Energy Update: Week of February 6th
Energy Update - February 06, 2023
Friends,
So The Grammys…Oh wait nobody really cares. Although I do like Beyonce, who set a record winning her 32nd Grammy. My favorite Beyonce piece (w JT, Horatio Sands, Andy Samberg and Paul Rudd). Not even any good action in the Rock categories, where Brandi Carlile and Ozzy Osbourne won. I like Brandi Carlile but…and Ozzy? Really? Better than watching the show was a prelude featuring a very interesting 60 Minutes piece on the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is a particularly good look at their unreal career and dedication to their craft. And ICYMI, ABC celebrated Schoolhouse Rock! on Wednesday night (February 1) with a new special, Schoolhouse Rock! 50th Anniversary Singalong, featuring a whole host of familiar faces singing those same tunes we grew up on.
It seems more people cared about the Chinese Balloon and the cold weather on Mt. Washington. Man, it was cold this weekend…especially after January here in DC was pretty warm. My kids report -31° in New Hampshire and -16° in Boston, where the famous Bean Pot tournament launches this afternoon with BC taking on Harvard at 5:00 p.m. and BU playing Northeastern at 8pm.
Tomorrow, the President is the big news when he makes his State of the Union address. Not expecting to hear much more than the usual on our energy/enviro/climate issues but we will be paying close attention. The White House will also meet with French and German economic officials amid tensions over climate-related subsidies passed last year the EU is calling unfair. And Wednesday, IEA will release analysis on global power markets and forecasts through 2025 on supply, demand, and CO2 emissions.
On the hearing front, the big hearing Is tomorrow’s Energy & Commerce legislative hearing that will feature 17 energy bills. On Wednesday, House Transportation looks at WOTUS and House Resources looks at America's energy and mineral potential. Then on Thursday, the Resources’ Oversight panel will look at dependence on foreign adversaries for America’s critical minerals.
I knew these guys were out there, but I just came across some great newsletters from Semafor, including one called Net Zero, a weekly focused on the global intersection of climate policy, energy and geopolitics written by our friend Tim McDonnell. You can sign up HERE. I recommend it.
Finally, not only is this Super Bowl Week in Arizona, it is also the WM Phoenix Open, the Greatest Show on Grass. After 11 years, WM has bid farewell to its annual WM Sustainability Forum, but they are lead sponsor of a GreenBiz Sustainability Forum in Scottsdale February 14-16 the following week.
FRANKLY SPOKEN
An anonymous auto industry source to Axios’ Jael Holtzman for a story on the US electric car market and its reliance on China for its supply chain.
ON THE PODCAST
Vistra CEO Talks Energy Transition, TX Power – In this week’s episode of EPSA’s Energy Solutions podcast, Vistra President/CEO Jim Burke sits down with Todd Snitchler to debrief the major energy events leading into 2023—Winter Storm Elliot and rising cyber and physical threats only being the beginning—and what’s ahead as the new year kicks off. They talk all things competitive markets, the role of natural gas in the energy transition, EPSA advocacy priorities for a new Congress and FERC and Vistra’s plans for advancing clean, reliable, and affordable energy in the new year.
FUN OPINIONS
Former DOE Officials Highlight DOE Loan Program Successes, Challenge – In an opinion piece in RealClear Energy, former DOE general counsel David Hill (now with the Columbia Center for Global Energy Policy) and Jeffrey Kupfer former acting DOE Deputy Secretary and head of ConservAmerica write DOE loan guarantee program was created to advance innovative technologies, enable new types of energy projects and improve environmental performance. It was to do that for projects the private financial sector might not be willing or able to support. With such a program, it is inevitable some projects won’t perform as well as expected. Technology also may develop in unpredictable ways, and economic, market or political trends may unexpectedly change. Defaults may happen, even with a perfectly run program. The country is undergoing an energy transition; accelerating new types of clean energy projects is an important part of that effort. With unprecedented resources and a broad mandate, the DOE loan guarantee program can play a critical role. However, that will only happen if DOE applies careful scrutiny, proceeds with transparency and without political favoritism, and ensures only high-quality projects receive guarantees. And both DOE and Congress must conduct vigorous oversight. Failure to do all of these things jeopardizes the loan guarantee program and the clean energy transition itself.
