress holds a conversation on Friday at 10:00 a.m. with federal and state policymakers on addressing climate risk through financial regulation. Hawaii Sen Brian Schatz will speak before a panel with CFTC Commissioner Rostin Behnam, SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee, FDIC Director Martin Gruenberg and Linda Lacewell, Superintendent of the NY State Department of Financial Services.

Author to Talk Book, Climate – The Security and Sustainability Forum hosts a book event on Friday at 1:15 p.m. with Jeremy Leggett, the founder of international solar solutions company, Solarcentury, former Chair of Carbon Tracker, and author of “The Winning of the Carbon War” and “The Energy of Nations” and much more. Ecological economist and futurist, Hazel Henderson, conducts a 60-minute dialogue about climate change, energy transitions and the state of the global economy with Leggett.

Wilson Film Event Features Coast Guard Icebreakers – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Polar Institute will hold a virtual film screening and discussion Friday at 3:30 p.m. on "Polar Guardians: Coast Guard Icebreaking in the High Latitudes." For the past two years, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Center for Arctic Study & Policy (CASP) has worked to record “sea stories” from previous generations of icebreaker sailors and captains. The result is a 27-minute documentary showcasing original sea stories, high-quality photography, and a unique narrative of the challenges faced on ice-covered oceans from the 1950s to the 1970s. The film will be introduced by the Admiral Karl L. Schultz, the 26th Commandant of the Coast Guard, who will address both the legacy and the future of Coast Guard missions in the polar regions. An expert panel to follow featuring Fran Ulmer, former chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, and Admiral Thad Allen, 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

IN THE FUTURE

Christmas – Friday December 25th

Forum to Look at Reactor Innovations – The National Reactor Innovation Center is hosting the “Advanced Reactor Demonstration” webinar as part of the NRIC’s “What Inspires Us” webinar series on Thursday January 7th at 2:30 p.m. This session will feature executives from TerraPower and X-energy as they discuss their advanced reactor designs, Natrium and Xe-100.

Chamber Holds State of American Biz – On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 12:00 p.m., the U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds its annual State of American Business event.  Over the past year, our country has been challenged in ways few could have planned for, or even imagined. From our public health, to our economy, to our politics, the road to recovery starts with healing a divided America. The business community can and must rally our nation around a series of solutions to overcome the pandemic and drive a widespread economic recovery.

API Hosts State of Energy Event – The American Petroleum Institute holds its 12th annual State of American Energy Event on January 13th 2021 , which will feature a panel of millennials employed by the oil and gas industry discussing the innovative careers they’ve found in the industry to be part of the climate solution. SOAE will examine energy’s role and actions to build a strong future – restoring our economy today, strengthening national security tomorrow and innovating to deliver continued environmental progress in the future. 2020 has been a year of defining moments that have tested our resilience as a nation. Join us as we examine the policies and innovators advancing American ingenuity, grit and technology that will power our nation’s comeback.

Cleantech Forum Set – The Cleantech Forum will be held in San Francisco on January 19 to 21st.

NYT Climate Forum Set – The NY Times Climate team hosts another forum on January 19th 2021 at 1:30 p.m. discussing whether it is possible to make 2021 the year we break fossil fuel addiction given the potential COVID recovery. 

USEA Holds State of Energy Industry – On January 28th 2021, the US Energy Assn holds its annual State of the Energy Industry Forum. USEA begins each calendar year with its widely- recognized State of the Energy Industry Forum. The Forum brings together distinguished leaders from the most influential energy trade associations to share their outlook and to discuss dynamic issues facing the energy industry in the new year.