Energy Update: Week of February 17

Friends,

We love energy so here’s hoping it was a great Valentines/President’s Day for everyone. It is always nice to have an extra day to spend time with your loved ones. Speaking of President’s Day, the race for 2020 this fall is really heating up now that we have made it through Iowa and New Hampshire. Nevada (Saturday) and South Carolina (Feb 29) are next.  Tomorrow, NBC hosts a Democratic Candidate debate in Vegas and I’m sure it will have as much hype as any big fight at Caesars or MGM, especially since Michael Bloomberg will be on the stage for the first time even though he is NOT on the Nevada ballot.  One of the questioners on the NBC Panel will be our friend Jon Ralston, former LV Review-Journal political expert and now writer for Nevada Independent’s Ralston Report website.  He is the foremost expert on Nevada politics and will be featured on upcoming episodes of our Lobby Shop and 2020 PRG Pulse podcasts with Liam and Josh (most likely) on Friday.

Speaking of politics and Presidents, did you watch any of the Daytona 500?  No matter what you think of President Trump, it was pretty cool to see the Presidential Limo leading field around the track just prior to the race.  Denny Hamlin made history taking his second straight victory in an overtime photo finish over Ryan Blaney.  Unfortunately, a last lap crash muted most celebrations as race leader Ryan Newman flipped across the finish line, his Ford planted upside down on fire.  While Newman is in serious condition, doctors told NASCAR officials indicated his injuries are not life threatening.

Not much action in DC this week with Congress back in their districts, but there is a rumor swirling that former EPA adviser Mandy Gunasekara — who left the agency last February — may return as Administrator Andrew Wheeler's chief of staff.  Still digging, but we can probably help as this becomes clearer, so keep us in mind for background, comments and information.

Despite no Hill action, there are a couple good events around town. Tomorrow, the Women’s Energy Network hosts a lunch featuring our friends Lisa Jacobson at the Business Council Sustainable Energy.  This event follows last week’s rollout of its 8^th annual Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, which detailed the U.S. overhaul of how it produces, delivers, and consumes energy over the last decade (more below).  Lisa and the BNEF crew will also be on the Hill Thursday at Noon to discuss the Factbook for Congressional Staff cohosted with EESI. 

Also on Thursday, former Energy Secretary Moniz will be in College Park at the University of MD to launch of a report on regional clean energy innovation in the United States, CSIS hosts a forum on energy storage and batteries with DOE’s Paul Dabbar and Georgetown’s Mortara Center will host an Energy and Climate Policy Research Seminar with Rob Bradley on Paris Agreement issues. Also, Women in Energy will hold a lunch at USEA featuring a one-on-one with Jolene Cicci, the only female lineman in First Energy West Penn Power.  And if you’re looking at USEA, check out Dee Bhambhani’s column in Forbes on Larry Ellison’s push toward cleaner energy in Hawaii.

Finally, you all know I like the NHL All-Star format, but kudos to the NBA for upgrading their effort at Sunday’s game in Chicago.  The last 30 minutes of the game was pretty awesome with the two star-studded teams captained by LeBron James and Giannas Antetokounmpo battling to be the first team to hit 157 points.  While the first 147 for each team showed a lot of pure skill and flare, the last 10 were incredibly intense (and what basketball is about) with both teams really playing serious defense to stop the other stars.  It was really entertaining and featured challenged calls, arguing with refs, blocked shots, players taking charges and the game-winning point off a free throw from Anthony Davis after a tough foul. 

You know I always remind you, NCAA Lax season is underway and everybody has now reported for Spring baseball.  It is kind of ironic that the Astros and Nationals share a facility in West Palm Beach given the Astros sign-stealing controversy is stealing the Nats post-Championship roll into Spring Training.  That’s all for today, call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Ethanol and other biofuels have been a huge disappointment [in terms of] their environmental performance and success in reducing climate change.”

 

Rose Garr, senior director of Mighty Earth, a nonprofit environmental group that opposes biofuels.

“Ethanol had an outsized importance because of Iowa. And Iowa had an outsized importance because it was first. And the ethanol industry was very smart to exploit that timing and profile.... There was no middle ground. I think having the Iowa Caucus disappear, it will certainly cause a little bit more room to exist for candidates to take a more rational approach to biofuels.”

