Energy Update: Week of December 6th

Friends,               

After a thrilling weekend of games, Michigan, Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati will compete in the College Football Playoff.  Here is the New Year's Day slate:

• Orange Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Georgia (Dec. 31)
• Cotton Bowl: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati (Dec. 31)
• Peach Bowl: No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Pitt (Dec. 30)
• Fiesta Bowl: No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State (Jan. 1)
• Rose Bowl: No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Utah (Jan. 1)
• Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 8 Ole Miss (Jan. 1)

Here is the full bowl game schedule.  For you MLS-ers, NYC FC took down the Philadelphia Union to head to the MLS Cup next week against Portland.  And kudos to the DC’s Washington Spirit, who recently defeated the Chicago Red Stars, 2-1, in extra time for their first National Women’s Soccer League title in its eight-year existence.

It is another one of those week’s where the experts on Congress really just don’t know what is going to happen.  There will be a lot of pressure to get a debt ceiling agreement in place by Dec 15^th.  They HAVE to deal with debt ceiling and the Defense bill – which they may be trying to pair – before they can really get to BBB (which ML Schumer wants to do by Christmas). There are serious questions about whether this defense-debt ceiling sandwich could pass the House, so things remain up in the air.

The Biden administration is expected to release proposed biofuel blending requirements for both 2021 and 2022 this week.  As usual, not holding my breath until it happens. The upcoming announcement is a long-time coming: The Biden administration has deferred a decision on 2021's blending policies for over a year, and missed its deadline for ironing out 2022's policies last week.

A lot going on in Congress on energy and enviro issues, including a House Energy subpanel tomorrow to discuss Chairman Rush’s recent bill, the Energy Product Reliability Act (H.R. 6084 (117)), which would create a new standards-writing body for pipeline reliability. The Senate Environment Committee will meet on Wednesday to dig into legislation which provides $1.3 billion in each year for wildlife conservation and education. PFAS "forever chemicals" will get some attention in both chambers this week, with two House Science Committee subpanels meeting tomorrow to hear from academics and stakeholders on the chemicals linked to various health issues. Senate Homeland Security Committee meets Thursday to hear from EPA and Defense Department officials as well as advocates on federal PFAS efforts.  Finally, the House Select Climate Committee has a hearing Thursday on ways to use clean energy.

Big events this week include the 23^rd World Petroleum Congress in Houston despite last-minute changes to its roster as a consequence of the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant and disruptions to travel, as detailed by our friends Collin Eaton and Christopher Matthews in the WSJ.  Reuters also holds its  Energy Transition North America 2021 event starting today with speakers DOE’s Jennifer Granholm, API’s Sommers, Shell’s Gretchen Watkins, Williams CEO Alan Armstrong and several others.  As well, tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., the event features a panel on the hydrogen economy with Air Liquide expert Dave Edwards, DOE’s Sunita Satyapal and Shell’s Paul Bogers. 

The American Clean Power Association holds its CLEANPOWER 2021 event in Salt Lake City tomorrow and Wednesday and Energy Stream hosts IN-PERSON the 2^nd Energy Transition & Innovation Forum 2021 on Wednesday and Thursday at the Cosmos Club of Washington, DC, featuring a bunch of Congressional energy leaders speaking. Finally Thursday afternoon, EPRI holds its Pathways to Decarbonization webcast where experts will discuss how they and partners are contributing to the clean energy transition.

Look out for a new book by Bill Nussey (Freeing Energy) on local energy coming out tomorrow, and its message about the movement for homeowner and community solar+storage+microgrids is timely since the California PUC's bellwether decision to disadvantage rooftop solar could come down as soon as next Monday.  Our friend Peter Kelley has a bunch of the details on the book: peter@renewcomm.com

Sadly, we lost long-time American hero and public servant Bob Dole over the weekend. The Kansas City Star has a great obit, written by an all-star cast of reporters that covered Dole over the years.  Also known for his dry/quick wit and one-liners, the New York Times has a great roundup of some of Dole’s best one-liners.

