Energy Update: Week of February 10

Friends,

Happy Valentine’s Week.  Hope you have your plans set for Friday or the weekend…  I don’t know about you, but I was pretty bored with the Oscars last night. There just wasn’t really much happening there.  I think they may need Billy Crystal back.  Anyway, once again, big winners were Parasite, the acclaimed South Korean dark comedy that became the first non-English film to win best picture. It also won best international film, best original screenplay and best director. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Brad Pitt won best supporting, Joaquin Phoenix won best actor for Joker, Renee Zellweger took best actress for the Judy Garland biopic Judy and Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for Netflix's divorce saga Marriage Story.

Today, we see the President’s budget.  We are happy to comment should you need background or thoughts, but remember, usually Presidential budgets, no matter Republican or Democrat, arrive in Congress DOA.  Likely, things will be similar to the past, with two important exceptions we’ve noticed: 1) the proposal is expected to call for $1 trillion for infrastructure over 10 years and 2) given it is an election and Nevada is in play, an omission of funding to license the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.  Sure sounds Like an election year…

Despite voting in New Hampshire primary tomorrow (which we will again feature our PRG Pulse 2020), the White House Council on Environmental Quality also holds its Denver field hearing on proposed updates to NEPA.  Because of that, later today US Chamber will be joined by other national and Colorado business leaders at a press briefing at (3:00 E/1:00 M) to discuss why NEPA modernization is essential to reduce delays of critical infrastructure.

The big event in Washington this week is the release of BloombergNEF and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy’s 2020 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday in the Bloomberg offices (free snacks!!!). The 2020 version of the Factbook provides a ten-year retrospective of the Sustainable Energy Decade that exceeded all expectations for growth and impact. 

Senate Energy Chair Lisa Murkowski said she will be rolling out a package of clean energy bills that have already cleared the Committee as soon as this week.  As well, the Senate Energy Committee will move the nomination of Katharine MacGregor to be deputy Interior Secretary.  In the House Tomorrow, House Energy & Commerce consumer panel reviews autonomous vehicle legislation, while Resources will hold a markup Wednesday and E&C’s Energy panel looks at legislation to improve energy efficiency and storage.

NARUC Winter meetings feature a big group of experts today through Wednesday, while Wednesday new BP CEO Bernard Looney discusses his vision for BP in a webinar. 

Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are just around the corner as evidenced by the first King Cake showing up at our office late last week.  But first, pitchers and catchers report Wednesday and Thursday in both Florida and Arizona locations for MLB Spring Training, including West Palm where the World Series Champion Washington NATIONALS launch.  That’s all for today, call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Natural gas provides 100% of our heat source throughout our kitchens and is a consistent, reliable and more controllable source for our culinary needs. It is by far the preferred method in restaurants and by my kitchen staff. While electric alternatives do exist for some of our equipment, in order to get the level of control that natural gas provides, we must look at induction technology, which is far more expensive. With many other cost drivers such as minimum wage and higher food costs squeezing restaurants from all directions, removing natural gas would compound all of the problems.”

Ric Serrano, president and CEO of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants, whose family owns and operates five restaurants with 200 employees.

ON THE PODCAST

AEA Hosts EPA’s Wheeler on Podcast – The Institute for Energy Research (IER) hosted EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on an episode of its podcast Plugged In. Given all the activity at EPA, I thought you may find his updates and discussion of interest, which include prioritizing certainty and efficiency at the EPA, changes to NEPA/WOTUS, environmental progress + trends in air quality since 1970 and EPA's 50^th anniversary.

Political Climate Podcast Discusses Republicans, Climate, Iowa – On this week’s Political Climate podcast, hosts get a dispatch from the Iowa caucuses and discuss competing climate plans from House Democrats and Republicans. Is there common ground on innovation? Democratic co-host Brandon Hurlbut shares a firsthand account of the caucus reporting glitch and top voter issues in the first state to hold a presidential nominating contest. We look at where climate ranked.  Meanwhile in D.C., House Democrats have unveiled draft legislation and a policy roadmap to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and House Republicans are floating their own climate plan that focuses on planting trees, removing plastic pollution and funding clean-energy innovation.