FROG BLOG
Reams Op-ed: China Committee Could Address Energy Issues – Our friend Heather Reams, president of Citizens For Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), has an opinion piece in RealClear Energy that says the new House China Select Committee presents opportunity for American energy leadership. As geopolitical tensions rise, America’s clean energy development is at risk. Instead of developing domestic resources, encouraging research, and adopting the business environment necessary to increase production here in the United States, we have too long instituted policies that resulted in the U.S. being reliant on adversarial nations like China—where carbon emissions are high and labor standards are low.
FUN FACTS
OPEC Underproducing: OPEC countries are underproducing their production quota by 800,000 barrels of oil per day. The cartel’s inability or refusal to increase production — it held firm on its quotas after a meeting this week — has limited global supply, helped Putin and angered the White House. (from Semafor)
IN THE NEWS
Report: Oil, Gas Has Strong 2022 – Wood Mackenzie says global oil and natural gas exploration last year provided 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent and a value of at least $33 billion, making 2022 the strongest year in more than a decade. "Explorers are accelerating oil exploration to meet near and mid-term demand, while gas exploration was focused in geographies that can supply the gas-hungry European market," says Julie Wilson, Wood Mackenzie's director of global exploration research.
AHRI Announces HVACR Technician Scholarships – The is a significant lack of much-needed HVACR technicians to meet growing demands to install new equipment that can meet consumer demands and the clean energy transition. To address this challenge, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) Clifford H. "Ted" Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation, announced scholarship awards totaling $81,000 to 47 students, including three military veterans, and 10 SkillsUSA awardees studying to become technicians in the HVACR and water heating industry. "Each year, the Foundation provides aid to these aspiring technicians, helping to promote careers in the industry and fill good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced," said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek. Since its founding in 2003, the Rees Scholarship Foundation has awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships to over 700 deserving students. For a list of past scholarship recipients, click here.
Manchin Cruz Introduce Legislation to Block Gas Stove Ban – Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced a new bill Thursday that would prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from banning gas stoves. The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act comes on the heels of national debate over gas stoves after a CPSC commissioner raising the prospect of a ban on the appliances, citing studies that show gas stoves reduce air quality in homes and can lead to an increased risk of asthma in children in some cases.
Morning Consult Polling Shows Split on Gas Stoves – Speaking of gas stoves, Morning Consult’s Julia Martinez wrote a quick hit on polling focused on how folks across the country feel about gas stoves. Morning Consult data showed that adults who own gas stoves were split on whether they would replace their units after hearing about RMI's study on their potential health impacts on kids.
Shell CEO: World Desperately Needs NatGas – Shell’s natural gas business can continue to grow after making record profits in 2022, as the global thirst for the fuel shows no signs of slowing, said Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan. After years of questions over how oil and gas producers can deliver strong returns to shareholders while also cutting carbon emissions, Shell’s new boss gave an early insight into how he sees Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reshaping both global markets and the opportunities for his company. “Our natural gas business continues to grow in a world that is desperately in need of natural gas at the moment, and I think for a long time to come,” Sawan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Thursday. “Gas has a critical role to play in the transition” to lower-carbon energy.” Last year, Shell’s liquefied natural gas business boomed as Europe was forced to quickly pivot away from piped supplies of the fuel from Russia. Sawan said the company delivered 194 LNG cargoes to Europe and the UK in 2022, roughly five times what they would do in a typical year.
OCI, Linde To Develop Ammonia Plant for Hydrogen – OCI and Industrial gas company Linde PLC said they will invest $1.8 billion to supply clean hydrogen to a blue ammonia plant located in Beaumont, Texas. Linde will sequester more than 1.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually to supply the plant with clean hydrogen, and it will also build, own and operate an on-site complex at the OCI plant, with startup expected in 2025.