Finally, the supply-chain situation has gotten so out of hand that there’s even a cream-cheese shortage at New York City bagel shops, which is like one of the 10 biblical plagues as reimagined by Mel Brooks (h/t Bret Stephens).  Stay Safe and healthy.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Rather than feeding our divisions with extreme rhetoric, all-or-nothing purity tests, and personal attacks, the 10 Senators who negotiated this jobs bill showed America something different. We shut out noise from the extremes, refused to demonize each other when we had disagreements, and focused instead on identifying creative solutions and commonsense compromises to ‘get to yes’ and get the job done…”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in an op-ed in the Arizona Republic touting the bipartisan infrastructure bill — namely the across-the-aisle work that went into it. 

ON THE PODCAST

Columbia: Oil Markets Whiplash Discussion – In this episode of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to shake up the global oil economy as fears surrounding the newly-discovered Omicron variant sparked a drop in prices last week. This—combined with an ongoing energy crisis and a previous drop in prices during the first wave of the pandemic at the beginning of last year—has prompted a flurry of speculation from oil analysts about where the market is headed next.  For a read on the future of oil markets, host Jason Bordoff spoke with Amrita Sen, Founding Partner and Chief Oil Analyst at Energy Aspects; Bob McNally, President of the energy advising firm Rapidan Energy Group; and Arjun Murti, Senior Advisor at Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm. Their roundtable discussion touched on President Biden’s decision to release crude oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves, the upcoming OPEC+ meeting, and what international leaders need to consider as the world transitions away from fossil fuels.

FUN OPINIONS

WSJ: BBB Give Transportation – In an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, the Board blasts the Congressional spending bill that gives Transportation Sect. Pete Buttigieg new power to force CO2 cuts on states. The program may be unconstitutional since it would conscript states into carrying out federal policy.  It also runs afoul of the Supreme Court’s non-delegation doctrine that says Congress can’t delegate legislative power to administrative agencies. Democrats want to hand this power to regulators to avoid political accountability for their policies. When higher energy prices materialize, they can duck and cover.

FROG BLOG

Solar Projects Boon for Communities – Solar projects can provide Iowa an “undeniable opportunity for rural communities and residents to gain new revenue and clean, reliable energy,” says Nick Sommers with the Center for Rural Affairs in the Clinton, IA Herald. Solar projects can provide new tax revenue to rural communities through the state’s utility replacement tax. This tax assists rural counties in funding essential services, and currently generates about $169 million in tax revenue for counties across the state.

FUN FACTS

American Energy Society Awards: The AES has released its 2021 energy awards including US Energy Person of the year (Sen. Joe Manchin), Energy Writer of the Year (Katharine Hayhoe), Global Energy PoY (Bernard Looney and Patrick Pouyanné), Activist of the Year (Leah :Green Girl” Thomas and more that 50 more.

The winner in the most interesting Energy Company was SOCALGAS, outdistancing battery recycler Redwood, Tesla, Climeworks and NanoGraf (Li-battery Company).  Of Course, SCG won because the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility successfully tested the effects of a hydrogen blend on natural gas infrastructure and equipment, asking if we just witnessed a moonshot.

IN THE NEWS

IEA Report Says Renewable Will Grow, But Not Enough – A report from the International Energy Agency found that 290 gigawatts of renewable electricity was added to grids globally in 2021 — more than ever before — but this record total is still just about half of what is needed annually to achieve net zero by 2050. Fossil fuel and nuclear power's capacity totals 4,800 GW globally.

DOE Releases Carbon Emissions Manufacturing – The U.S. Department of Energy and the REMADE Institute have announced more than $16 million in research and development funding for 23 projects that will reduce energy use and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production, processing, and recycling. The selected projects focus on reducing the consumption of raw materials, designing and using products more efficiently, and preserving and extending the lifecycle of products. These projects will advance the technology needed to increase the reuse, remanufacturing, recovery, and recycling of industrial materials.  

Admin Approves 2^nd Offshore Wind Project – The Biden administration approved a Rhode Island offshore wind project, paving the way for the first utility-scale renewable project in U.S. waters. The South Fork Wind project is the nation's second offshore venture to get a federal nod, following the approval of the Vineyard Wind development off Martha's Vineyard earlier this year.

