Energy Update: Week of February 1

Friends,               

We finally got some snow in DC and up the East Coast…and (even though it is kind of lame by my Michigan-native standards) it has shut down much of the government delaying Congressional action on votes for some cabinet folks. But that won’t last long, starting later today when President Biden will meet for the first time with 10 Republicans over COVID-relief issues where the budget process starts in earnest. The meeting follows pressure threats from Dems to “go it alone” which was seemingly undermined by VP Kamala Harris’ interview on local West Virginia TV aimed at pressuring Joe Manchin.  Of course that went over like a lead balloon in Manchin-land.  Game On…

It will be a busy week on the Hill for nominations with a vote in Senate Energy on Jennifer Granholm to be Energy Secretary on Wednesday.  Perhaps more interesting Wednesday afternoon, will be the nomination hearing for Michael Regan to head EPA.  Former IA Gov and Obama USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack heads back to Senate Ag tomorrow to answer questions about his nomination to head USDA again.  And we expect only cursory mentions of climate (or self-inflicted comments about climate and labor) at Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s Labor Secretary nom hearing on Thursday at Senate HELP.

Separately, after its vote on Granholm on Wednesday, Senate Energy will do a climate change hearing featuring IAE’s Fatih Birol, among others.  Other good events include a POLITICO forum on the future of American energy tomorrow; Wednesday events at the Electric Power Supply Assn on its 2021 energy agenda with Vistra CEO Curt Morgan, an ACORE Webinar on global competitiveness featuring my colleague Josh Zive and the BPC-hosted rollout of EIA's Annual Energy Outlook 2021; and finally, a Thursday BPC virtual “Fireside” chat with Senate powerbroker Joe Manchin.

For those of you following the Klamath Dam news in California, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) signed an agreement with RES to provide restoration services in connection with the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. The agreement between RES and KRRC finalizes habitat restoration, maintenance, and liability transfer responsibilities, opening the door to a successful restoration of native vegetation and anadromous fish habitat along the historical, pre-dam path of the Klamath River.  Also, the American Gas Association (AGA) launched the 2021 AGA Playbook, which outlines how the natural gas industry is innovating on reliability, cost and the environment. 

Speaking of books, just one important calendar note, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and Bloomberg NEF will release their 2021 Energy Factbook on February 17^th, always important event – especially this year with the Biden folks pushing hard on clean energy issues.

Waste Management launches its USGA Phoenix Open week with its annual Sustainability Forum on Wednesday and Thursday to share insights, exchange ideas and create innovative strategies for sustainability.  Great CEO speakers and some great golf too…including the famed stadium 16^th hole.  And while it just doesn’t seem as hyped this year as usual, Super Bowl LV launches Sunday with the Tom Brady-led Bucs hosting (right, you heard that) the defending champ Kansas City Chiefs.   Not making predictions but it is awful hard to go against the Chiefs even with Tom Brady on the other side.  Hope you enjoy and remember to stay safe & healthy and get those vaccine shots if you can!

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“GM’s announcement makes it clear that the company sees consumer preference for electric vehicles as inevitable, and they are sending a strong message to their shareholders, institutional investors, competitors, consumers, and the government, that subsidies and mandates for electric vehicles and bans on competing products like gasoline-powered vehicles are unnecessary, unwelcome, and counterproductive to their efforts.”

American Energy Alliance president Tom Pyle responding to yesterday's announcement by GM, the nation's largest automobile manufacturer, that it aspired to convert all of its light-duty vehicle sales to come from electric vehicles by 2035.

ON THE PODCAST

Bracewell Energy Podcast Looks at Clean Energy Transition – Bracewell’s Lobby Shop podcast has a two-part podcast on Clean Energy Transitions. In this series, PRG practitioners will be joined by friends from government and industry to share what to expect and how to plan for a clean energy future.

Part 1 of this series is here to set the stage and provide a concept of the key players in clean energy transition, fill in relevant context from clean energy history, and explore how the various policy processes in play work. This episode’s expert panel is hosted by Dee Martin, Co-Head of the Policy Resolution Group, and features:

• Collin O'Mara, National Wildlife Federation CEO, member of Biden Transition Team
• Scott Segal, Co-Head of the Policy Resolution Group
• Eric Washburn, President of Windward Strategies

Part 2 of this series is here to explore the history of new energy funding, the Biden administration's ambitions for this endeavor, and how energy tax credits come into play.  This episode’s expert panel is hosted by Scott Segal, Co-Head of the Policy Resolution Group, and features:

• Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
• Martha Kammoun, Partner at Bracewell LLP with a robust practice in energy finance
• Tim Urban, Senior Principal at Bracewell's Policy Resolution Group with expertise in energy tax policy

Both of our Clean Energy Transition series is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Stitcher!