FUN OPINIONS

State Dept Expert Says We Need a Better Way on COP Meetings – A new op-ed in Real Clear Energy by former State Department negotiator Paul Saunders says while everyone agrees that the COP 25 in Madrid was a failure, but few seem to understand why it failed or what the potential path to success might be.  Saunders adds publicly shaming America and other nations is counterproductive; instead, more effort should be made to accelerate voluntary international cooperation. This was the animating spirit of the Paris Accord and, indeed, the entire post-Kyoto Protocol history of climate diplomacy. “The opportunity for action lies in cooperative efforts to reduce the friction in global systems for energy technology research and development, trade, and investment. This means taking steps to accelerate low and zero emissions energy research, including intensifying international research collaboration and protecting intellectual property rights, facilitating investment, expanding trade and harmonizing standards that speed up construction of new energy projects.”

FROG BLOG

FORBES: Wash State Intends to be Clean Energy State, Nuclear is Key – A new study of energy needs in the Pacific Northwest concluded that more diverse, low-carbon electricity sources are needed to maintain energy reliability and achieve a carbon-free system by 2045. And some of that has to be nuclear according to a blog from our friend Jim Conca in FORBES. It helps that they already have the lowest carbon footprint of any state in the Union because of 86% hydro, nuclear and wind as electricity generation and the last coal plant is retiring in 2025.

IN THE NEWS

Restaurants, Businesses Line Up Behind Bill to Preserve Access to Natural Gas – Companion bills, which could be passed as soon as this week by the Arizona legislature, to safeguard businesses’ and homeowners’ access to natural gas are receiving strong support from Arizona’s restaurant industry, business community, manufacturers, and organizations that assist low-income residents.  The bills to prevent communities from banning the use of gas in housing and commercial development projects.  Supporters say the bill will protect business owners’ and homeowners’ ability to determine what mix of energy sources work best for them.  In the restaurant industry, gas is a critical, said Ric Serrano, president and CEO of Serrano’s Mexican Restaurants, whose family opened a clothing store in Chandler more than a century ago and later began opening its popular restaurants in the southeast Valley. Today, it owns and operates five restaurants with 200 employees.  A ban on natural gas would also be extremely costly for restaurants that often operate on slim profit margins, he said.

AZ Survey Finds Customers Overwhelmingly Want Natural Gas – The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Greater Phoenix Chamber are sharing key findings of a recent customer survey highlighting that 92% of respondents statewide prefer having the choice of using natural gas in their home. The poll, which was conducted by OH Predictive Insights from November 15 to December 23, 2019 using a sample size of over 1,000 natural gas customers in Arizona with a margin of error of 1.94%, also found that 82% of respondents were strongly opposed to natural gas being eliminated from their homes. In addition, 74% of respondents were largely unaware of policies to remove the option of natural gas as an in-home energy source. In response to energy policies from around the country that aim to limit access to natural gas, a diverse coalition of organizations has formed to support SB 1222 and HB 2686. The legislation sponsored by Senate President Karen Fann, Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers, and other members from both parties, is designed to protect balanced energy solutions in Arizona for consumers and businesses.

Gramlich to Head Grid Group – Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG), a diverse coalition of interests focused on the need to expand, integrate, and modernize the North American high-voltage grid, has named Rob Gramlich, an ACEG Director and Founder and President of Grid Strategies as new Executive Director.  John Jimison is retiring.  Prior to founding his own consulting firm, Gramlich oversaw transmission policy for the American Wind Energy Association from 2005 through 2016 as Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs, Interim CEO, and Policy Director. Additionally, he was Economic Advisor to FERC Chairman Pat Wood III from 2001 to 2005, Senior Economist at PJM Interconnection in 1999 and 2000, Senior Associate at PG&E National Energy Group in 2000-2001, and an analyst at the FERC Office of Economic Policy, ICF Resources, the World Resources Institute, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the 1990s. Gramlich will lead ACEG’s growing coalition in coordination with the Board of Directors and David Gardiner and Associates, the group’s advisors and management consultants. Gramlich will also continue to serve as President of Grid Strategies LLC and support other clients.

