Energy Update: Week of December 2nd

Friends,

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving…and we made it through the weekend without a news dump thank goodness…  We also saw the good, the bad and the ugly in the football rivalries over the weekend. Most disappointed by the poor sportsmanship in Columbus on both sides.

Speaking of poor sports on both sides, Congress rolls back into town for a three-week race to negotiate a funding bill to keep the government open, as well as a make some Agriculture fixes, pass Disaster relief and finish the National Defense Authorization Act.  There are 18 days until government funding expires. The new Congress will be sworn in 32 days from today. And President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office for the second time in just 49 days.

While there will be some talk of permit reform led by Joe Manchin, good sources are telling me it will be a tough slog. Industry groups and national security experts are pushing hard though, even if it is just laying the groundwork for next year. The key will be to watch involved House members. They will need to go to Speaker Johnson and ask for the time, but it seems they both House Republicans (Westerman, Graves) and Democrats (Peters) seem indifferent.

On Wednesday, the most important hearing will be House Oversight LNG Hearing with Brad Crabtree.  On Thursday, Senate Environment exams the public health impacts of PFAS exposures. Finally, oral arguments in the DC Court of Appeals in the EPA’s power plant rule on Friday.

There are three major conference this week:

• Tomorrow and Wednesday, the North American Gas Forum will be held with DOE’s Brad Crabtree, State’s Laura Lochman, PHMSA’s Tristan Brown, FERC Commissioner James Danly, EIA’s Joe DeCarolis and Reps Scott Peters, Bob Latta, Chris Deluzio and Jeff Duncan. Other panelists include former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, API’s Dustin Meyer, ACP’s Jason Grumet, EQT’s Toby Rice, Williams CEO Alan Armstrong and Cheniere’s Khary Cauthen. 
• On Wednesday and Thursday, DOE holds its Demonstrate Deploy Decarbonize 2024 (Deploy24) focused on accelerating the deployment of critical energy and decarbonization technologies and supply chains in the United States. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and FCHEA are sponsors and Gevo CEO Pat Gruber and Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh are among the speakers.
• At the same time in Houston, ThomsonReuters Events hold a 2024 Hydrogen Conference. Bracewell’s Tim Urban will be leading a panel discussion on the state of clean hydrogen with panelists including bp’s Tomeka McLeod, Plug Power’s Sanjay Shrestha and Ana Quelhas of EDP. SoCal Gas expert Neil Navin, Air Liquide’s Laura Parkan and Brett Perlman of the Center For Houston's Future also speak.
• Finally with Mexican tariff question in play, US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce will host its Bilateral Issues Conference focusing on key issues influencing U.S.-Mexico relations.

Finally, it is Christmas Party season.  Southern Co event is Wednesday and Hillsdale College Party on Friday for me this week… Call with questions. Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932                                                                                                             

FRANKLY SPOKEN

 "It’s going to be a very substantial study. I don’t think the Trump administration can ignore it. It may complicate the desire of the Trump administration to make big changes on day one and return full speed ahead permitting as many projects as possible.”

Ben Cahill, Senior Associate with the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS to the Washington Examiner on  the upcoming LNG Study from DOE.

ON THE PODCAST

Resources Radio Talks SAF – In this week’s RFF Resources Radio podcast episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Nafisa Lohawala, a fellow at Resources for the Future, about sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Lohawala discusses the climate impact of the aviation industry, different types of SAFs, and the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that SAFs can help facilitate. Lohawala also discusses policies that support the adoption of SAFs, including international agreements and financial incentives in the United States.

Columbia Energy Exchange Hosts World Energy Outlook Discussion – In this week’s Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless talks with Vince Beiser about his latest book “Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future.” Beiser is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in Wired, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, and The New York Times, among other publications. They discuss cleaning up the chase for critical minerals, advancing the clean energy transition while minimizing mining impacts globally, and what role the U.S. government can play, particularly with an incoming Trump administration.