FUN OPINIONS

DetNews Op-Ed: US Needs Strategy to Develop, Protect EV Supply Chain – In an opinion piece in the Detroit News, SAFE President Robbie Diamond argues that after struggling through last year’s economic downturn brought on by COVID-19, hopes for a strong auto industry recovery in early 2021 are under serious threat: A worldwide shortage of semiconductors for crucial computer chips has created a devastating bottleneck. 

WY Public School Superintendent Raise Concerns over Oil, Gas Revenue – In an opinion piece in the Casper Star-Tribune, the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State of Wyoming Jillian Balow writes that “unfortunately — and with the stroke of a pen — President Biden dealt a brutal blow to the American West and our efforts to recover” from the COVID economic slowdown. “His decision to place a moratorium on oil and gas leasing on federal lands could not have come at a worse time. This unilateral decision has devastating impacts on the entire U.S. economy and western prosperity.

FROG BLOG

CROOKS: Biden’s Climate Plans Aim at Job Creation – Former FT Energy Editor Ed Crooks, now at WoodMac Consulting, writes in an opinion piece that President Biden wants to support renewables and EVs, while having little immediate impact on oil and gas. But while the president’s rhetoric talked up the dangers of global warming, describing it as “an existential threat”, he also made clear that his objective was not simply cutting US emissions. Biden’s summary of the wide-ranging executive order on climate action that he signed on Wednesday was: “It’s about jobs; good-paying union jobs”. Both politics and the law put restraints on what the administration can do. Its review of leasing and permitting leaves open the risk that it could come back with a ban on drilling permits, or demands for increased royalties, but both those moves would face legal obstacles. And banning development on existing leases could be prohibitively expensive under the US Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, which prevents private property being “taken for public use, without just compensation”.

IN THE NEWS

Group to Provide Restoration of Klamath – The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) signed an agreement with RES to provide restoration services in connection with the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. The agreement between RES and KRRC finalizes habitat restoration, maintenance, and liability transfer responsibilities, opening the door to a successful restoration of native vegetation and anadromous fish habitat along the historical, pre-dam path of the Klamath River.  RES design and management plans described in the agreement fulfill the stringent permitting criteria of regulatory agencies involved in the project, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), fisheries agencies in California and Oregon, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

What will RES Do for Kalmath River Region? – The primary goal of the dam removal is reopening access to more than 400 miles of historical anadromous fish habitat, including critical spawning areas. Achieving that goal includes reconnecting tributaries to the Klamath River, and the restoration contract covers the design, construction, and long-term management of 18,000 feet of high-priority tributaries. It also includes revegetation of 2,200 acres of new ground set to be exposed once reservoirs behind the dams are drawn down. The restoration plan minimizes temporary impacts on landowners, agriculture, and recreational users of the river while accelerating its return to the full ecological functioning of historical times.

VLO to Build TX First renewable Diesel Plant – Valero Energy Corp. has committed to building Texas' first renewable diesel plant in Port Arthur alongside project partner Darling Ingredients.  It has approved a 470 million-gallons-per-year plant to be built on the site of its Port Arthur Refinery. Renewable diesel is transportation fuel made from animal and plant byproducts like used cooking oil and animal fat. The product has experienced increasing demand over the past decade as places like Europe and California work to reduce vehicle-based emissions in their jurisdictions.  Renewable Diesel is becoming an important segment of Valero's business as it was its most profitable last year. Valero reported $638 million in operating income from its renewable diesel segment in 2020, while its refining and ethanol segments reported operating losses for 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on fuel demand. The company, in partnership with Darling Ingredients, already operates a renewable diesel plant in St. Charles, Louisiana, where it is expanding production.