Cobalt Storage Company Partners with Oak Ridge – A startup company working on a new energy storage technology has licensed five new battery technologies in collaboration with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. SPARKZ Inc’s technology is focused on eliminating cobalt from batteries, the research team has developed the technology with the goal of increasing efficiency in batteries for electric vehicles. The team is currently looking to scale their technology and will select a location for a prototyping facility in the coming months. SPARKZ Inc., highlights the experts and capabilities at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) as key to their success. ORNL continues to help forge a path forward with non-cobalt technologies. Cobalt has significant supply-chain challenges and going beyond batteries for energy storage will help provide solutions.

NHTSA Grants AV Exemption – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Thursday announced it granted autonomous vehicle (AV) company Nuro with a temporary exemption from certain federal requirements on low-speed driverless vehicles.  The exemption applies to Nuro's R2, a zero-occupant, low-speed delivery vehicle designed to carry consumer products such as groceries, packages and restaurant orders. Nuro is the first company to be granted such an exemption, marking "a milestone for the industry," Nuro Co-founder Dave Ferguson wrote in a blog post.  Ferguson said R2 will begin public road testing in Houston in the coming weeks. Nuro will be permitted to deploy 5,000 R2 vehicles during the two-year exemption.  Of course, SAFE has some great experts on the topic if you are looking for resources.

 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

National Ethanol Conference ready for Houston – The National Ethanol Conference is set for today to Wednesday in Houston at the Marriott Marquis.  The forum focuses on marketing, legislative and regulatory issues facing the ethanol industry.  Our friend Bob McNally and former President George W. Bush will speak.

NARUC Holds Winter Meetings – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners holds its 2020 Winter Policy Summit today through Wednesday at the Renaissance Hotel.    Lots of great speakers including Sen. Roger Wicker, FERC chair Neil Chatterjee and Commissioner Bernard McNamee, AGA head Karen Harbert, NRECA head Jim Matheson, NERC CEO Jim Robb, our friend Christy Tezak, NRG’s Travis Kavulla, American’s Power head Michelle Bloodworth, Andy Carrassco of SoCal Gas, CSIS’s Sarah Ladislaw and many more.

Forum to Address Energy Investing – The Washington D.C. Sub-chapter of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators holds its first event in its four-part Power Breakfast Series tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. addressing responsible investment in energy. Speakers include Sarah Teslik of Joele Frank and BloombergNEF’s Lee Ballin.  

NEPA Public Hearing Set for Denver – The White House Council on Environmental Quality hold Denver field hearing on proposed updates to the National Environmental Policy Act.  The White House is holding two public hearings on the proposed rule—in Denver on Tuesday, February 11th and in Washington, D.C. on February 25th.  More information is available here.  Today at 3:00 p.m. E/1:00 p.m. Denver time, national and Colorado business leaders will hold a press briefing to discuss why NEPA modernization is essential to reduce delays of critical infrastructure.  Led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Unlock American Investment Coalition is made up of over 40 organizations from across the economy who support NEPA updates.

RFF Event to Look at Forests – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds an in-depth conversation tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. looking at the important role forests can play in climate change mitigation. This RFF Live event will begin with a short background presentation on forest management and the wide range of forest products, followed by a moderated panel discussion with representatives from the forest industry, the energy sector, and experts in forest science and policy.

House Energy Committee Hearing Tackles Autonomous Vehicles – The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection and Commerce panel will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on autonomous vehicle promises and challenges.   Witnesses will include Cathy Chase of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Alliance for Automotive Innovation head John Bozzella, Daniel Hinkle of the American Association for Justice, Mark Riccobono of the National Federation of the Blind, Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro and Jeff Tumlin, director of transportation at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.  Our friends at SAFE will have comments on the hearing and continue to work on these Issues aggressively. 

House Environment Panel to Look at EPA Lead, Copper Rules – House Energy and Commerce’s environmental panel holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the EPA’s lead and copper proposal.

