Energy Update: Week of December 7

Friends,

Hard to believe we are already into December with today being the 79^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to our launch into World War II.  We also have Hanukkah starting Thursday evening, continuing for 8 days through Friday December 18^th.  Finally, just a quick personal family note, my daughter Hannah – as you all know following her track through this email over the last 20 years – is putting the Wellesley education to work taking her first “real” job at SolareaBio, a biotech tab in Cambridge, MA, where she will be doing research on the microbiome and specifically osteoporosis. 

It will be a busy week as Congress moves on spending (expiring Friday), COVID relief, Defense authorizations and maybe a few other things like diesel emissions reduction, energy innovation and HFC legislation.  It could finalized or it could fall completely apart… Or maybe it will be delayed by a week which is sounding increasing more likely given they are setting a vote for a one-week extension on Wednesday.

At the EPA, just announced that they will retain the existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) set by the Obama-Biden Administration without changes.  Details below with several comments including the US Chamber’s Global Energy Institute, API and others. Full details here. 

Speaking of EPA, after all the self-lobbying that Mary Nichols and her supporters seemed to be doing last week, she took another hit over the weekend when CA enviro justice groups sent a letter to Biden urging her rejection for failing to tackle the pollution threatening low-income areas and communities of color.  This is not new as earlier this year, Nichols took incoming fire in a letter from black Cal Air Resources Board staff on the agency’s handling of systematic racism issues and also got questions from African-American lawmakers for linking George Floyd to asthma. The interesting thing about this most recent letter is it attacks her support for California’s cap & trade program, an issue many progressive groups oppose for other reasons.

For events, EPRI has an EV webinar today while and the National Hydro Assn looks at hydro and decarb.  Tomorrow, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy holds a webinar to discuss the future of carbon pricing policy, innovation and cross border solutions, while a GreenBiz webinar looks at Hydrogen.  On Wednesday morning, House Oversight holds a hearing on FERC pipeline regulations and in the afternoon, Interior Sect Bernhardt joins CEI at Noon to talk ESA and EESI holds a web event to assess progress towards climate mitigation and adaptation goals featuring our friend Lisa Jacobson of BCSE.

On Thursday, Ernest Moniz will kick off a conversation for EFI on carbon dioxide removal pathways, while RFF holds a forum with a panel of experts looking at benefit-cost analysis of environmental regulation.  Finally on Friday, Equinor releases its 2020 Energy Perspectives Report at CSIS and EPA’s Andrew Wheeler joins ConservAmerica for a discussion about the future /history of EPA in its 50^th year. 

Finally, my colleague Scott Segal provided some great insight in a webinar last Thursday with ConservAmerica about energy and environment issues in the lame duck and next Congress.  You in case you missed it, you can check it out here.  Also, Bloomberg Intelligence had a series of 2021 Energy Outlook webinars all last week.  You can see the replays here: Mon: Oil Majors; Tues: E&P/Services; Wed: Refiners/Pipelines; Thur: LNG; Fri: Utilities/clean energy.  Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

AGA Expert Q&A with LAT – A few weeks before the November election, LA Times reporter Sammy Roth, who has been pretty tough on the natural gas industry in CA, called Richard Meyer, managing director of energy analysis at the American Gas Assn. He’s a well-known presence on Energy Twitter and he grew up in Los Angeles.  They had a lively discussion, including on the hot-button topic of local governments prohibiting natural gas hookups in new construction. And you can read it here.  And while I don’t agree with Sammy on everything (who does), you should definitely sign up for his weekly newsletter Boiling Point.

ON THE PODCAST

UK Official Talks Paris, Next Steps – In the latest episode of RFF’s Resources Radio, host Daniel Raimi talks with Mahmoud Taha, a professor and chair of the University of New Mexico’s Department of Civil Engineering. An expert on cement, Taha walks through how and where the “magic glue of construction” is made, and why it produces such a sizable amount of CO₂ emissions. Taha notes that cement can be manufactured with more environmentally sustainable materials, but these cement alternatives often are less durable and thus are not appropriate for all construction projects. To complement those efforts, Taha says the US government could offer more funding for research and development and could incentivize cement manufacturers to shift their business practices toward less environmental impact.