FUN OPINIONS

Sommers: Recipe for US Energy Success – In an opinion piece in Newsweek, API head Mike Sommers outlines how the next administration and new Congress can advance commonsense energy policies that work for all Americans. President-elect Trump has a clear mandate to ensure America’s global leadership role by lifting the Biden administration’s shortsighted pause on LNG export permits immediately. This single action would reassure our allies of America's reliability as an energy partner while strengthening our geopolitical influence and supporting jobs here at home. America also needs a new, more robust five-year federal offshore leasing program. The current program under President Biden is the weakest in history and inadequate to meet our nation’s future energy needs. It's time to restore regular offshore lease sales and ensure long-term investment opportunities. Similarly, recent onshore energy policy has done more to stifle new development than support it. New leasing on federal lands is down 91% compared to the 20-year average. We must return to consistent, quarterly onshore leasing, as required by law.

FROG BLOG

Democrats Should Try to Rebuild with Permitting – In an editorial in the Washington Examiner, the board writes id Democrats are serious about rebuilding their brand, they can do it with working class individuals by focusing on permitting reform. If Democrats want to show they are not beholden to “the groups,” then the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 is an ideal vehicle for them to do so. If Democrats do get cold feet and do not want to pass the Manchin-Barrasso permitting reform bill, then the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are sure to attempt a full repeal of the NEPA through reconciliation next year. Ideally, permitting reform would pass through the normal legislative process on a bipartisan basis. Democrats have the chance to do that now. If they don’t, they may find themselves with much more partisan and far-reaching reforms passed without a single Democratic vote next year.

FUN FACTS

Coal Sliding, but Slower than First Thought:  The global coal market will likely begin “a gradual downward path” thanks to falling global import demand and ongoing decarbonization efforts  Goldman Sachs notes. 

IN THE NEWS

Global Plastic Treaty Collapses – The UN Plastics negotiations in Busan, South Korea broke down after negotiators from more than 170 countries remained deadlocked over how to curb the world’s growing mountain of plastic waste. Participants could not agree on the best path forward with the majority demanding to ratchet back plastic production, while oil-rich nations pushed back, arguing that the world should target plastic pollution, not plastic itself. Delegates from several countries, including those from oil-producing nations as well as some developing ones, such as India, argued that it was important not to block economic progress by limiting plastic production.

GLE Acquires Paducah, KY Property for Uranium Production Facility – Global Laser Enrichment (GLE) acquired a 665-acre land parcel for the planned Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) in Kentucky. This parcel, previously owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), was acquired by GLE through an agreement among the Commonwealth, KDFWR, and the Paducah-McCracken County Industrial Development Authority. The 665-acre site is strategically located adjacent to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) former first-generation Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). The site provides access to the cylinder yard where depleted UF6 tails inventories are stored and minimizes transportation between the PGDP and the proposed site of GLE’s PLEF. GLE has been assessing the site for several months and performing geotechnical analysis in support of its pending license application and environmental report submissions to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. GLE is currently on track to submit the environmental report in December 2024 and license application in the summer of 2025.

Report: First Day Action on Energy – Our friends at Reuters reported that Trump's transition team is putting together a wide-ranging energy package to roll out within days of his taking office that would approve export permits for new liquefied natural gas projects and increase oil drilling off the U.S. coast and on federal lands, according to two sources familiar with the plans.  I don’t quite know what the new news is here as we have widely expected that all along and this is nothing here that we haven’t been saying would be likely on the early energy agenda since election day.  Anyway, we are happy to discuss. 

Hassett, Greer Round Out Energy Team – Not really directly part of the energy team, but certainly an important part, President Trump announced his intent to name Kevin Hassett to head the National Economic Council and attorney Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade representative.  Both veterans of his first administration, Greer played a key role in prosecuting Trump’s trade war with China as chief of staff to former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during the former president’s first term. Hassett was the former chair of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, but does not require Senate confirmation.