Sempra’s Hull to Chair BCSE Board – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) – a trade association with over 50 members – said today that our friend Allison Hull, Director of Federal Government Affairs, Sempra has been elected Chair of BCSE’s Board of Directors. Hull succeeds National Grid US Vice President of Government Relations Emily Duncan, who departs the BCSE Board after three years as Chair. The new leadership bolsters BCSE’s mission to educate decision-makers and advocate for policies that support a diverse portfolio of energy options in the U.S. and ensure access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy solutions.
ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
USEA to Looks at Hydrogen, Ammonia – The US Energy Assn holds its 4th National Tribal Energy Roundtable today at 3:00 p.m. on hydrogen, ammonia and clean fuels of the future and how their development and use will impact Indian Country.
Walsh to Headline Ceres Event on Climate, ESG – Today at 3:00 p.m. Ceres will host an event on Department of Labor’s new rule for environment, social, governance issues.” Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will be a keynote,
Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Seminar Set for Long Beach – The Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Assn holds its 2023 Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Seminar in Long Beach tomorrow to Thursday. The event includes a half-day workshop sponsored by the Department of Energy, morning plenary program featuring talks from government and private sector leaders, over 120 afternoon breakout presentations. Speakers include DOE’s Jeff Marootian, FCHEA head Frank Wolak, SoCal Gas hydrogen expert Yuri Freedman and my colleague Tim Urban, among many others.
NASEO 2023 Energy Policy Conference Set – The NASEO 2023 Energy Policy Outlook Conference starts tomorrow and runs to Friday. The event brings together state and federal energy policymakers, private sector leaders, and other change makers for in-depth discussions of the critical investments needed for decarbonized, affordable, and resilient electricity, transportation, and building systems, as well as the latest developments from Congress and the Administration.
IEA to Launch Electricity Report – The International Energy Agency holds an embargoed media briefing tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., ahead of the launch of its 2023 Electricity Market Report.
Wilson to Look at Ukraine Water Challenges – Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., the Wilson Center and the U.S. Water Partnership hold a discussion with a panel of experts – including two representatives of Lviv’s water utility – to better understand the enormous costs of Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure, and how the international community can better support Ukraine’s efforts to rebuild and modernize its water infrastructure.
House Energy Panels to Move Energy Legislation – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a joint legislative hearing with the Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee and the Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee to discuss solutions to restore American energy dominance. The hearing will cover 17 energy bills that you can see here.
House Resources Meets to Organize – The House Natural Resources Committee holds a meeting to consider the Committee Authorization and Oversight Plan for the 118th Congress.
CERAWeek Forum Looks at Hydrogen Challenge – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Road to CERA Week continues with a S&P Global webinar on Hydrogen. The Hydrogen challenge will look at building a new industry in a period of global turbulence.
WRI Looks at Carbon-Free Energy Tech Matching – The World Resources Institute holds a forum tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. looking at 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) — tracking their energy load temporally, shifting their demand, and purchasing CFE on an hourly basis to match their usage. This webinar, the fifth in a series of WRI-hosted webinars on 24/7 CFE, will highlight a few key emerging technologies that could help buyers achieve a 100% hourly match of their demand. The webinar will feature representatives from Fervo Energy, an advanced geothermal energy project developer; Long Duration Energy Storage Council, a non-profit working to decarbonize the energy sector through long-duration energy storage; and AES Corporation, an electricity supplier.
Forum to Look at Hydropower, Cambodia – The Stimson Center holds a virtual discussion Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on the risk and impacts of hydropower development on the flooded forests in Cambodia. The event will feature a data discussion with Dr. Ian Baird from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to talk about the risk and impacts of hydropower development on the flooded forests and an interactive Q&A with local experts and rising policy voices.
PunchBowl Hosts House Energy Chair Rodgers – PunchBowl News holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. with House Energy and Commerce Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers on priorities for the 118th Congress for the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Punchbowl News Founder and CEO Anna Palmer will interview Rodgers.
House Resources Looks at Critical Mineral Potential, Foreign Impact – The House Resources Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on unleashing America's energy and mineral potential. Then on Thursday, the Resources’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing at 10:00 a.m. looking at dependence on foreign adversaries for America’s critical minerals.
House Transpo Subpanel Looks at Water Rule – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. stakeholder perspectives on the impacts of the Biden Administration's WOTUS Rule.