Study: EV Mandate Will Cost Jobs in Europe Auto Industry – European auto suppliers say the EU’s target of requiring all new vehicles to be CO2 emissions-free by 2035 jeopardizes more than half a million jobs.  A survey of nearly 100 firms concluded that most of those 501,000 jobs would be lost between 2030 and 2035, although total net job loss would be less than half as the survey projects that 226,000 new jobs would be created for electric component manufacturing. The projection is a reminder of how major an undertaking it will be to realize such a large-scale shift away from internal combustion engines.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

World Petroleum Council Forum Set – The 23^rd World Petroleum Congress will be held in Houston this week.  Speakers include Exxon CEO Darren Woods, Chevron’s Mike Wirth, bp’s Bernard Looney, Equinor’s Anders Opedal, API’s Mike Summers, ConocoPhillips’ Ryan Lance and Pioneer’s Scott Sheffield.  Our friends, Frank Macchiarola and Meg Bloomgren of API also speak.

Reuters Forum Looks at Energy Transition – Reuters Energy Transition North America 2021 event starts today with speakers including DOE’s Jennifer Granholm, API’s Mike Sommers, Shell’s Gretchen Watkins, Williams CEO Alan Armstrong and several others.  Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., the event features a panel on the hydrogen economy with Air Liquide expert Dave Edwards, DOE’s Sunita Satyapal and Shell’s Paul Bogers.

Forum Looks at Net-Zero Emissions – Schneider Electric holds a forum today at Noon looking at the company’s efforts to reach net zero.  John Westerman, Director of Microgrid Project Development and Engineering at Schneider Electric will speak.

ENERGY STAR Webinar Set – Today at 3:00 p.m., DOE holds an ENERGY STAR webinar will highlight opportunities for addressing building energy use in new and existing buildings. The webinar will begin with a preview of the draft ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Label coming in 2022. This will be followed by an overview of Home Upgrade with ENERGY STAR, which creates a streamlined approach to retrofitting existing homes.

WSJ Hosts CEO Summit – The Wall Street Journal hosts a CEO Council Summit tomorrow top leaders in business and policy on the topics that matter most to decision makers, from tackling sticky supply chains to navigating global trade tensions. Speakers include Sen. Joe Manchin, Elon Muck, bp’s Bernard Looney, DOT Sect Pete Buttigieg, Deputy AG Lisa Monaco, Sect of State Tony Blinken and many more.

CLEANPOWER Set for SLC – The American Clean Power Association released several of its headline speakers for its CLEANPOWER 2021 event in Salt Lake City tomorrow and Wednesday. CLEANPOWER 2021 will bring together the most knowledgeable minds in the clean energy industry and create a collaborative platform for discussing issues that are important to industry professionals and their companies. CLEANPOWER’s mission is to not only bring together the different technologies that make up the renewables mix – onshore wind, offshore wind, solar, storage, and transmission – but also the different segments within the industries: manufacturers, construction firms, owner operators, utilities, financial firms, corporate buyers, and more.

Progressive Rally Set – Tomorrow throughout the day, Green New Deal Network and ShutDownDC hold a rally "to demand that Congress and the administration take action to pass the programs that they promised us and we voted for."  Good Luck with that, but just don’t block my commute. 

CSIS Forum Looks at Global Methane Pledge – The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program will host Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President of Energy at the Environmental Defense Fund, for a discussion tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. on the United States and the European Union’s Global Methane Pledge and its implications for global climate action. The Pledge is a major effort to curb global methane emissions in an attempt to keep global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. Over 100 countries have signed the Pledge, to reduce methane emissions globally by 30 percent by 2030 (from 2020 levels). Additionally, a host of philanthropies have committed $328 million to support methane mitigation strategies as part of the Global Methane Pledge.