FUN OPINIONS

SF Chron Op-Ed: Electrification is Bad Policy – In an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, former Argonne National Lab expert Kenneth Costello argues California cities’ bans on natural gas are a terrible idea because gas bans fail miserably and have virtually zero benefits. Less than 9% of carbon emissions in the U.S. comes from direct use of natural gas in homes and buildings; U.S. emits about 15% of world carbon emissions; thus, converting all buildings to all-electric and assuming that all electricity is produced from clean sources, the reduction in worldwide carbon emissions would be less than 1.5%, which according to most computer-based forecasting models, would have no detectable effect on global climate. Costello adds a ban looks good politically by giving the appearance that a problem at hand is severe and requiring immediate and absolute attention that softens the burden on citizens. “Good policy balances the economic and environmental consequences in achieving an outcome that is in the public interest. Because a gas ban has virtually no effect on climate change and is likely to increase energy costs for consumers, one would have to look far to find a governmental action that is so intrusive, imbalanced and detrimental to society’s welfare.”

NRDC/Industry: HFC Legislation is a Must Pass – In an opinion piece in Bloomberg Insight, NRDC’s David Doniger and the Alliance for Responsible Climate Policy’s Kevin Fay argue that Congress should quickly pass legislation to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), climate-changing chemicals found in air conditioners, refrigerators and other products. They say the discussion has gone on for four decades and it’s time to act, especially since a bipartisan group of members, and industry and environmental groups are all pulling in the same direction..

FROG BLOG

Nuclear Future is Bold – In a new blog in Forbes, Dipka Bhambhani writes expect President-elect Joe Biden to continue President Trump’s nuclear energy legacy and aggressively develop U.S. technology for export to the international market within five to seven years. In August, a senior Energy Department official told Forbes maintaining U.S. nuclear energy facilities and expanding U.S. technology abroad is a matter of national security and could be a strong diplomatic lever to thwart Chinese hegemony and Russian expansion in the global market.

IN THE NEWS

EPA Rolls Out PM 2.5 Standard – The EPA decided to retain the existing National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) set by the Obama-Biden Administration without changes. Wheeler was joined virtually by WV Gov. Jim Justice, Rep. Alex Mooney (WV-02), WVDEQ Secretary Austin Caperton, and EPA Dep AG Douglas Buffington. The U.S. has some of the lowest fine PM levels in the world – approximately 5X below the global average, 6X below Chinese levels and 20% lower than France, Germany, and Great Britain. Between 2000 and 2019, average PM2.5 concentrations in the U.S. fell by 44% and average PM10 concentrations similarly fell by 46%. The decision to retain existing standards set by the Obama-Biden Administration, which applies to the NAAQS for both fine and coarse particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), comes after careful review and consideration of the most recent available scientific evidence and technical information, consultation with the agency’s independent scientific advisors, and consideration of more than 60,000 public comments on the proposal.

The Details – EPA has regulated particle pollution since 1971. The agency has revised the standards four times -- in 1987, 1997, 2006 and 2012 – to ensure they continue to protect public health and welfare.

• Summary Fact Sheet
• Table of historical PM standards. 
• More information on particle pollution and to read the final action
• For technical documents related to this review

What Folks are Saying – Here are a few individual and industry group comments:

“Across decades of planning and investment, businesses have worked with EPA and their state partners to lower ambient concentrations of particulates and other criteria pollutants. These emissions reductions have made U.S. air quality among the cleanest in the world, and occurred while the U.S. economy, population, and energy use has steadily grown—undoubtedly a testament to successful collaboration between EPA, states, and industry to develop and adopt new emissions control technologies and practices in a sound, cost-effective manner.

US Chamber Global Energy Institute VP Chad Whiteman

“Under existing standards, the U.S. has made remarkable progress in reducing emissions and improving air quality. Thanks to cleaner fuels and industry action, we have the cleanest air in half a century, and with smart regulations and continued innovation, we can build on this progress while delivering affordable, reliable energy around the world.”