Former Andeavor exec Stephen Brown

ON THE PODCAST

Mufson, Harder Discuss Big Stories for 2020 on Podcast –  In the latest edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless meets with two of the leading energy and environment reporters in Washington: our friends Steve Mufson of The Washington Post and Amy Harder of Axios. Steve has worked at The Post since 1989, covering the White House, China, economic policy and diplomacy as well as energy. His current beat is the business of climate change. Earlier, he worked at the Wall Street Journal in New York, London and Johannesburg. Amy has been with Axios for three years, with her column, the “Harder Line,” a regular feature of the news service. Previously, she was a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and the National Journal. Sitting down with top energy and environment reporters in January to talk about what’s in store for energy and climate issues in the new year has been a regular feature for Bill for several years now, and Steve and Amy offer a behind-the-scenes look at some of the major stories and trends taking place. 

FUN OPINIONS

Wheeler: Trillion Tress Build on Trump Agenda – A new op-ed in USA Today by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler says the President’s effort to push the US to join the Trillion Trees Initiative will build on President Donald Trump’s commitment and continue environmental progress. The Initiative is an ambitious effort to bring together government and the private sector to plant new trees in America and around the world.  Wheeler says Planting and restoring trees, along with sustainable forestation practices, are some of the most beneficial means to protecting our environment, sustaining land and resources, reducing carbon in our atmosphere, and ensuring a natural environment for various species and wildlife. Healthy forests capture carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In fact, trees are among the most efficient carbon offsets. In 2017 alone, American forests and lands absorbed enough carbon dioxide to offset more than 11% of our nation’s emissions that year.

EDITORIAL: NEPA Reforms Good Start – Democrats and Republican politicians alike agree that infrastructure reform is needed in the US, and updating the National Environmental Policy Act is one way to achieve that goal, writes the editorial board of The Oklahoman. The current regulatory process is burdensome and has already led to the delay of an offshore wind farm, it writes, citing the views of infrastructure consultant Thomas Madison.  They add while decision to streamline the environmental review process for U.S. infrastructure projects drew criticism from the usual suspects, but it’s difficult to argue that some changes aren't needed.

FROG BLOG

New Republic: Iowa Mess Could Hurt Biofuels  – A new report in New Republic from our friend Miranda Green (formerly of The Hill) says in the wake of Iowa’s caucus vote-counting disaster, political staffers and pollsters alike are reconsidering the state’s “first in the nation to vote” status. If Iowa was dethroned, so too could one of Iowa’s largest industries, which has managed to carve out an outsize role in debates over renewable energy: ethanol. If Iowa loses its status as the first state to vote, it could give presidential candidates and other politicians a reprieve on the issue of ethanol—at least initially. Many green groups have largely turned away from supporting the biofuel, arguing electric cars are a better option than traditional ones with ethanol supplementation.

IN THE NEWS

BCSE Rolls Out Factbook – The 8^th annual Sustainable Energy in America Factbook from BloombergNEF (BNEF) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) says the U.S. overhauled how it produces, delivers, and consumes energy over a momentous decade of change. In the process, we posted 10 straight years of economic growth, while cutting both power-sector CO2 emissions and consumer energy costs to their lowest levels in a generation.  The Sustainable Energy in America Factbook chronicles a profound transformation in U.S. energy that is still very much underway. The report, which includes over 130 slides, provides users with straightforward charts to understand how the change has impacted most segments of the energy sector. 

“The transformation we have seen in the last decade has far exceeded expectations,” said Lisa Jacobson, BCSE President. “The facts show that we grew the economy, improved energy security, and cut emissions at the same time – all while making energy more affordable to consumers.”

Utility-scale renewables were just emerging in 2009, and now they win generation contracts on economic grounds. Battery technology is one tenth of its cost in 2009. Today, there are nearly over 85 million “smart meters” in U.S. homes and businesses, up from 9.6 million a decade ago. The number of residential natural gas customers grew by 8% in the last decade while overall residential consumption of gas rose by 5% due to energy efficiency. Consumers are now spending record low proportions of their household budgets on energy costs, a 22% decline since 2009.