Forum Looks at Climate, Resource Conflicts – The CSIS Project on Fragility and Mobility holds a virtual discussion tomorrow on the role of technology in addressing climate change and resource-based conflict. From open-source data to earth observation, new technologies provide development practitioners with a means to study and elucidate intertwined environmental and peacebuilding objectives. The panel will provide insights on how field practitioners can use technology to achieve climate and conservation goals, while also reducing conflict and contributing to building peace. Through identifying tools and perspectives, the event will explore the uses and limits of myriad digital technologies with examples from African drylands and Asian, Latin American, and African forests.

House Science Looks at PFAS – The House Science’s Environment and Research and Technology Subcommittees hold a  joint hearing on research and development for addressing the PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) issues. Speakers include Abigail Hendershott of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, Battelle’s Amy Dindal, Elsie Sunderland of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Princeton’s Peter Jaffe. 

Forum Looks at Innovation – The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s (ITIF) Center for Clean Energy Innovation holds a panel discussion tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on why continued innovation matters, what an innovation agenda for advanced renewables should look like, and which technologies are likely to be the next big things.  DOE’s Alejandro Moreno and Jocelyn Brown-Saracino join First Solar’s Dirk Weiss on the panel. 

Forum to Look at Nuclear Test Reactors – The Global America Business Institute is hosting a discussion tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. looking at the future of the Versatile Test Reactor.  The event will look at the key role VTR in the nuclear energy innovation ecosystem. Speakers include Nuclear Innovation Alliance’s Judi Greenwald, Jackie Toth of the Good Energy Collective and the Atlantic Council’s Jennifer Gordon. 

Panel to Look at Rush Pipeline Legislation – The House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on legislation to enhance pipeline reliability," focusing on Chairman Rush’s H.R. 6084 (117), the "Energy Product Reliability Act."

CSIS Forum to Look at Technology, Climate – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Fragility and Mobility hold a virtual discussion on the role of technology in addressing climate change and resource-based conflict. The panel will provide insights on how field practitioners can use technology to achieve climate and conservation goals, while also reducing conflict and contributing to building peace. Through identifying tools and perspectives, the event will explore the uses and limits of myriad digital technologies with examples from African drylands and Asian, Latin American and African forests.

CEI Hosts Former Labor Sect on ESG – Tomorrow at Noon, the Competitive Enterprise Institute holds an online discussion on a recent Dept of Labor rule that plan encourages pension fund managers to consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in their investments. The event looks at this proposal and its implications, with introductory remarks by former Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. Public comment on the proposed rule closes on December 13.

Axios to Host Granholm, Hickenlooper – Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., Axios will hold an event on "The Infrastructure Bill's Climate Future" featuring Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). The event will discuss how the bill extends beyond bridges and roads to further the administration’s climate goals.

BPC Forum Looks at Expanding Clean Energy Infrastructure – Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., the Bipartisan Policy Center holds a fireside chat with Jigar Shah, director of the DOE Loan Programs Office, to discuss the department’s role in the future of U.S. clean energy demonstration and deployment.

Forum to Look at Wyoming CCS – The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy program holds the fourth event in the Women in Energy CCUS Roadshow series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. This initiative aims to highlight the extraordinary accomplishments of women in the CCUS field and empower a workforce that is equitable, diverse, and strong by advancing equality and opportunity. Please join us for a discussion of the changes in federal and state laws concerning CCUS and how those changes might affect investment, development, climate, and communities in Wyoming. The conversation will feature energy experts from Wyoming who will also discuss ways to grow women’s share of the energy workforce and what organizations in the public and private sectors are looking for in new recruits.

Forum to Look at Lithium from Geothermal Brines – The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center will host Rod Colwell, chief executive officer of Controlled Thermal Resources, tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to discuss lithium recovery from Salton Sea geothermal brines and how this fully integrated process will support a sustainable lithium battery supply chain in the United States.

Chamber Sets Transatlantic Business Meeting – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds a Transatlantic Business Works Summit on Wednesday and Thursday to explore the role that American and European businesses play in driving innovation, creating jobs, and advancing solutions to society’s most challenging problems. This year, the event will focus on the importance of transatlantic cooperation to keep the digital economy connected, leverage lessons from the pandemic, promote innovation to address the climate challenge, and collaborate on export controls, investment screening, and countering anticompetitive subsidies in third countries.