API SVP of Policy, Economics & Regulatory Affairs Frank Macchiarola

“This is an important announcement for West Virginia. We need to continue to support policies that keep our air clean, while protecting the job producers in our state. This regulation accomplishes those goals”

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

Harvard COVID-PM Study BACKGROUND – Many will cite a recent Harvard Study to connect this to COVID, but remember, the initial study was so flawed it went through several major revisions.  Just a few items to remember on that issue for your background:

• Initial Study Did Not Go Through Any Peer Review – While COVID-19 underscores that the sharing of scientific information and open data is critical to addressing current and future crises, it is irresponsible to give weight to the initial findings prior to any peer review process, which eventually modified the study impacts significantly

 

• Study’s Design is Flawed – It claims to be a national study but it the absence of patient-specific data renders all other comparisons and conclusions in the study meaningless.
  • Most Americans are well aware that age and pre-existing health conditions such as hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and asthma are major risk factors for COVID-19. Amazingly, the study does not even acknowledge these patient-specific factors, much less attempt to take them into account. This can lead to enormous distortions in data, especially given that the study includes data from counties with sample sizes as low as 10 cases.
  • The study attempts to control for variables like population density, poverty, income, number of hospital beds in the county and age, but only at the county or state level. As a result, their variables have virtually no effect compared against the characteristics of the actual individuals that have tested positive/died from COVID-19. One simply cannot draw any scientific conclusions on COVID-19 risk factors without correcting for other major influencers such as age, co-morbidities and other critical factors like whether someone was hospitalized, for how long, symptoms, use of a ventilator, quality of care.
  • The study compares average annual fine particulate matter levels from 2000 to 2016 to deaths from COVID-19 in the last couple months (through April 4, 2020). This ignores years of available data, dramatic trends in fine particulate matter (40% reduction in the U.S. over that period).  
  • Urban areas tend to have higher air pollution but, even if you control for county-level factors like smoking or average income or age, the study missed numerous other reasons why people in cities may be more likely to be impacted by COVID-19.

 

• It is important to note that fine particulate matter is more than just man-made pollution. Mobile sources (cars, planes, trains, lawnmowers) emit just 7% of fine particulate matter in the U.S., less than half of emissions from wildfires or dust in any given year.

 

CA Legislators Challenge Strange Sierra Club-Ca Advocate Partnership – Several California Assemblymembers raised important concerns over a backroom Common Interest agreement that has been discovered between the Sierra Club and the California PUC’s independent investigator, Cal Public Advocate. Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) wrote: “The shocking elements of the agreement create concern for a variety of reasons starting with the fact that the agreement seems to violate the stated mission of CPUC’s Public Advocates Office (PAO).  The PAO is an independent organization that advocates solely on behalf of utility customers to obtain the lowest possible rate for service consistent with reliable and safe service levels.”  They add the primary focus and reason for making the request is so they can ensure the discussion about natural gas is appropriate, transparent, and considers all factors including ratepayer interests.  (Can Send Letter if interested.)

Former CPUC Commissioner Weighs In on Agreement – A Former Cal PUC Commissioner is also raising his concern over the agreement in a Letter to CPUC Chair Marybel Bajter.  Former Commissioner Tim Simon, who now serves as Board Chair of the CA Black Chamber of Commerce, said he has grave concerns about the conduct of the California Public Advocate.  The revelation of this “common interest agreement” between Cal PA and the Sierra Club is a clear breach of the Cal PA’s mission. This “agreement” places the ratepayers of California’s investor-owned utilities at the severe risk of lacking the focused attention needed to apply their resources towards policies that urge the CPUC to monitor and limit California’s energy, water, and telecommunications cost to consumers.  Simon: “California has the third-highest electricity rates in the United States, the highest poverty rate and wealth disparity gap, all existing before the pandemic. Now, our wealthy state is witnessing its worst economic downturn of a generation. I expect the Governor and Legislature will address the malfeasance of Cal PA, but you and your fellow Commissioners have an important voice in the subpoena approval powers of the CPUC’s Executive Director. The access of records of utilities and party participants should be fair, relevant, reasonable, and at minimum clearly distanced from the political matrix of city council mandated gas bans and reach codes. The efforts of local elected officials should not be confused with the advocacy for lower cost of utility rates.” (Can Send Letter if interested.)