The 2020 Factbook showcases the impact of sustainable energy* over the last decade and highlights findings for 2019 that follow the macro trends of the 2010s:

• Renewable energy became the cheapest new generation source in many U.S. power markets. The U.S. has over 2 times more renewable power generating capacity today than a decade ago. Solar capacity in 2019 was 80 times greater than what it was at the end of 2009.
• Energy efficiency choices have proliferated, with federal programs helping high-efficiency appliances reach mass markets and state codes bolstering building efficiency. The economy grew every year in the past decade and energy use fell in five of the ten years. U.S. energy productivity (GDP/energy consumption) improved 18% between 2010 and 2019, benefiting businesses and households.
• Natural gas became the primary source of U.S. power generation and shifted the scales in the global market. Between 2010 and 2019 domestic natural gas production jumped 50%, and natural gas went from providing 24% of the nation’s electricity to 38%. The U.S. increased its export capacity to exceed its import capacity, building stronger trade relationships around the world. In 2019, the U.S. exported more gas than it imported.

The Factbook outlines key trends in sustainable energy that provides a comprehensive overview of the American energy marketplace, including energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy. The report is available for download from the BCSE website http://www.bcse.org/factbook.  The Factbook serves as a reference guide of sustainable energy statistics for use by media, business and industry.

IEA: Energy Carbon Emissions Flattened – The International Energy Agency said global energy-related CO2 emissions "flattened" in 2019 following two years of increases owing to greater use of renewables and an accelerating shift from coal to gas.  Electricity generation produced around 33 billion tons of CO2 last year, defying forecasts that emissions from power would continue their upward trend.  The IEA said that emissions from coal -- the most polluting fossil fuel -- fell nearly 200 million tons, around 1.3% from 2018 levels. This was largely offset by increases in emissions from oil and natural gas, however.  Overall, developed nations saw their emissions fall 370 million tons (3.2% annually), while emissions from non-advanced economies grew by close to 400 million tons in 2019.  Nearly 80% of that increase came from Asia, despite slowing growth in major emitters China and India.

EPA: GHGs Rise in 2018 – Here in the US, EPA said in its draft greenhouse gas inventory that U.S. GHGs increased by about 3% in 2018 after three years of decreases. The report blames the bulk of the increase was a result of increased energy consumption from greater heating and cooling needs due to a colder winter and hotter summer in 2018 (in comparison to 2017). Economy-wide emissions increased by 191 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2018 to 6,677.8 million metric tons, a 2.9% increase over 2017. Emissions for 2018 were down 9.6% compared to the nation's 2005 peak, but were the largest year-on-year percentage jump since 2013. The transportation sector, continues to be the top emitter after passing power generation in 2017. Transportation made up 27.8% of emissions in 2018, power generation accounted for 26.9% and other industry emissions accounted for 22.2%.

VA Legislature Passes Renewable Legislation – The Virginia House and Senate passed sweeping energy legislation last week that would overhaul how Virginia's utilities generate electricity. Opponents warned that the legislation, drafted privately by a group that included industry representatives and environmental advocates, strips state regulators of some oversight and leaves ratepayers on the hook for what could be excessive costs. The measure, called the Clean Economy Act, lays out a plan to get Virginia to 100% renewable generation. The House version would demand that goal be met by 2045 and the Senate's version sets a deadline of 2050, in line with a goal Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam set in an executive order in September.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

DOE to Host Waste Forum – On Wednesday and Thursday 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.

WEN Lunch to Feature BCSE Team – The Women’s Energy Network holds a lunch presentation on Thursday at Noon to look at current policy issues in the sustainable energy sector featuring experts from the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.  BCSE’s Lisa Jacobson and Lynn Abramson of the Clean Energy Business Network will speak. 

WCEE Happy Hour – Wednesday 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 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.

Moniz to Release Regional Clean Energy Report – On Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in College Park, the Energy Futures Initiative and University of Maryland host the launch of a report on regional clean energy innovation in the United States.  EFI CEO and former Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz will sit down in conversation with Dean Robert Orr, following opening remarks from EFI Distinguished Associate Ellen Williams, who led the analytical team behind the report.

Forum to Look at Critical Materials – The 3D Elevation Program Coalition and House Manufacturing Caucus hold a briefing on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in 2325 Rayburn on mapping geological and geospatial data for critical materials.  The major focus will be on how mapping can revitalize U.S. Manufacturing efforts with an expansion of critical materials.