Forum to Look at CCS, San Juan Gen Station – The United States Energy Association holds a discussion tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. to look at the social and economic impacts of the San Juan CCUS Project.  Many small towns in the western United States depend on coal mining and the production of coal fueled electricity for employment and tax revenue to sustain the provision of municipal services, including education. Mayor Nathan Duckett will discuss the importance of the coal economy to Farmington, New Mexico and how Enchant Energy’s proposed Carbon Capture Project at the San Juan Generation Station is a model for how to maintain the local coal economy in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Senate Energy Hosts Interior Nominees –The Senate Energy Committee will hold a business meeting tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. to consider the nominations of Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Lanny Erdos to be Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement at the Department of the Interior.

Forum Looks at French Economic, Climate Challenges – The Arizona State University Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes in D.C. holds a discussion Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on lessons from the Yellow Vests, grand debate and assembly on climate in France.  The forum will look closely at the French government's response to protests sparked by "rising diesel prices and a proposed gasoline tax to meet the country's commitment to the Paris Agreement. 

Forum Looks at National Security, Climate – Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., the  American Security Project holds a discussion on the threat of climate change to national security, legislative efforts to address the threat and what solutions are needed going forward. Lieutenant General Norm Seip, USAF (Ret) and Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia will speak.

Reps. Casten, Reed; FERC’s Glick to Address Energy Storage Forum – The U.S. Energy Storage Association is hosting its annual Policy Forum on Wednesday at the National Press Club. This year’s speakers include Reps. Tom Reed and Sean Casten, FERC Commissioner Rich Glick, key energy chairs and commissioners of six states and decisionmakers with six Independent System Operators.  Issues on the agenda include how are states and regions moving ahead on energy storage decisions while awaiting important decisions in Washington on incentives and federal, Federal tax credits, FERC treatment of distributed resources in wholesale markets. 

New BP CEO to Discuss Vision for Oil Giant – BP’s new CEO Bernard Looney will be featured in a webcast Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. to lay out his vision for BP and our new corporate purpose and ambition.   Here is more on Bernard’s background and a bit of a look ahead.  The link to register for the webcast is here or below.

House Energy to Look at EE, Storage Legislation – The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. to look at legislation aimed at Improving energy efficiency and storage.

Forum Looks at Energy Storage – The Essential Energy Everyday and Battery Council International will host their second annual energy briefing on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in 208 SVC. The discussion will review latest lead battery research and highlight the essentially of energy storage in nearly every aspect of our lives, including electrification and climate change mitigation. Panel experts will discuss a host of issues: performance research, transportation and renewable energy, GHG emissions, data centers, grid resilience, safety standards, circularity and more.

Report Looks at Climate, Diet – Earth Day Network (EDN) and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) are hosting a panel discussion at the National Press Club Thursday morning to release a new research report on Climate Change and the American Diet.  The report focuses on American perceptions and attitudes about plant-based diets and the impact food choices have on climate change. EDN commissioned the study as part of Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary this spring. Co-led by Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D., Director of YPCCC, and Jillian Semaan, Director of Food and Environment at EDN, the panel will also address carbon footprint reduction through diet change, food and beverage choices’ impact on the environment, and barriers consumers face when seeking healthier, climate-friendly food.

Sustainable Energy Factbook Forum Set – BloombergNEF and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) will be releasing the 2020 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook in Washington, DC on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.  In its eighth year, the Factbook provides new industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy, with an in-depth look at the energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy sectors as well as emerging areas such as digitalization, micro-grids, offshore wind, hydrogen and renewable natural gas.

GW Event to look at Climate, Japan – The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs holds a discussion Thursday at Noon on principles for managing climate fragility in development.  The forum will focus on Japan. This event will focus on Dr. Mikio Ishiwatari's research on the increasing impacts of climate change on natural and human systems in terms of climate fragility risks (CFRs), and the lessons learned from case studies in Asia.

WPI Expert Look at CO2 Air Capture – On Thursday at Noon in Philly, the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Energy Policy Center holds a discussion on the case for removing carbon dioxide from the air.  The forum will feature WPI’s Jennifer Wilcox, who is a Kleinman Center Visiting Scholar.