WaPo Fact Checks Kerry Claim – The Washington Post did a quick Fact Check on comments about clean energy jobs by Climate Envoy John Kerry, (h/t IER).  Kerry said “Before COVID, the fastest-growing job in the United States of America was solar panel technician, and the second-fastest-growing job was wind turbine technician” on MSNBC on January 28.  The WaPo says this is clearly a favorite talking point of the former secretary of state, now tasked to spearhead President Biden’s efforts to build international support to mitigate climate change. “But this is also a great example of how some “facts” can be misleading when taken out of context...For the purposes of this fact check, we’re more interested in how many jobs are represented by those percentages. After all, at the White House, Kerry mentioned these statistics in the context of coal mining jobs — “The same people can do those jobs” — which before the pandemic amounted to about 50,000 jobs (and about 30,000 below surface). Could these solar and wind jobs match that number? In sum, no. Wind turbine jobs are projected to go up by 4,300, from 7,000 to 11,300 in 10 years. The solar installer jobs are projected to go up 6,100, from 12,000 to 18,100. That’s a total increase of just 10,400 jobs — leaving 20,000 coal workers still toiling in the mines...According to BLS, the median wage of coal miners in 2019 was about $59,000. The median wage for wind turbine technicians and solar installers was about $53,000 and $45,000, respectively."

AGA Releases Innovation Playbook – The American Gas Association (AGA) launched the 2021 AGA Playbook. The project outlines how the natural gas industry is innovating today to create a brighter future for Americans across the country, cultivating our workforce and exceeding customer expectations. “The 2021 AGA Playbook tells the story of an industry delivering the reliable energy that Americans need day-in and day-out, no matter the challenges facing our nation,” said Karen Harbert, AGA President and CEO. “We have a long history of working collaboratively and innovating to deliver the solutions needed in our nation—for customers, our economy and the environment. The AGA Playbook helps outline those stories and details the role natural gas will play in achieving a cleaner energy future.”

AGA invites customers, policymakers and anyone who is invested in our clean energy future to flip through the pages and learn more about the commitment of America’s natural gas utilities to affordability, the environment, innovation and safety. 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

POLITICO to Look at Energy Transition Policies – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., POLITICO hosts a virtual deep-dive conversation to explore policy proposals and practices that could be most effective in helping communities with economies that rely on fossil fuels navigate the energy transition. Rep Andy Levin is Keynoter and former MT PUC commissioner and NARUC chair Travis Kavulla speaks.

Senate Ag hosts Vilsack – The Senate Agriculture Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the nomination of Tom Vilsack to be Agriculture secretary.  Vilsack, a former Governor of Iowa, served eight years in the job during the Obama Administration.

Columbia to Look at Biomass Study – The Center on Global Energy Policy will host a panel of experts tomorrow at Noon via Zoom that will explore the technical potential for carbon removal and storage using biomass and discuss how these processes can be implemented in ways that promote food security, rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and other important values, and standards and policies that would help them achieve their full potential, drawing on this new roadmap. During this webinar, David Sandalow and Dr. Julio Friedmann, and several co-authors are discussing a new framework for addressing this topic and introducing a new term – biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS).  The event will present the roadmap, and leading experts will offer their thoughts.

Axios Chats Climate with Microsoft, Rockefeller Found – Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., Axios hosts a virtual event on corporate America’s climate impact following the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda. Axios Co-founder Mike Allen and Energy Reporter Ben Geman will host one-on-one conversations with Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa and Rajiv J. Shah, of the Rockefeller Foundation,

NAS Hosts Decarbonization Meeting – The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosts a public hearing webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on accelerating decarbonization of the US energy system. The event looks at a new report that outlines the key technological and socio-economic goals that must be achieved to put the United States on the path to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  During the webinar, discussion will look at critical near-term policies needed for the decarbonization effort, including ways to support communities that will be most impacted by the transition.

Brookings Looks at Climate, Market Regs – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the Center on Regulation and Market at Brookings holds an forum to host Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Mary Schapiro, vice chair of global public policy at Bloomberg L.P., former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and head of the Secretariat of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, for a discussion on climate change and financial market regulations. This event will shed light on ideas and trends in this increasingly important area.

WRI Looks at Argentina Climate, Energy Issues – The World Resources Institute holds a panel tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to discussing Argentina's latest climate developments, reflections on the importance of its NDC commitment within the broader climate ambition agenda, and a Q&A with our panel.  Speakers include Argentinian Ambassador to the United States Jorge Argüell, Argentine Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Juan Cabandié and a panel of experts.

USEA Looks at Australian Power Market – The US Energy Association, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development, is hosting a webinar tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. on Independent Market Monitors. This webinar will feature a presentation by Scott Johnston, director at the Australian Energy Regulator. He will discuss how market monitoring takes place within Australia’s electricity-market framework.  This webinar is part of a series on Independent market Monitors under our Energy Utility Partnership Program under USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI), aimed at presenting options for conducting and monitoring of electricity markets.