Forum to Look at EU Green New Deal – On Thursday, 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 – On Thursday at Noon in 2325 Rayburn, groups will present 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 to staff on Capitol Hill.  Speakers include Jacobson and Zindler as well as National Grid’s Emily Duncan, Sempra’s Allison Hull, Schneider’s Mona Sheth.

Women In Energy Lunch Set – The Women in Energy will hold an event on Thursday at Noon at USEA featuring a lunch presentation and one-on-one with Jolene Cicci, the only female lineman in First Energy West Penn Power operating company.  The luncheon will focus on how she has broken the gender barriers in a traditionally male role, her 29 years of experience working on the lines, and her participation in the utility's diversity and inclusion program.

Oil/Gas Forum Set for Houston – The 2^nd Houston Oil Forum 2020, organized by U.S. Energy Stream will be held on Wednesday and Thursday 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 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.

Webinar to Look at Arctic – The National Science Foundation's Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable holds a webinar Thursday at 1:00 p.m. n on navigating the new Arctic. Experts Irina Dolinskaya and Colleen Strawhacker, Program Directors at NSF, to discuss the program and its approach to addressing convergent scientific challenges in the Arctic.

WRI Highlights Banks, Paris – On Friday at 11:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute is hosting a conversation with leaders, Emma Navarro of European Investment Bank and Ivan Frishberg of Amalgamated Bank. Navarro and Frishberg will discuss the steps their institutions have taken to align with the Agreement’s climate goals, the challenges they faced, what they plan next, and how other financial institutions can follow in their footsteps.  This will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by Manish Bapna, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the World Resources Institute.

Howard Holds Water Forum – Howard University holds Water Justice Forum on Friday at Noon looking at issues that include drinking water contamination, agricultural and human waste overflows and runoff and access to clean surface and drinking water. The event will convene dedicated activists, academics, and interested persons together to discuss challenges in water justice through a local and global lens, and will include presentations followed by a conversation about workable solutions.

IN THE FUTURE

BPC to Look at Future of EPA – Next Monday 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. 

Small Island Ambassador to Talk Climate – Next Monday at 12:30 p.m. GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs hosts a conversation with His Excellency Isilio Coelho, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the United States.  The ambassador will discussion global warming and small island impacts.

Forum Looks at Trade – The Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University SAIS will hold a conversation next Monday at 2:00 p.m. with Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, Standing rapporteur for EU - US trade relations.  Rather than focusing on contemporary irritants in the U.S. - EU trade relationship, the conversation with Lange will provide a perspective on transatlantic approaches to sustainable trade. To this end, the discussion aims at identifying potential common ground on linking trade to labor and environmental standards.

Forum to Look at Climate – The Center for Climate and Security and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute hold a briefing next Monday at 3:30 p.m. in 2168 Rayburn on projected climate change impacts on U.S. security and national interests in the coming decades. The briefing will showcase the Center for Climate and Security’s Security Threat Profile of Global Climate Change report, a product of the National Security, Military, and Intelligence Panel on Climate Change. The report is a comprehensive look at the wide-ranging security impacts of climate change across all six geographic U.S. Combatant Commands, under two scenarios of future warming (a 1-2°C rise in temperatures, and a 2-4°C rise). Authored by a diverse group of U.S. national security and intelligence experts, this report offers both regional and international threat assessments for climate change, and recommendations for the way forward in addressing the looming global challenge.

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

ELI Forum to Look at Climate Court Cases – The Environmental Law Institute hosts a forum on Tuesday, February 25^th at 12:30 p.m. that will look plaintiffs that have pursued climate litigation encompassing federal statutory claims, public trust claims, adaptation issues, and more on both the domestic and international fronts. Decisions in these cases have the potential to shape how the law addresses pressing climate issues in the years to come. Climate science is both a vital element of environmental litigation and such litigation can be an important avenue for the communication of climate science to the public.

House Resources to Mark Up Climate Bills – The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday February 26^th on two bills seeking to address climate change. The Democratic bill, H.R. 5435 (116), from Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), seeks net-zero emissions from the nation's public lands and oceans by 2040, Anthony reports for Pros. The Republican legislation, H.R. 5859 (116), offered by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), sets the goal of planting a trillion trees by 2050.