Businesses Urge Climate Action in C2ES Letter – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions  has brought together 42 of America’s leading companies who in a letter, jointly urge President-elect Joe Biden and the new Congress to work together to enact ambitious, durable, and bipartisan climate solutions. The companies signed a statement declaring climate action a “business imperative” and pointing to the grave risks presented by climate change, and to the economic benefits of tackling it—from new jobs and growth to stronger U.S. competitiveness.  The letter says, “to achieve a net-zero economy, the United States must establish durable national policies that harness market forces, mobilize investment and innovation, and provide the certainty needed to plan for the long term. It is also vital that our climate policies meet the needs of marginalized communities, low-income households, and workers and communities disadvantaged by the energy transition.”

DOE’s Fitzsimmons Joins ClearPath – While I briefly mentioned this last week, I wanted to pass on more detail.  Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy Alex Fitzsimmons joined ClearPath as a Senior Program Director. He will work across ClearPath’s clean energy technology portfolio, with a focus on energy storage, renewable energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, and critical minerals policies.  At DOE, Alex led the energy efficiency portfolio within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In this role, he helped develop and launch the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, a DOE-wide strategy to position the U.S. for global leadership in advanced energy storage technologies.  He also was one of my early GWU Public Relations class padawans. (Learning the ways of PR Force)

A Clean Energy Marshall Plan – Speaking of ClearPath, they have released a video discussing a Clean Energy Marshall Plan.  The plan, modelled after the U.S. program that provided aid to our allies following World War II which lead to tremendous economic benefits, will look to make the US energy sector cleaner, more reliable and increasingly influential here in the U.S. and around the globe, while making the American economy even stronger. The plan includes a four-step strategy to achieve this, by innovating, permitting, building and exporting.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

EPRI Hosts Forum on EVs – The EPRI Washington Seminar, co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, will hold a webinar today at 1:00 p.m. to focus on the intersection of rapid electric vehicle growth and the electric utility sector. Speakers include: EPRI’s Rob Chapman and Dan Bowermaster, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Michael Berube, NRDC’s Sheryl Carter and Katie Sloan, Director of eMobility & Building Electrification for Southern California Edison.

Experts to Discuss Hydro Role in Decarb – The National Hydropower Association holds its Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event, today at 2:00 p.m. looking at the role of hydropower in a rapidly decarbonizing grid, featuring panelists from American Rivers, Stanford Woods Institute for Environment and Union of Concerned Scientists. At this virtual event, panelists will explore the increased role that hydropower can play in decarbonizing the grid, and how it can be accomplished in a way that bolsters the health and vitality of our nation’s rivers. Speakers include American Rivers Bob Irvin, Stanford’s Dan Reicher, UCS’s Steve Clemmer and NHA’s Malcolm Woolf.

Infocast Hosts Mid-Atlantic Renewables Forum – The Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Virtual Conference will be held tomorrow to Thursday by Infocast and will feature current insights from top regulatory officials, utility and public power leaders, and developers in the region.

Grid CONNECT Conference Set – The gridCONNECT Conference 2020 will be held tomorrow to Thursday to explore and unleash market innovations enabling the transition to a modern 21^st century grid. The event will feature former ARPA-E head and Biden Energy transition head Arun Majumdar, Houston Mayor Syl Turner, Jon Hofmeister and many others.

USEA to Host Distributed Gen Forum – The US Energy Assn holds a forum tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. on distributed generation technology in Europe.  DGT enables customers to generate, store, consume, and, potentially sell excess power they produce. Most often this is accomplished using increasingly inexpensive solar panels mounted on residential and commercial rooftops. Distribution system experts from the United States and Southeast Europe will discuss models for accelerating integration of distributed generation and introduce a set of policy and regulatory actions needed to do so.