ACORE Looks at Grid, Storm Uri Two Year Later – The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) holds a webinar on Wednesday at 12:00 noon evaluating the US Grid two years after the winter storm Uri. Panelists will discuss progress on U.S. grid reliability two years after Winter Storm Uri. The event will focus on steps decisionmakers can take to prevent outages from extreme weather and the role increased interregional transmission can play in keeping the lights on. Speakers include former FERC Chair Rich Glick, ClearPath’s Rich Powell, Michael Goggin of Grid Strategies and FERC staffer Alison Silverstein.
Hill EV-AV Forum Looks at EV Charging – The Hill holds its EV/AV (electric vehicles/autonomous vehicles) Summit 2023 on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. DOE Deputy assistant Transportation secretary for sustainable transportation Michael Berube, Reps Rick Larsen and Bob Latta are among the speakers. Our Friend Rachel Frazin moderates.
JHU Hosts Kerry Advisor – On Wednesday at 5:00 p.m., JHU’s School of Advanced International Studies holds a discussion on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. on the future of international climate policy. The event will feature a presentation by Jesse Young, a senior advisor to U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
Forum Looks at Clean Energy Opportunities for Indigenous People – On Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs will feature a panel of experts for a discussion about opportunities and risks for indigenous communities in the North American energy transition. The panel will discuss the Biden administration's efforts to strengthen indigenous consultation and environmental justice around natural resources and renewable energy development with US native communities. They will also explore how Canadian indigenous leaders are developing equity-based partnerships to develop renewable energy and critical minerals projects under the principles of Free Prior and Informed Consent–and whether such partnerships can meet the needs of indigenous groups in the US as well as ESG-focused investors and project developers.
Governors Talk with POLITICO –POLITICO holds a forum on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. at Worldwide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors. In a divided Congress, more of the legislative and policy enforcement action will shift to the states, ensuring Governors set the agenda for much of the country. Among the topics will be being on the frontlines of climate change.
Atlantic Council Looks at Energy Transition Challenges With TotalEnergies CEO– The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds the next episode of its Atlantic Council Front Page on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. as TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, joins us to discuss industry’s role in an inclusive and sustainable energy transition. The discussion will focus on the role of oil and gas majors in building an inclusive and sustainable energy transition, how public-private partnerships can serve as a vehicle for building-out clean energy policies and infrastructures, and how the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape has transformed our approach to the global energy outlook.
Senate Energy to Organize – The Senate Energy Committee holds a meeting on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to organize for the 118th Congress.
EFI Releases Hydrogen Action Plan – The Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) is announcing the results of our hydrogen market formation study, The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi will be the keynote speaker, with EFI's CEO (and former Energy Secretary) Ernest Moniz and EFI's Senior Vice President of Research Alex Kizer giving remarks on the study. The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan culminates two years of EFI’s extensive study of hydrogen markets—including three regional workshops and a market study with input from hundreds of hydrogen thought leaders in industry, government, and academia.
Forum to Look at EU Energy Crisis – CQ Roll Call and FiscalNote hold a webinar on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the 2023 energy crisis in Europe. The event will discuss opportunities to shape the EU's energy transition.
SEJ 2023 Energy/Environment Guide Set – The Society of Environmental Journalists hosts a discussion on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. virtually that looks at some of the top stories for energy and environmental journalists to cover in 2023. Environmental justice, climate change and biodiversity, clean energy and the critical minerals rush, wildfire and public lands management, indoor air quality and salmon and dams all are on the agenda. The event will also discuss the SEJ's 32nd annual conference in Boise Idaho, April 19-23. The event releases SEJ’s look at the year ahead in the just-released "Journalists' Guide to Energy & Environment." Speakers will include NPR’s Kirk Siegler, LA Times Sammy Roth, Rebecca Leber of Vox, Nicole Foy of CalMatters and Sho-Ban News Editor Lori Edmo.