EIA: Global Oil Production Still Rolling –The Energy Information Administration's latest short term energy outlook says the world produced an average of 76.10 million barrels of crude oil per day in the third quarter of 2024. That compares to an average of 76.19 million barrels per day in the second quarter, an average of 76.70 million barrels per day in the first quarter, and an average 76.57 million barrels per day overall in 2023, the EIA’s November STEO showed. The U.S. made up 13.27 million barrels per day of the third quarter total, 13.23 million barrels per day of the second quarter total, 12.94 million barrels per day of the first quarter total, and 12.93 million barrels per day of the 2023 total. OPEC+ made up 35.66 million barrels per day of the third quarter total, 35.75 million barrels per day of the second quarter total, 36.30 million barrels per day of the first quarter total, and 37.08 million barrels per day of the 2023 total, while non-OPEC+, excluding the U.S., contributed 27.16 million barrels per day of the third quarter total, 27.21 million barrels per day of the second quarter total, 27.46 million barrels per day of the first quarter total, and 26.55 million barrels per day of the 2023 total. Looking ahead, the EIA forecasts in its latest STEO that global crude oil production will average 77.04 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2024, 76.51 million barrels per day overall in 2024, and 78.28 million barrels per day overall in 2025. The U.S. is projected to contribute 13.47 million barrels per day of the fourth quarter total, 13.23 million barrels per day of the overall 2024 total, and 13.53 million barrels per day of the overall 2025 total.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Brookings Hosts AI, Climate Forum – The Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings and Duke University will host an event this afternoon to explore leveraging artificial intelligence to tackle climate change and the intersection of both. The event will feature a keynote fireside chat followed by two expert panels exploring the role of AI in climate change. Speakers from FERC, DOE and Blackrock join academics Duke and Yale to discuss. 

Forum Looks at AI, Power Sector – Latitude Media holds a Transition-AI 2024 conference tomorrow convening a broad range of experts for thoughtful discussions, case studies, panel sessions, and analyst presentations around three urgent themes of reliability,  customer analytics and experience and load growth.  Speakers include EPRI’s Jeremy Renshaw, DOE’s Charles Yang and Helena Fu, Dominion’s Kevin Jones and the Latitude media team.

Nat Gas Forum Set for DC – The North American Gas Forum will be held tomorrow and Wednesday at the Four Seasons in Washington. Speakers include DOE’s Brad Crabtree, State’s Laura Lochman, PHMSA’s Tristan Brown, FERC Commissioner James Danly, EIA’s Joe DeCarolis and Reps Scott Peters, Bob Latta, Chris Deluzio and Jeff Duncan.  Other panelists include former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, API’s Dustin Meyer, ACP’s Jason Grumet, EQT’s Toby Rice, Williams  CEO Alan Armstrong, Cheniere’s Khary Cauthen.

Curtis to Headline Punchbowl Conversation – Punchbowl News holds a conversation tomorrow with Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) at 9:00 a.m. in the Royal Sonesta Cap. Punchbowl News founder and CEO Anna Palmer will sit down with Curtis to discuss news of the day and bipartisanship in the lame-duck session and new Congress.

Forum Looks at Larger Economic Issues Impact on Environment – The Brookings Institution and American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research hold a discussion tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. looking at a BPC report "Toward a Potential Grand Bargain for the Nation," about issues including how to restore fiscal responsibility, create more growth and mobility, make taxes fairer and more efficient while improving health, education and the environment.

For Looks at CRA Issues –The Center for Progressive Reform, Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, and Public Citizen are hosting a webinar on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the Congressional Review Act (CRA) and how it’s likely to be used at the beginning of the next Congress and the second Trump administration. The webinar will introduce the CRA, with a particular focus on how the lookback period works. Panelists will also address the controversies surrounding the CRA’s potential aggressive use in the next Congress and identify rules that may be targeted for rescission. We will have time for questions and answers with the expert panel at the end of the discussion.

Major Hydrogen Conference Set for Houston – On Wednesday and Thursday, ThomsonReuters Events Energy Live hold a 2024 Hydrogen Conference in Houston. Bracewell’s Tim Urban will be leading a panel discussion on the state of clean hydrogen with panelists including bp’s Tomeka McLeod, Plug Power’s Sanjay Shrestha and Ana Quelhas of EDP. SoCal Gas expert Neil Navin, Air Liquide’s Laura Parkan and Brett Perlman of the Center For Houston's Future also speak.