FERC Hydro Course Set – Tomorrow at 8:45 a.m., the R Street Institute will host an introduction to FERC Hydropower issues. The course will present a high-level overview of FERC’s hydropower program. It is for those who know very little or need a refresher about how FERC licenses and administers non-federal hydropower projects. Their expert instructor, Tom Russo, who spent 30 years at FERC as a Manager and Sr. Energy Industry Analyst, will explain how to decide on what licensing process to use and how other mandatory Federal and State permits and processes can shape the timing and operations of any hydropower licenses issued by FERC. The course also discusses how the Trump Administration, existing hydropower laws, and new regulations will affect hydropower development in the future. He will also discuss hydropower settlements and how to use FERC as a means of expending licensing and compliance.

BSCE Hosts Carbon Pricing Forum – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the future of carbon pricing policy, innovation and cross border solutions.  The BCSE is partnering with the Embassy of Canada, Capital Power, International Emissions Trading Association and XPrize to host this event.  The virtual round-table will include "fireside chats" with leaders from the U.S. Congress and the Canadian Cabinet on policy approaches to carbon reduction, as well as a panel discussion on the prospects for cross-border collaboration.

Forum to Look at Ukraine, Energy – The German Marshall Fund of the United States holds a forum tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on U.S. Energy Policy under Biden and implications for Europe, Ukraine & Transatlantic cooperation.  Speakers include Rep. Adam Kinzinger and European Parliament member Jacek Saryusz-Wolski as well as Sergiy Makogon, CEO of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine.

Forum to Look at Advanced Nuclear – The U.S. Nuclear Industry Council holds a virtual summit tomorrow through Thursday – each day at 11:00 a.m. on new nuclear capital and looking at markets and financing for advanced nuclear energy. Ex-Im Bank President Kim Reed, DOE’s Paul Dabbar and ClearPath’s Jeremy Harrell are among the multitude of speakers.

Women in Clean energy Forum, Awards Set – C3E holds its 2020 U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium tomorrow and Wednesday from Noon to 3:00 p.m. each day.  The symposium will consist of plenary sessions, award presentations, panel discussions, and a virtual reception with live student poster presentations.  Our friend and SEIA head Abby Hopper is among the presenters.

Bernhardt to Address ESA Issues at CEI Forum – The Competitive Enterprise Institute holds a webinar at tomorrow on reforming Federal lands and the Endangered Species Act featuring Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.  He will discuss his reform accomplishments to date and the challenges and opportunities ahead in conversation with Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment Myron Ebell and President Kent Lassman.

Group Looks to Hydrogen – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., GreenBiz will hold a webinar on hydrogen.  The event will focus on hydrogen impacts on energy transitions, investment by industry, enabled by supportive government policy, and the rollout of hydrogen technology at the scale required to deliver on its potential, but also to achieve cost reductions. Speakers include Shell’s Ajay Mehta, DOE’s Sunita Satyapal, and Green Hydrogen Coalition head Janice Lin.

Forum Tackles Conservation, National Security – The Hill holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on conservation and U.S. National Security. The event will convene policymakers and conservation experts for a comprehensive discussion on how the U.S. can lead conservation efforts at home and abroad.  Speakers include Philippe Cousteau, House Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva and Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), among others.

Berkeley Lab to Look at Utility Scale Wins, Solar – The Berkeley Lab holds a webinar tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. E on comparative trends in utility-scale wind and solar markets in the United States. Berkeley’s annual utility-scale wind and solar data products—now in their 14^th and 8^th years, respectively—draw upon an unparalleled wealth of empirical project-level data to uncover key trends and developments in utility-scale wind and solar deployment, technology, cost, performance, PPA pricing, LCOE, and wholesale market value, before concluding with a look ahead. This webinar will bring together the most important trends and insights from each report and present them in a comparative fashion.

WaPo Talks Climate with Steyer – The Washington Post Live will hold a forum tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. to focus on climate change and the economy.  Thought leaders Tom Steyer and Mariana Mazzucato of the University College of London will discuss policies that are shaping long-term solutions and systemic challenges that will transform our global geopolitical landscape in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the years to come.