Forum to Look at Coastal Resilience – EESI holds a briefing on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. looking at the actions being taken to manage increasing temperatures, flooding, and other coastal hazards impacting communities and ecosystems in the Great Lakes region. This briefing will showcase nature-based solutions for climate adaptation in rural and urban settings, and show how cutting-edge technology and traditional practices can be used to create resilient communities.  The panelists will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, and local stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation and help communities define and achieve their resilience goals. These projects can serve as a model for other regions experiencing similar issues.

Regional Offshore Wind Forum Set for Boston – The Environmental Business Council of New England holds its 7^th Annual Offshore Wind Conference in Boston.  Speakers include BOEM’s Michelle Morin, Equinor’s Scott Lundin and AWEA’s Laura Morton Smith. 

Forum Tackles Challenges, to US-Korea Energy Issues – The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs holds a discussion on Friday at 2:00 p.m. looking at energy cooperation between Korea and the U.S.

IN THE FUTURE

JHU to Host Climate Disruptor Discussion – JHU hosts a forum on Tuesday February 18^th at 12:30 p.m. that will examine the complex interactions between food systems, diets, and the environment, and their impact on climate disruption. During the talk, Jessica Fanzo will discuss the challenges facing the food system as a result of environmental degradation and climate change and the state of current diets and their effects on human health outcomes.

DOE to Host Waste Forum – On Wednesday February 19^th and Thursday February 20^th in Crystal City, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will host a workshop in Arlington, VA. In recent years, BETO has expanded its portfolio beyond traditional biomass feedstocks to include using waste resources, such as municipal solid waste (MSW), biosolids from municipal wastewater, and industrial waste gases.

Women In Energy Lunch Set – The Women in Energy will hold an event on Wednesday February 19^th featuring a lunch presentation on current policy issues in the sustainable energy sector featuring experts from the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

WCEE Happy Hour – Wednesday, February 19^th at Agora.

CSIS to Host Storage, Battery Forum – The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, with input and support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and Chief Commercialization Officer, is launching its Energy Innovation Series on Thursday February 20^th at 8:30 a.m. Energy Innovation is a six-part discussion series focusing on specific categories of energy technology and aims to foster greater understanding of - and support for - the role of innovation in the energy system.  The series will investigate the innovation priorities of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Laboratory Complex against the broader ecosystem, both domestic and international, for advancing a portfolio of solutions.  DOE’s Paul Dabbar with speak.

Forum to Look at EU Green New Deal – On Thursday February 20^th, the Atlantic Council host a forum with Director General Juul-Jørgensen.  He will discuss the challenges and opportunities of enshrining the 2050 climate neutrality objective into law and how to ensure transatlantic cooperation throughout the process. In addition, Ambassador Morningstar and Director General Juul-Jørgensen will explore specific ways the US and the EU can work together in the areas of energy markets, new technologies, financing strategies, energy sector cyber security, supply chain security, and ways to tackle societal issues brought on by the energy transition.

Factbook Capitol Hill Lunch Set – Next Thursday February 20^th, the 8^th edition of the "Sustainable Energy in America Factbook," published in partnership by BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), provides updates on industry information and trends for the U.S. energy economy

Oil/Gas Forum Set for Houston – The 2^nd Houston Oil Forum 2020, organized by U.S. Energy Stream will be held on February 20 & 21, 2020 at the Petroleum Club of Houston, Texas. George Yates, President/CEO of HEYCO Energy Group in Dallas will be the keynote speaker.

Forum to Look at Paris – On Thursday, February 20^th at 12:30 p.m., Georgetown’s Mortara Center for International Studies will host its Energy and Climate Policy Research Seminar with Rob Bradley, the Director of Knowledge and Learning for the NDC Partnership Support Unit. He oversees knowledge products for the Partnership and is responsible for cultivating a community of learning for the partners.

BPC to Look at Future of EPA – On February 24^th at 10:00 a.m., Bipartisan Policy Center will release a second report in its series which outlines potential options for consideration by policymakers in implementing a strategy that strengthens EPA’s existing culture for science, evidence, and data. BPC will launch of the paper and a discussion with former policymakers about their views on realistic next steps.  This report follows the first paper issued in November of last year.  Speaker will include former EPA Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg and Data Coalition Nick Hart CEO. 