McCarthy, Glick, Congressional Leaders Headline Energy Storage Event – The Energy Storage Policy Forum is set Wednesday and Thursday.  Key speakers Include FERC Chair Rich Glick, ME Sen Susan Collins, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, PJM head Manu Asthana and many more. 

WM Sustainability Forum Continues – Waste Management launches its USGA Phoenix Open week with its annual Sustainability Forum on Wednesday and Thursday to share insights, exchange ideas and create innovative strategies for sustainability.  CEOs from Mars, Nestle, Microsoft, PepsiCo and WalMart are among the speakers along with WWF’s Tim Juliani.  And there is some great Golf too….

NRC Holds Safeguards Conference – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds the virtual 682^nd meeting of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards on Wednesday to Friday.

Senate Energy to Look at Climate – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. addressing global climate trends and progress in addressing climate change. Witnesses include International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol, former EIA head and RFF President Richard Newell, Angel Hsu of UNC- Chapel Hill, Manhattan Institute Sr. Fellow Mark Mills and UT Austin Bureau of Economic Geology director Scott Tinker.

EPSA to Talk 2021 Policy Agenda – The Electric Power Supply Assn will hold a press briefing on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to look at its 2021 energy agenda. Speakers will Include Vistra CEO Curt Morgan and EPSA CEO Todd Snitchly.

ACORE Webinar Target Competitiveness – The American Council on Renewable Energy holds a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., on strengthening global competitiveness in the new Administration.  My Colleague Josh Zive is featured on this panel along with SAFE’s Ladeene Freimuth and BNEF’s Ethan Zindler will present market report.  Remember, BloombergNEF launches its 2021 Factbook with BCSE in just two weeks. 

Energy Bar Looks at NatGas Issues – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the Energy Bar Association's Gas, Oil and Liquids Steering Committee presents a half-day program on Wednesday looking at the natgas regulatory landscape. The Natural Gas Act and the Interstate Commerce Act regulate pipelines in the U.S.; however, the statutes are not the same on matters related to permitting and siting, and federal policy is divergent with regard to rate and terms of service regulation. The half-day virtual program is intended to provide participants with an overview of the NGA and ICA differences from a statutory and practical perspective. It will also discuss FERC's revised policy on the mechanism used to establish the return on equity for jurisdictional pipelines, which was updated this summer. Furthermore, the program will include a presentation on LNG export facility development and siting from the government's perspective.

WaPo to Host UN Official – The Washington Post hosts a conversation with UN Secretary General António Guterres on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.  Amidst a raging pandemic and economic crisis, Guterres will discuss vaccine rollout across the globe, fighting climate change and the importance of international coordination.

Senate Environment to Host EPA Nom Regan – The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on the nomination of Michael Regan to be the EPA administrator.

BPC Hosts EIA Energy Outlook – The Bipartisan Policy Center will host a webinar on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. that will feature the release of the 2021 EIA Annual Energy Outlook. The event will feature a presentation by EIA Deputy Administrator Stephen Nalley and EIA Assistant Administrator for Energy Analysis Angelina LaRose, followed by a Q&A discussion with a panel of EIA experts.  AEO Outlook provides modeled projections of domestic energy markets through 2050, including cases with different assumptions about macroeconomic growth, world oil prices, and technological progress.

ABA Looks at Enviro Justice – The American Bar Association holds a webinar on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., looking at when race and environment collide.  The forum will focus on environmental justice issues. Panelists will address the ongoing water crisis in Flint, MI, tribal environmental issues including the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Trump Administration's 2020 waiver of environmental and cultural laws for the southern border wall and the intersectionality of environmental justice and COVID-19 in among people of color.

WRI Looks at Recycling – WRI holds a forum on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. looking at how to create a circular economy where waste and pollution are designed out, products and materials are kept in use, and natural systems are regenerated – leading to a more resilient economy.  This webinar will bring together leaders from business, government and civil society to launch the Circular Economy Action Agenda. Developed collectively by more than 200 experts from 100 organizations, the Action Agenda is a rallying call to accelerate the transition to a circular economy – and to a better future for people and nature. The five reports focus on plastics, textiles, electronics, food, and capital equipment.

Walsh Hearing Set for Senate HELP – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing will be held on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on the nomination of Marty Walsh to serve as Secretary of Labor.