Event to Discuss Climate Health Impacts – The journal Health Affairs holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on the health effects of climate change. The December 2020 issue of Health Affairs is the first-ever focused exclusively on the intersection of climate and health and It covers topics including the health sector’s contribution to carbon emissions and other forms of pollution, how communities are affected by and adapting to the changing climate, and policies to protect against further damage. Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil hosts a panel of authors to discuss their contributions to the issue.

Green Bank Summit Set – The 2020 US Green Bank Summit will be held tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. At the second annual US Green Bank Summit, policymakers, market actors, green banks and others will discuss how the incoming Biden Administration and Congress can fund the Clean Energy Accelerator through stimulus to serve as a new national green bank, creating millions of jobs, supporting small businesses, strengthening struggling communities, and driving a just and equitable climate transition.

Senate Commerce Looks at Arctic Warming Strat with USCG – The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Security will hold a hearing tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. that will focus on about the agency's operations in the warming Arctic. The hearing will feature Coast Guard Vice Commandant Charles Ray, Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, Arctic Domain Awareness Center executive director Randy Kee and Stephanie Madsen, executive director of the At-Sea Processors Association.

Senate Enviro Hears from TVA Nom – The Senate Environment Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. on the nomination of Charles Cook to be a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors.

House Oversight Looks at Pipelines – The House Oversight and Reform Committee's Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at FERC’s natural gas pipeline siting issues.  The very fair title of the hearing is "Pipelines Over People: How FERC Tramples Landowner Rights in Natural Gas Projects."  Look for that one to be an objective assessment of the issue. 

Forum to Look at Sustainable Aviation Fuels – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., Future Fuels and European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) are hosting a Roundtable Discussion on sustainable aviation fuel and bring it to market.

UT Energy Institute to Look at Tradeoffs in Energy Transition – On Wednesday at 1:00 pm ET, UT-Austin Energy Institute Assistant Director Carey King and our friend Asher Price, reporter for the Austin-American Statesman and 2019 UT Energy Journalism Fellow, hosts an in-depth analysis about the future of energy infrastructure policy and the prospect for these new measures in the changing landscape of the federal government. Using the Energy Futures Dashboard, a new online interactive tool created by the Energy Institute, the conversation will consider the challenges and variables that could impact major supplies and demands of energy through the year 2050 across the US and what possible outcomes may result from infrastructure development around the country.

Forum to Look at SLCPs – WRI will hold a will hold a roundtable on short-lived climate pollutants on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. This event is designed to serve as an informal preparatory meeting of leaders to inform ambitious action and advocacy in the lead up to the Climate Action Summit on 12 December 2020 commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and as a stepping-stone toward COP26 in November 2021.

WM Hosts Sustainability Forum – Waste Management holds Part II of its sustainability forum on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. The event will discuss predictions for the next term and the importance of sustainable initiatives in restarting the economy and leading with purpose.

EESI to Look at 2020 Climate Progress – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a web event on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to assess progress towards climate mitigation and adaptation goals in the United States as we reach the last few weeks of 2020. The briefing will feature a presentation of two major reports, We Are Still In to Deliver America’s Pledge: A Retrospective and Delivering on America’s Pledge: Achieving Climate Progress in 2020. Together, the reports cover progress made by states, cities, and businesses to reduce emissions since 2017 and explore the implications of COVID-19 on reaching 2030 emission reduction goals. The presentation will be followed by a moderated discussion focused on what Congress can learn from the policies and on-the-ground projects that have driven emission reductions in recent years.  Our friends Lisa Jacobson is among the panel speakers.

WCEE Book Event Looks at Power Trip – On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) holds a book club event focused on Michael Weber’s “Power Trip: The Story of Energy.”

WRI Looks at Paris Agreement Issues – On Thursday at 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (two sessions), World Resources Institute and UNFCCC experts for a discussion about the climate action state of play, resources to guide NDC enhancement and a demonstration of Climate Watch’s tools to assist policymakers as they work to ramp up ambition, including Explore NDCs, Compare All Targets, LTS Explorer and more.