2^nd NEPA Hearing Set in DC – The White House Council on Environmental Quality holds its DC public hearing on February 25th to take comment on proposed updates to the National Environmental Policy Act. More information is available here.

Powell, former DOE Official headline CCS Forum – The Global CCS Institute holds its 9^th annual DC Forum on March 3^rd The Forum features stakeholders from across the private sector, the government, and the NGO community to discuss how we supersize the next wave of carbon capture projects. Policy incentives in the United States, such as 45Q and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, are driving dozens of new projects across various sectors including power, industrials, and transportation fuels. Speakers will include former DOE official Julio Freedman (now at Columbia), ClearPath’s Rich Powell, DTE’s Mark Rigby and Louisiana State Energy Officer Jason Lanclos.

ACORE Policy Forum Set – The 2020 ACORE Policy Forum is set for March 4^th at Convene.  This year, the event will address the most important issues facing the renewable energy industry, such as the implications of the 2019 tax extenders agreement, the prominence of climate in the 2020 election and more. Panelists and keynote speakers will explore a variety of topics within four key themes, including the latest from Congress, Clean Energy Standards, Climate and Power Markets/Transmission.

Transmission Summit Set – The 23^rd annual Transmission Summit East will be held in Arlington, VA on March 4-6^th at the Key Bridge Marriott.  The event will bring together regulators, utilities, and transmission experts to explore new approaches to resiliency, technological investment and regional planning, and answer the key questions that will govern future transmission development.  PJM’s Craig Glazer, Georgia PSC Commissioner Tim Echols, MD PSC Commissioner Odogwu Obi Linton and a number of company and ISO speakers are on the agenda. 

Chamber to Host Aviation Summit – The U.S. Chamber will convene its annual Aviation Summit 2020 in Washington, DC at the Reagan Trade Center on March 5^th.  The event will focus on aviation safety and security, sustainability, and aircraft of tomorrow. 

RFF to Host EIA Forum – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a forum on Thursday, March 5^th for a discussion on EIA’s recently released 2020 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO). EIA researchers will kick off the event with short presentations on the design and outcomes of the scenarios they modeled. A second panel of experts will then contextualize the modeling results by reviewing broader trends in electricity markets and current policies. This RFF workshop will help to illuminate potential influences as the US electric power sector transitions over time.

CERA Week Set – The annual energy extravaganza CERAWeek 2020 will be held in Houston on March 9-13^th.  Keynote speakers will include DOE’s Dan Brouillette, Senate Energy Chair Lisa Murkowski, Senate Energy ranking member Joe Manchin, EPA’s Andrew Wheeler, IEA’s Fatih Birol and FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee.  Also speaking with be our friends Maryam Brown of SoCal Gas, AGA head Karen Harbert, API’s Mike Sommers and former Energy Sect Moniz, as well as CEOs from BP, Cheniere, Occidental, Shell, Duke Power, TOTAL, CP and Exelon among others.

Forum to Look at Coastal Resilience – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a briefing on initiatives that are helping protect Southeast ecosystems and communities from erosion, storms, and other coastal hazards. The briefing will showcase nature-based solutions that can protect human lives and property from extreme weather and flooding while creating habitat for wildlife and supporting various coastal industries. These techniques can also be paired with traditional “gray” infrastructure to meet a greater variety of planning needs. Panelists, including NOAA’s Heidi Stiller, will describe the collaborative process between federal, state, and local stakeholders in collecting, sharing, and acting on scientific data to inform policy decisions around adaptation, thereby helping communities define and achieve their resilience goals.

Solar Conference Set for SD – Infocast is holding its Solar + Storage Finance & Investment Summit on March 17^th at the Omni LaCosta Resort in San Diego.  The forum focuses on innovative deals, discuss structures and investment challenges, and assess the opportunities that come with implementation and integration.

Planet Forward Summit Set – GW’s SMPA holds Its 2020 Planet Forward Summit on April 2-3^rd at the Jack Morton Auditorium, where students and academics, as well as corporate leaders, scientists, journalists focus on how the best environmental change agents use storytelling to transform their audiences from passive listeners to engaged doers.