BPC to Host Climate Chat with Manchin – The Bipartisan Policy Center hosts a virtual “Fireside Chat” with Sen. Joe Manchin on Thursday at Noon to discuss meeting the climate challenge in a divided Congress. No member of Congress is more central to this process than the incoming Senate Energy Committee Chairman. The event features conversation on the opportunities to promote clean energy and address climate change in the 117th Congress.

Columbia to Host UCSB’s Stokes – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) will host activist/academic Dr. Leah Stokes University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for a fireside chat moderated by Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs Vice Dean Scott Barrett and Columbia Business School professor. Leah will cover the role that utilities have played in promoting climate denial and rolling back clean energy laws. It will also discuss the federal agenda for climate action in 2021, and how the new Biden-Harris administration can move forward to cut carbon emissions while also battling the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing income inequality and racial injustice.

NARUC Winter Conference Set – The National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners will hold its Winter Policy Summit virtually on Thursday and Friday, as well as next week on the 8-11^th.  The event includes panels on Hydrogen, LNG, DERC order 2222, Grid resilience, COVID impacts on utilities, EVs/grid and natgas decarbonization.  Among the speakers will be NW Natural’s David Anderson, NGSA head Dena Wiggins, NRC Commissioner David Wright, API’s Riley Smith and Laura Nelson of the Green Hydrogen Coalition.

ALA, AU Host Biden Climate Discussion – The American Lung Association and American University's Centers for Environmental Policy and Environmental Filmmaking host a conversation on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. about opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration to advance climate action and the promise of the Clean Air Act - healthy air for all communities. This virtual panel features the perspectives of an environmental justice leader, a state air regulator, a legal expert and a utility industry official.  Our friend Kelsey Brugger of E&E moderates.

GW to Host Discussion of Politics, Journalism – George Washington University’s School of Media & Public Affairs (SMPA) community continues to be a protagonist in media and public affairs. Alumni, faculty, and National Council members work in and report from the White House and Congress, work in advocacy and strategic communication organizations to influence public opinion and policy, and conduct research on fundamental issues affecting the health of information and democracy.  To that end, SMPA lead by SMPA professor Peter Loge, will host a conversation on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. about where politics and journalism are headed.  I will join the panel with my friends/GW Colleagues Dante Chinni of the WSJ (fellow Warren, MI native) and Rebekah Tromble, SMPA’s Director of the Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics (IDDP).

CA Water Issues on Web Event – On Friday at 3:00 p.m., the Pacific Institute holds a forum where Steven Greenhut, author of the recent PRI book Winning the Water Wars, will moderate a panel of water experts and policymakers who will preview the course the Biden Administration will likely chart on California water policy.  They will also highlight potential landmines in the water debate in the months ahead and discuss how free-market ideas like water markets could secure the state’s water future.

IN THE FUTURE

NARUC Winter Conference Continues – The National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners will continues its Winter Policy Summit virtually next Monday to Thursday.  The event includes panels on Hydrogen, LNG, DERC order 2222, Grid resilience, COVID impacts on utilities, EVs/grid and natgas decarbonization.  Among the speakers will be NW Natural’s David Anderson, NGSA head Dena Wiggins, NRC Commissioner David Wright, API’s Riley Smith and Laura Nelson of the Green Hydrogen Coalition.

AAAS Holds Comms Workshop – On Wednesday February 10^th at Noon, AAAS holds a climate communication workshop at the AAAS Annual Meeting. Talking about climate change is considered one of the best ways individuals and communities can contribute to solutions, yet a majority of Americans rarely or never discuss it. In this workshop, we will introduce a “conversation guide” scientists can use to engage their communities in discussions. They will offer best practices and other resources for communicating and sustaining dialogue and action on climate change, and participants will start developing their own plans for having local-level conversations about climate change. They will also share multimedia resources highlighting how communities are collaborating with scientists on climate change responses

RFF to Look at Social Cost of Carbon – Over the past four years, the Social Cost of Carbon Initiative at Resources for the Future (RFF) has been a key hub for SCC scholarship to implement the NAS recommendations. RFF will host a virtual event on Wednesday, February 10^th at 1:00 p.m., as we highlight the latest SCC-related research from RFF scholars and the Climate Impact Lab. The conversation will also feature perspectives from decisionmakers using the SCC to inform policy and highlight key considerations for the Biden administration’s near-term and final updates of the estimates.