House Transpo Looks at Community Redevelopment – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on promoting economic and community redevelopment and environmental justice in the revitalization and reuse of contaminated properties.

Senate Look at Wildlife Protection Legislation – The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. focused on S. 2372 (117), the "Recovering America's Wildlife Act."

Forum to Look at Sustainable Finance Frameworks – Environmental Finance holds a webinar on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on the exponential growth in sustainability-linked products shaping finance frameworks.  This webinar will consider how sustainable finance frameworks are evolving and supporting the steering of sustainability and business growth. Join us to hear from issuers, underwriters and ESG experts.

Forum Looks at Infrastructure – The Dentons Global Smart Cities & Connected Communities Think Tank is partnering with the Keystone Policy Center on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. for a key conversation on passage of the infrastructure bill, the discussions on climate change coming out of COP26 and the Build Back Better plan. EPRI CEO Arshad Mansoor is giving the keynote and Gridwise Alliance CEO Karen Wayland also speaks. 

OEP Forum to Look at Electric Vehicles – OurEnergyPolicy holds a forum Wednesday at Noon to look at the state of electric vehicles.  This webinar will examine the current state of the industry, the challenges associated with meeting these goals, and panelists’ views on required policy support. DOE’s Steven Boyd, ChargePoint’s Colleen Jansen and GM’s Michael Maten will speak. 

Forum to Look at Built Environment Materials – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a briefing on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. about the climate impacts of producing building materials. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale. Panelists will discuss ways to reduce emissions and material waste in the built environment from construction and deconstruction.

Hill Forum Looks at Infrastructure – The Hill convenes a summit of government officials, federal and local policymakers, and infrastructure experts for a comprehensive look at investing in America’s future infrastructure on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. As America looks to lay the foundation for sustainable, modern infrastructure, this summit will look at where priorities should lie and if the ambitious undertaking will support inclusive economic growth and job creation. Speakers Sen. Enviro Tom Carper (D-DE), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez and several others.

Energy Transition Forum Set for DC – Energy Stream hosts IN-PERSON the 2^nd Energy Transition & Innovation Forum 2021 on Wednesday and Thursday at the Cosmos Club of Washington, D.C. The Forum is a bi-partisan annual market intelligence platform for government and energy leaders to convene for off-the-record discussions on future technologies, initiatives, and policies in U.S. energy innovation to solve national and international energy challenges. At the December 2021 Forum, we will focus on how American innovation can ensure that the energy industry continues to thrive amid the energy transition towards a net zero emissions economy.

Forum to Highlight CCS, Circular Economy – The Global CCS Institute will hold a webinar on Thursday at 7:00 a.m. ET (Noon in London) with an expert panel that will present a report on the development of CCS networks, part of the Circular Carbon Economy: Keystone to Global Sustainability series with Columbia University's SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy. Speakers include former DOE official Julio Friedmann (now with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA), Global CCS Institute’s David Kearns and Alex Zapantis and Richard Gwilliam of the Drax Group.

Forum Looks at China Energy Transition – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA hosts a forum on China Energy Transition.  The event will feature presentations on two leading analyses of these topics – the China Energy Transformation Outlook, by the Energy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research (ERI) and the Energy Sector Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality in China, by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Following the presentations, two leading experts will offer thoughts and commentary on the analyses.

Forum Looks at COP26 Follow Up – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute and the International Monetary Fund hold an in-depth panel discussion on how the Glasgow Climate Pact can help close the emissions gap - getting us closer to where we need to be - and how it can help ramp up climate finance for developing countries.  This discussion event, featuring climate and finance experts, will explore key questions around the implications of COP26 outcomes and assess prospects for global coordination going forward.

WaPo Forum Looks at Supply Chain – Washington Post Live hosts a forum Thursday at 10:00 a.m. featuring Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka and other key players.  The event will discuss the causes and potential solutions to current supply chain problems and the impact on the global economy.

Senate Committee Reviews PFAS – The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. examining Federal efforts to address PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination.