DOE Deploy24 Summit Set – On Wednesday and Thursday, Demonstrate Deploy Decarbonize 2024 (Deploy24) is the second annual gathering of decision makers from across the private and public sectors—including senior industry executives, capital allocators, community leaders, and others across the clean energy supply chain—all focused on accelerating the deployment of critical energy and decarbonization technologies and supply chains in the United States. Hosted by DOE, Deploy24 builds this private-public dialogue through a range of unique formats, from keynote addresses to rigorous, off-the-record workshops organized by scalable technology, all with an urgent focus on the immediate opportunities and challenges to accelerating our domestic energy transformation. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy is a sponsor and Gevo CEO Pat Gruber is expected to be among the speakers. FCHEA is also a sponsor and will host a panel on hydrogen.

Congressional Energy Forum Set – EnergyStream holds the 5^th Energy Transition Forum 2024 on Wednesday and Thursday at the Cosmos Club of Washington, DC. The Forum brings powerful U.S. Senators and Congressmen from both sides of the aisle, together with top energy executives to explore in-depth the energy strategies and policies to achieve a sustainable, clean, reliable and affordable energy future.

US Mexico Chamber to Meet in DC – The United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (USMCOC) will host its Board of Directors Meeting and Bilateral Issues Conference on Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, D.C. at the Army-Navy Club. This year’s conference will focus on key issues influencing U.S.-Mexico relations and Northern Hemisphere cooperation, the upcoming 2026 USMCA Joint Review, and the potential for nearshoring to optimize manufacturing, transportation, and logistics between the two nations. Additionally, panels will delve into vital topics such as border infrastructure, immigration, and security.

Forum Looks at CCS in UK – The Global CCS Institute holds an upcoming webinar on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on the British Government's new CCS funding announcement. The Forum will feature representatives from the UK's Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will present an exciting new funding initiative.

House Oversight Hosts DOE’s Crabtree on LNG Pause – The House Oversight Committee holds its second hearing on the DOE LNG Pause Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., featuring Brad Crabtree, DOE’s assistant secretary of Energy for fossil energy and carbon management.  They have also invited President Biden’s senior adviser for international climate policy and John Podesta.

Newsweek Looks at Plastic Waste – Newsweek Horizons holds an event on Wednesday at Newsweek Headquarters on Floor 72, One World Trade Center, in New York City starting at 5:30 p.m. The event is focused on the future of plastics, reducing waste and rethinking materials. Panelists include WWF’s Erin Simon, Jonathan Quinn of the U.S. Plastics Pact and Leonardo Trasande, Director of the NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards in the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Confirmed companies attending include American Airlines, American Express, Baker Hughes, Chanel, Colgate-Palmolive, Estee Lauder, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Mars, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Samsung, Terra Cycle, Truist Bank and many more.

Forum Addresses China, Indonesia Partnership – The Wilson Center holds a forum on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. to look at China’s role in Indonesia’s clean energy transition. At this meeting speakers will assess the potential of clean energy collaboration between Indonesia and China. Fabby Tumiwa will lay out the landscape of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas challenge and what the Indonesian government is doing to improve just energy transition policies. Drawing on a new report published by his organization, IEEFA’s Ghee Peh will discuss how the Indonesian government can break through bureaucratic and transparency obstacles to unlock private investments. WRI’s Liu Shuang will dive into China’s growing climate-related finance in the global south and highlight obstacles and opportunities for Chinese companies to increase clean energy investments in Indonesia.

The Senate Environment to Look at PFAs – The Senate Environment Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to examine the public health impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Forum Looks at Sustainability Goals – Reuters holds a virtual discussion on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on accelerating sustainable business outcomes in 2025.

Forum Looks at Water Security in Central Asia – The Center for the National Interest launches its latest report, Afghanistan’s Qoshtepa Canal and Water Security in Central Asia in a forum on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. This report argues that efforts by the incoming Trump administration to provide technical assistance and facilitate regional diplomacy could help reduce the risks of conflict, mitigate environmental harm, and strengthen American influence in this geopolitically critical region.

ACCF Hosts Russian Topic Author – On Thursday at 12:00 noon, the ACCF hosts a conversation with former US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan about his book, Midnight in Moscow. Sullivan served under Presidents Trump and Biden.  His very timely book documents his time in Moscow when Russia invaded Ukraine, and that’s why the appropriate subtitle is “A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia’s War Against the West".

DC Circuit to Look at EPA Power Plant GHG Rules –  On Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. DC Court of Appeals will hold oral argument challenging EPA’s power plant GHG limits for existing coal and new gas -- with the strictest tier premised on carbon capture and storage installation.