Forum to Look at Energy Transition in Europe – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., CSIS and the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU) holds a conversation about the prospects for Russia’s energy future amid a dramatic European energy transition as part of its Transatlantic Forum on Russia.  Speakers will include Anna Mikulska, Senior Fellow at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician and former Deputy Energy Minister, and Nikos Tsafos, Deputy Director of the CSIS Energy and Climate Change Program.

Third Way to Look at COVID Recovery, Climate – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., Third Way hosts a forum to look at potential policies for COVID recovery and climate action.  Moderated by our friend Amy Harder, a panel of experts will join a discussion about potential executive actions the administration can take to advance its recovery and climate agenda, as well as the legislative solutions that would have the best shot of passing what may remain a GOP-controlled Senate.

Brookings Forum Looks at Trans-Atlantic Cooperation – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., Thomas Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, will discuss a new era of Trans-Atlantic cooperation on global public goods with Louise van Schaik, head of the Clingendael Institute’s EU & Global Affairs Unit. Their conversation will be moderated by Constanze Stelzenmüller, senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings.

Forum Looks at Energy Storage – The Baker Energy Institute at Rice will host a forum on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on energy storage and its role in decarbonization. Rachel Meidl, Baker fellow in energy and environment, and Paul F. Browning, president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Power Americas, will discuss energy storage and green hydrogen’s role in meeting these bold commitments by 2050, as well as the steps that need to be taken between now and then to make this vision a reality.

NARUC Looks at COVID Impacts on Utility Reg – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners holds a webinar on Thursday at Noon focused on the intersection of COVID, the recession and race.  The event will look directly at their impact on utility regulation. American Association of Blacks in Energy CEO Paula Glover and Ameren Illinois President Richard Mark are among the speakers.

ELI to Host Discussion about Climate, Cities – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Thursday at Noon on cities and their fight against climate change.   A recent title from ELI Press, Remarkable Cities and the Fight Against Climate Change, arms local governments with a diversity of approaches to meet the climate change challenge, focusing on actions that are traditionally within local governments’ land use and development authority. The book stems out of the Sustainability Development Code (SDC) project, led by Prof. Jonathan Rosenbloom, author of the book. The SDC provides concrete ways for communities to amend development codes and adapt to new challenges as they occur, and it aims to help all local governments, regardless of size and budget, build more resilient, environmentally conscious, economically secure and socially equitable communities.

Moniz Headlines Reports on Carbon Removal Techs – On Thursday at 1:30 p.m., Ernest Moniz will kick off a conversation on CDR Frontiers, a new series of reports by Energy Futures Initiative on critical, yet understudied pathways for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). These understudied pathways include technologically-enhanced terrestrial CDR, oceans-based CDR, and carbon mineralization. CDR will be an indispensable part of addressing the climate crisis and achieving global net-zero emissions. CDR Frontiers identifies the opportunities, challenges, and research priorities needed to move these critical yet understudied CDR options from theory to reality. The virtual event will be held before an audience of policymakers, environmental activists, entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders in the CDR landscape.

RFF Looks at Cost-benefit of Enviro Rules – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a forum on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. featuring a panel of experts looking at benefit-cost analysis of environmental regulation.  It is the first of a three-part series on environmental economics for a new administration. The RFF Live event will open with comments from Richard Revesz and Michael Livermore, both law professors and author of a new book, Reviving Rationality: Saving Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Sake of the Environment and Our Health. They will then be joined by four additional experts in the field of regulatory analysis—and together, the group will engage in what promises to be a lively, candid, and forward-looking conversation.  Panelists include former OMB head Sally Katzen, RFF’a Alan Krupnik, Harvard Joe Aldy and Duke’s Jonathan Wiener. 