NAS to Review Low-Dose Radiation – On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., the National Academies is hosting another virtual public meeting to examine how to move forward on low-dose radiation research. The agenda is subject to change. This meeting will focus on presentations from experts who deal with other complex scientific issues such as air pollution.

Forum to Look at Climate, Plastics – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a briefing on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. about the climate impacts of producing plastics. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale. Speakers include former EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck, Jim Vallette of Material Research L3C and Upstream’s Miriam Gordon.

House Climate Committee Looks at Clean Energy Investments – The House Select Climate Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. looking at costs of clean energy and climate investments. Witnesses include Amy Myers Jaffe, of Tufts University's Fletcher School, RMI’s Uday Varadarajan and Miranda Ballentine, of the Clean Energy Buyers Association.

EPRI Forum Looks at Decarbonization – EPRI holds its Pathways to Decarbonization webcast on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. where EPRI experts will discuss how they and partners are contributing to the clean energy transition and pursuing new approaches to how we make, move and use electricity. Topics include shifting to low carbon energy sources and advanced nuclear, preparing the grid for changing demand and more variable resources and increasing end-use electrification in transportation, industry, buildings and beyond.

Forum Looks at Climate Litigation – The R Street Institute will holds a forum on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. looking at the use of litigation to address climate damages and pursue climate goals.  R St has gathered a distinguished panel to present the case for and against the use of such litigation, and to examine these lawsuits in the broader context of climate policy. Speakers include Niskanen’s David Bookbinder, Phil Goldberg of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project and American Action Forum’s Ewelina Czapla. 

Group to Look at 2022 RNG, Hydrogen, EVs – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., EcoEngineers is bringing back its popular “Crystal Ball” webinar series to close out this interesting year of renewable energy news and developments. The first in the series will focus jointly on the RNG, electric vehicle, and hydrogen markets. Experts will talk about the overlap of renewable fuels and electrification, plus developments expected in the industries.  More discussion topics include RIN, LCFS, and other market credit pricing, including an update on eRINs, lessons learned from year one of LCFS Verification or RNG, 2021 RIN and LCFS credit pricing and a look forward to 2022 for RNG, EV, and hydrogen, 2022 and beyond for RNG and emerging markets, electric vehicle market forecast for 2022 and beyond and new EV/H2 Incentive programs.

US African Energy Forum Set for Houston – On Thursday and Friday, the US Energy Assn holds the U.S. Africa Energy Forum at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston, Texas.  The energy industry landscape has transformed, and as Africa and the United States get their respective energy sector recoveries underway, now is the time to take a new approach to Africa’s most important commercial partnership in oil, gas and power.

Forum Looks at Decarb – On Friday at 9:00 a.m., the European Union, Climate Advisers, and the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center host a discussion on strategies for transatlantic cooperation to accelerate global decarbonization of steel manufacturing. This event will also launch a report on the subject from Climate Advisers and the Atlantic Council supported by the European Union. In this event, government and industry leaders from both sides of the Atlantic will discuss the findings of the report and the policy proposals therein with a focus on those that could accelerate decarbonization pathways for steel. Early steps needed to structure international engagement on this topic as well as bring in other major steel-producing countries will also be tackled. The dialogue will address the challenges of developing a common methodology for evaluating the carbon emissions profile of steel production, creating a robust market for green steel, and sharing research and technical information

Forum to Talk About Middle East Nukes – The CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program will host His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) for a discussion on the role of nuclear power in the energy transition on Friday at 9:00 a.m. Al Hammadi will discuss the potential role for nuclear power in helping countries reduce emissions and achieve their low-carbon energy ambitions.

Birol Heads to CSIS to Talk Net Zero – The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program will host Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, on Friday at 11:00 a.m. for a discussion on the future of global energy security and decarbonization.

Russian Climate Issues Lead Discussion – On Friday at Noon, the Institute for Policy Studies holds a forum on Russia and climate issues. Although the Russian government has promised to become carbon neutral no later than 2060, it remains one of the world’s leading fossil fuel exporters and has dragged its feet on issuing specific plans for emissions reductions. Three Russian experts provide a report from the frontlines of Russia’s climate crisis.