Report to Look at EU-US Priorities – The Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program and The Friedrich Naumann Foundation hold a forum on Friday at 10:00 a.m. to present findings from a new joint report analyzing the priorities of the new European Commission and their implications for the next presidential administration. Join us for a panel discussion featuring report authors on what lies ahead for the transatlantic relationship with the new Commission and what potential areas of cooperation and divergence lie ahead.

ELI Looks at Data Center, Demand – The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is holding a webinar on Friday at noon looking at the demand for data centers for AI and the environmental impacts and policy implications of their growth. The webinar will look at questions regarding what happens as demand for data centers continues to grow, how local communities will be affected, consequences practitioners can expect for energy policy and infrastructure, and what implications that will have for local communities and national climate goals. DOE’s Pravana Raparla is among the speakers. 

IN THE FUTURE

CSIS Forum to Look at AI – On Monday December 9^th at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center for the International AI Policy holds an Outlook for 2025 conference. This full-day event will convene leading policymakers, industry experts, and thought leaders to explore the latest international efforts in AI governance. Panel discussions will focus on global governance initiatives such as the G7’s Hiroshima AI Process, private sector adoption of AI policy frameworks, infrastructure advancements to meet AI power demands, and what to expect AI policy to look like under the Trump Administration.

Forum Looks at Climate Finance Challenges – On Monday, December 9^th at 9:00 a.m., the Center for Global Development holds a dialogue to explore how development and climate finance are being utilized, and the challenges and opportunities to scale-up finance. The session focuses on the supply side, offering insights to countries and partners on creating demand for greater and more responsive finance.

Virgin’s Branson Headlines RMI Forum – On Tuesday December 10^th at Noon, Virgin Corp founder Sir Richard Branson and RMI Managers Taylor Krause and Ian Welch-Phillips hold a December RMI webinar on new climate leaders. The discussion will explore the importance of activating the next generation of climate leaders and how these leaders are partnering to advance clean energy solutions around the world.

WM Forum Looks at Hydrogen in 2025 – Wood Mackenzie holds at upcoming Hydrogen Webinar on Tuesday December 10^th at noon focused on what to look for in 2025.  The WM Hydrogen team will discuss key themes to look for in 2025 and answer questions about global policies and decarb challenges.

Axios to Discuss Sustainable Transportation – Axios holds an evening event on Tuesday December 10^th at 5:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C., convening voices across business and transit for conversations looking at the latest advancements in sustainable transportation. The event will look at strides and challenges for various industries working to integrate and scale cleaner transportation for corporations, supply chains and customers. Axios business reporter Nathan Bomey will host one-on-one conversations with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members Rick Crawford and Hillary Scholten.

USEA Holds December Presser on VPPs – The US Energy Association holds a virtual press briefing on Thursday December 11^th at 11:00 a.m. looking at issues surrounding DER and VPP. Speakers addressing this topic include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Jason Fuller, former Nextel co-founder Morgan O’Brien, Holy Cross Energy CEO Bryan Hannegan, Bloom Energy Ravi Prasher, Brian Keane of SmartPower and EPRI’s Irene Danti Lopez.

EESI Holds Tennessee River Forum – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a briefing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. about strategies to decrease pollution and increase resilience along the Tennessee River, which winds through Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. This briefing will explore ongoing efforts to address the impacts of water pollution on environmental justice communities situated along the Tennessee. It will also highlight the importance of effective enforcement of local, state, and federal clean water laws and regulations. Panelists will discuss the role of federal policy-making in preventing and mitigating pollution in the region, as well as opportunities to support biodiversity and overall river health.

USEA Holds Advanced Energy Forum, Holiday Reception – On Thursday December 12^th at Noon, the US Energy Assn holds its Advanced Energy Technology Showcase in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center to look at the future of energy. The event will feature groundbreaking technologies from the Department of Energy and industry leaders. There will also be discussions on how both public and private investments are fueling innovation for the energy transition. After the event, USEA will hold its annual holiday reception

API Holds State of Energy – The American Petroleum Institute's State of American Energy will be held on Tuesday January 14, 2025 at The CAPITAL TURNAROUND.