Harbert to Headline Energy Economists Dinner – The Embassy of Canada and the U.S. Association for Energy Economics of the National Capital Area Chapter hold their Annual Dinner on Wednesday February 26^th at the Embassy of Canada.  The keynote for the event will be American Gas Association CEO Karen Harbert, who will share her unparalleled perspective of the energy industry based on her years of high level service in the public and private sectors. The NCAC will also present, for the second time, its Lively Award for service to our chapter and to the energy community at large. The recipient is Shirley Neff, a former chapter president who is currently Senior Advisor in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Energy.

Clean Energy Forum Set – The Sixth Annual Clean Energy & Sustainability Extravaganza will be held on Friday, February 28^th at 11:00 a.m. at Clark Hall at the University of Maryland-College Park.  Sponsored by the Association of Energy Engineers-National Capital Chapter (AEE NCC) and Leaders in Energy (LE), this year’s theme is “Innovative Trends on Campuses in Clean Energy and Sustainability” including Smart City applications, microgrids, composting/waste, water efficiency, and sustainable transportation. The event will showcase new ideas, technologies, policies, products, and services.

Forum to Focus on Business, Climate – UChicago’s Booth Net Impact and Harris Ventures host the Social Impact Summit on February 28^th on business and the climate crisis in Chicago.   The Social Impact Summit is an educational event that brings together students across business, public policy, and other disciplines to engage and discover how to use resources within their company, organization, and themselves to enact change in their community and society. This year’s theme aims to deepen the conversation at The University of Chicago around what's being done by businesses to address climate change and what individuals can do in their careers and with their power as consumers to combat it.

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.

BPC to Look at NEPA –The Bipartisan Policy Center convenes an expert panel on Tuesday March 3^rd at 9:30 a.m. to discuss recent energy infrastructure study by the National Petroleum Council and the important relationship between climate policy and the NEPA process. The study, co-chaired by Williams Companies, called on Congress to address this problem by clarifying the National Environmental Protection Act permit process and, in a first for the NPC, developing a national climate change policy. BPC and over 300 disparate organizations participated in and endorsed the study. Our friend Amy Harder of Axios moderates a panel with the Chamber’s Global Energy Institute President Marty Durbin,

Williams CEO Alan Armstrong and Jason Grumet.

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.  Keynote conversations will feature Garrett Graves (interviewed by Heather Reams) and FERC Commissioner Rich Glick (interviewed by Larry Eisenstat)

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 San Diego – 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.

Forum to Look at Decarbonizing Power Sector – CSIS is holding the second session in the Climate Solutions Series, Decarbonizing the Electric Power Sector on Tuesday March 17^th at 10:00 a.m. This public discussion will examine the technological potential for reaching net-zero GHG emissions from power generation, policies to drive power sector decarbonization, the challenge of creating low-carbon electric power sectors in developing countries, examples of private sector contributions to power sector decarbonization, and how businesses can increase supply of—and drive demand for—zero-carbon power.  The event will feature Princeton expert Jesse Jenkins, former DOE official Sue Tierney and Todd Moss (Energy for Growth Hub).

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.

Offshore Wind Conference Set – The Business Network for Offshore Wind, the leading non-profit advocate for U.S. offshore wind at the state, federal and global levels, will host its 7^th annual International Partnership Forum (IPF) on April 21-24^th in Providence, Rhode Island. The annual IPF conference is the premier event for the offshore wind supply chain, which is now projected to be a $70 billion revenue opportunity through 2030.

Energy Forum Set for CO – The Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, and National Renewable Energy Lab are hosting the 9^th annual 21^st Century Energy Transition Symposium at the Embassey Suites in Downtown Denver on April 28^th and 29^th.  Over 65 speakers (in 20 different sessions) from various expertise and backgrounds covering environmental challenges & solutions through collaboration with industry from multiple sources of energy.  Hear from keynote speakers including Colorado Governor Polis, ARPA-E Director Lane Genatowski, Tri-State CEO Duane Highley and many more.  

CA Conferences Set – The 8^th Annual California Energy Summit is being held on May 6^th to 8^th in the LA Grand Hotel Downtown.  It will feature top regulatory officials, utility and public power leaders, and developers to discuss the state-wide implications of wildfire mitigation measures, incentives that can drive deployment of self-generation and storage to enhance resilience, near-term resource adequacy and long-term SB100 procurement needs of CCAs, public power and IOUs and the expansion of interstate energy trading and transmission buildout needs.