Energy Economists Hold Annual Dinner – On Wednesday February 10^th, the National Capital Area Chapter of the US Assn of Energy Economists (USAEE) holds its annual Awards Dinner on Zoom with special guest, Mark Mills of the Manhattan Institute.  Mills will speak on Global Demand for Critical Minerals - Key to "Energy Transition." Is a wholesale transition to what has been described as a “new energy economy” taking place? Is it inevitable? And what are the consequences of “energy transition” policies and subsidies on the global demand for critical energy minerals?  Peri Cankardes Ulrey will be the recipient of the 3^rd Mark Lively Award for dedicated support and outstanding service to NCAC-USAEE. Peri served as the 2012-2013 President of NCAC-USAEE and Council Member during 2005-2014 and has been a member since 2003.

Andrés Headline s GW Sustainability Summit – The GW Sustainability Summit will be held on Thursday afternoon, February 11^th.  The event brings together GW students, faculty, alumni, and staff with community leaders, policy experts, change makers, thought leaders, and advocates in the Washington, D.C. area. The event will celebrate the role of the university in addressing sustainability in our nation's capital and beyond, and explore innovative solutions that will further motivate and inspire participants to take action. Featured speakers include Professor and Chef José Andrés, environmental activist Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, and others.

Web Event to Look at Heat Pump Hot Water Heaters – On Thursday, February 11^th at 1:00 p.m., the New Buildings Institute holds a webinar on Heat Pump Water Heaters (HPWHs) and the Advanced Water Heating Initiative. In this webinar, NBI and initiative partners will provide an introduction to the initiative, followed by a moderated panel session on the work being done to build market demand and advance HPWH technology in both residential and commercial applications. The session will also include a policy and programs landscape overview, incentive program examples from across the county, and a look at the future of the initiative, including plans for field studies.

FERC’s Clements Headlines WRISE Forum – Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) announced a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers for the upcoming Leadership Forum taking place virtually on February 15-18.  The 2021 WRISE Leadership Forum Keynote Speakers are FERC Commissioner Allison Clements, Nwamaka Agbo and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Founder of Urban Ocean Lab. The WRISE Leadership Forum is a unique experience, combining professional development with tools to advance renewable energy. Renewable professionals from across the country will connect virtually to discuss current renewable energy trends and policy issues; and gain valuable tools to enhance their careers, companies and organizations.

Yergin to Headline National Ethanol Conference – Daniel Yergin, a best-selling author and highly-respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics will Keynote the annual National Ethanol Conference on February 16-18^th. 

BCSE, BNEF to Release 2021 FactBook – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) and BloombergNEF (BNEF) will hold an embargoed press briefing on February 16^th at 11:00 a.m. to release the findings of the 9^th annual edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. The 2021 Factbook will be released to the public on February 17. Each year, the Factbook provides comprehensive information and analysis on major sustainable energy facts and trends from the previous year. The Factbook includes energy statistics on market growth and contraction, and analysis of trends in the energy efficiency, natural gas, renewable energy and other clean energy segments. The 2021 Factbook will look back on year-on-year dynamics, including how COVID-19 business conditions impacted U.S. energy markets and the overall energy transition. The press event will cover several core benchmarks – deployment, technology innovation, policy, emissions, and jobs.

Green Hydrogen Coalition Webinars Launched – The Green Hydrogen Coalition will debut its 2021 webinar series on February 17 from 1:00 p.m.  The event will discuss why now is the time for green hydrogen market development in the US and what policies are needed to support green hydrogen project development at scale. We will feature presentations on exciting US project initiatives and have an engaging discussion with green hydrogen champions on how they are crafting their green hydrogen strategies. Speakers include Dominion’s Andrew Hegewald, GHC’s Laura Nelson and more industry leaders to be announced.

Sommers, Sens, Reps to Speak at Oil, Gas Conference – Energy Stream is hosting the 3^rd Houston Oil & Gas Forum 2021 in person on February 17 & 18^th at the Petroleum Club of Houston, Texas. The Forum is an annual market intelligence platform that brings together powerful U.S. Congressmen, Senators, government leaders, C-level energy executives, and investors.  The latest add to the agenda is API head Mike Sommers.  Other speakers will include Sen Ted Cruz and TX Reps. Lizzie Fletcher, Kevin Brady, Brian Babin and Lance Gooden, as well as Rep Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota. TX Railroad Commission Chair Wayne Christian and DOE officials are also expected to speak.