Aspen Forum Looks at Middle Class, Economic Costs of Addressing Climate – The Aspen Institute holds a discussion about the economics of the middle class and mitigating the economic cost of climate change on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Two pressing economic challenges facing the next administration are building a robust and prosperous middle class—especially after the COVID-19 pandemic—and mitigating the economic costs of climate change. This event coincides with the release of the Economic Strategy Group’s edited policy volume “Securing our Economic Future,” featuring nine chapters by leading experts on the economics of the middle class, geographic divergence and place-based economic development, and the global climate challenge.

SP Global Platts Energy Awards Announced – The S&P Global Platts 22^nd annual Global Energy Awards will be announced virtually on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. with Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander serving as celebrity guest host.  Valero, Southern, Cheniere, Baker Hughes, Sempra’s Jeff Martin Plug Power’s Andy Marsh and many more are among the finalists. 

Equinor Perspectives Report Details – On Friday at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program hosts a forum with Eirik Wærness, Equinor SVP and Chief Economist, for a presentation of Equinor's Energy Perspectives 2020.  This year marks the 10^th anniversary of Energy Perspectives. In that time, the annual report has assessed trends, economics, and policies affecting the future of global energy markets. The 2020 edition continues to look at the consequences of a slow energy transition, what happens when we prioritize economic growth over the environment, and what it would take to reach the well below 2°C Paris climate target.  It also includes analysis of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the dramatic changes in energy demand due to lockdowns worldwide.

Wheeler Sits with ConservAmerica – ConservAmerica holds a conversation with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Friday at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the state of America’s environment, the challenges posed by global issues like climate change, and the successes of the Trump administration. In addition, as this month is EPA’s 50^th anniversary, they will hear Administrator Wheeler's thoughts on the agency as it reaches a historic milestone.

Forum to Look at Environment, COVID Air Travel – POLITICO on Friday at 10:30 a.m. holds a deep-dive conversation on the future of air travel, climate change and sustainability post-COVID-19.  The virtual program will feature an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and comments from AIA’s David Hyde and Erin Cooke of San Francisco International Airport.

Forum to Look at Utilities, 5G – On Friday at 10:30 a.m., the US Energy Assn will hold a forum on the impact of 5G networks on electric utilities.  The briefing will be moderated by syndicated columnist and broadcaster Llewellyn King. Sheila Hollis, USEA Acting Executive Director, will give opening remarks.

IN THE FUTURE

Wilson Forum Looks at China, US Climate Issues – Next Monday at 9:00 a.m., the Wilson Center’s China Forum will hold an event to look at Paris and climate action in China and US.   Speakers Jake Schmidt and Alvin Lin (NRDC) will kick off this meeting with an interactive discussion of the trends and opportunities in the U.S. and China for low-carbon investments and policies that can stimulate their economies. Li Shuo (Greenpeace China) will take a deeper dive into the challenge China’s coal-fired power investments pose for its carbon neutrality pledge. Ilaria Mazzocco (Paulson Institute) will explore how China’s push for electric vehicles could help drive down greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Closing out the discussion, Carolyn Szum (LBNL) will highlight energy efficiency trends in China’s building sector and discuss how LBNL’s innovative open-source tool BETTER can help workers develop energy efficiency building retrofits and retro-commissioning projects in the United States, China, and beyond.

RFF Looks at Innovation Policy – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds an innovation policy conversation, “American Energy Innovation: The Federal Policy Landscape,” on Monday, December 14^th 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 on Monday December 14^th 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 Energy Tech Advances – Next Monday 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. 

Forum to Look at RNG – Next Tuesday December 15^th 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.

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 on December 15^th and 16^th 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.

Building Design Seminar Set – In this National Grid webinar on Tuesday December 15^th 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.

Forum to Look at International Negotiations Surrounding Climate – The Wilson Center is hosting a forum next Wednesday December 16^th 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.

Energy Innovation Conference Set for Houston – U.S. Energy Stream’s Energy Innovation Forum 2020 will be held on December 16 & 17^th 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. 

Groups Post DER report – The Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR) and Climatelinks hold a joint event on Thursday December 17^th 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 December 17^th 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.

ELI Forum Look at Biden, Climate – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Thursday December 27^th 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 – Next 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.