Forum Focuses on Food Waste Reductions – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., EESI holds a briefing about the climate impacts of food. Panelists will explain the upstream greenhouse gas emissions generated from the production of these materials and discuss solutions designed to reduce those emissions at scale. Panelists will discuss some strategies available to policymakers that could bolster food waste reduction and diversion efforts.

IN THE FUTURE

NASEO Look sat Grid for Climate Vulnerabilities – Next Monday at 3:00 p.m., the National Assn of State Energy Officials (NASEO) holds a webinar on preparing the electric grid for climate vulnerabilities. This webinar will feature experts on assessing risk and understanding the effects of climate change on the electric sector. Speakers from the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and states will share relevant resources, strategies, and key lessons learned.  

Former Homeland Sect Addresses Energy Cyber Issues – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a public virtual event next Monday at 4:00 p.m. featuring keynote remarks from Secretary Jeh Johnson, litigation partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison LLP, and former US Secretary of Homeland Security. Leaders in the finance and energy industries will discuss ways for investors to better understand and address the cybersecurity risks facing their energy assets. This event will explore strategies to ensure that asset owners have a more complete understanding of the cyber risk profile of their assets and actionable solutions to mitigate those risks.

SAFE Forum to Look at Infrastructure Law – On Tuesday December 14^th at Noon, the Electrification Coalition and SAFE will host representatives from EPA, DOT and DOE to provide a breakdown of EV funding provisions contained in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Build Back Better Act, including programs for charging infrastructure, transit buses, school buses, light-duty vehicles, fleets, consumer tax credits and more.

WCEE Event Looks at Events – Next Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy & the Environment holds its virtual meet and greet happy hour and “speed networking” event. The event will also look at WCEE events in 2021 and their plans for 2022.

Forum to Look at Alaska – On Wednesday December 15^th at 1:00 p.m., the Alaskan Municipal League and the American Security Project hold a discussion on the impacts climate change is having in Alaska, the ramifications it has on U.S. national security, and potential regional solutions. Executive Director of the Alaskan Municipal League Nils Andreassen will be joined by ASP President Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, USMC (Ret) for a one-on-one conversation.

Forum to Look at Grid Integration for Renewables – The NYU Institute for Policy Integrity and EDF will host a conversation on Thursday December 16^th at 10:30 a.m. looking at conflicts and consensus building around energy policy decisions and infrastructure projects, including solar and wind projects, pipelines, and transmission lines. Panelists from around the country will share their recent research and policy expertise.

Forum to Look at China, Climate Goals – On Thursday December 16^th at 11:00 a.m. CSIS holds a forum on China and its climate goals.  CSIS’s Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics will lead the discussion with four panelists who will examine these questions from the economic, political and diplomatic perspectives: Michael Davidson of the University of California, San Diego, Michal Meidan of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Byford Tsang of E3G, and Alex Wang of the School of Law at UCLA.

Berkeley Lab Report to Highlight Equity, Decarb – On Thursday December 16^th at 12:30 p.m., there is a Forum on a new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), Advancing Equity in Utility Regulation that provides four cutting-edge perspectives. The authors propose a variety of approaches to address inequities in the electricity sector. Their recommendations address stakeholder engagement, defining "public interest," intervenor funding, electricity infrastructure siting, access to distributed energy technologies, consumer protections, bill affordability programs, rate design, program design, and metrics to track and evaluate results of policies, regulations, and programs intended to deliver equitable outcomes.

State of American Business Set – The US Chamber hosts its annual 2022 State of American Business on Tuesday January 11^th. 

API Hosts State of Energy – The American Petroleum Institute hosts its 2022 State of Energy forum on Wednesday January 12^th at 10:00 a.m.

AGA to Release Net Zero Vision – On Thursday January 13^th, the American Gas Assn will holds Its annual new President briefing where they will roll out a Major New Net Zero vision and policy.  

USEA Hosts State of Energy Industry – The US Energy Assn holds its 2022 State of the Energy Industry Forum on Thursday January 20^th.  The annual event features CEOs from nearly every major trade association as they share their policy objectives and priorities for 2022.