Forum to Look at Sequestration, Wood Harvesting – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., AU’s Institute for Carbon Removal and Policy holds its fifth event in its webinar series, “Scrubbing the Skies: The Role of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Combating Climate Change.” The webinar will address scientific needs and societal impacts of wood harvesting and storage with wood vault for durable carbon sequestration. The participants in this webinar include one of the leading proponents of the process, as well as experts in biomass carbon sequestration and verification and accounting protocols. They will discuss the carbon sequestration potential of this approach, as well as critical questions related to monitoring and verification and the challenges of full-carbon accounting.
EESI Forum Looks at Polling on Climate – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) continues its start-of-the-new Congress briefing series, Climate Camp which addresses the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for climate mitigation and adaptation policy. EESI’s second Climate Camp session will explore the public’s interest in seeing continued federal attention on climate change. Panelists will explore the latest analyses of public opinion on climate change across sectors and geography and explain why it matters for the 118th Congress. Our friend Neela Bannerjee of NPR is among the panelists.
WCEE Holds Energy Happy Hour – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) holds a happy hour at Boqueria on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to discuss 2023 programming.
USEA to Hold Briefing on Nuclear SMRs – The US Energy Assn holds another of its regular issue/media briefings on Friday at 10:00 a.m., this week on nuclear small modular reactors. Experts include Don Wolf of Advanced ARC, TVA COO Don Moul, former NRC Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield, former NJ Board of Public Utilities President Richard Moroz and Rick Springman of Holtec International. Reporters include Ken Silverstein of Forbes, the Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Hiller, former E&E News reporter Rod Kuckro and Stephen Singer of Utility Dive.
BU Hosts Ukraine Discussion – Boston University holds forum on Friday at 11:00 a.m. looking at rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and energy security. As Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine nears its one-year anniversary this month, Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan has set its sights on building back better. Massive investments estimated at over $200 billion are required to finance a new approach to energy production, consumption, and security.
IN THE FUTURE
Granholm Headlines NARUC Winter Policy Meeting – The 2023 NARUC Winter Policy Summit is set for February 12-15th in Washington, DC. The annual event convenes regulators, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and advocacy organizations to explore challenges and opportunities facing utilities in 2023. Among the speakers will be FERC Chair Willie Phillips, Energy Sect Granholm and Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin See the full agenda for the event.
EFI Looks at CCS Policy Actions – Next Tuesday February 14th at Noon, the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) holds a virtual event to publicly launch our deep-dive analysis on the challenges of commercializing and deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) at scale. The report identifies the barriers to private investment in CCS and makes policy recommendations to remove those barriers. Attend the event to learn more about the necessary policy actions for transforming CCS pilot projects into blue-chip investments. White House OSTP energy policy director Sally Benson will be the keynote.
Forum to Look at Clean Energy Financing – The ICF International Climate Center holds a forum on Tuesday February 14th at 1:00 p.m. on how USAID and others finance clean energy in developing countries. Expanding access to clean energy saves lives, improves livelihoods, fuels economic growth, and mitigates the impact of climate change. Despite these benefits, financing for clean energy in developing countries is often deemed “too risky” for investment.
CSIS to Address EU Energy Security – The CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program hosts a conversation on Wednesday February 15th at 9:00 a.m. with Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight at the European Commission and former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, President & CEO of the Energy Futures Initiative. Šefčovič is also responsible for the European Union’s relations with non-EU Western countries and leads the Commission’s work on the European Battery Alliance. This conversation will focus on improving energy security through European joint action and collaboration with the United States, as well as how to develop mutually beneficial clean energy and clean tech supply chains without sacrificing trans-Atlantic cooperation.
Forum Looks at Climate, Africa – The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs holds a panel discussion on Wednesday February 15th at Noon on African nations and the impacts of climate change.
EPA’s Goffman to Address RFF Event – On Wednesday February 15th at Noon, Resources for the Future and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) hold an RFF Live virtual event featuring opening remarks by EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, Joseph Goffman, followed by a panel of energy sector modelers from RFF, EPRI, EPA, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Panelists will present recent findings on how the electricity sector is expected to transform in the coming decades as a result of the IRA, illuminating a new baseline for the sector.
Brookings Discusses Mitigating Climate Risk – On Wednesday February 15th at 2:00 p.m., Brookings Metro will host an event featuring business leaders and policymakers examining how households and public officials could better use local climate risk data, exploring the current availability of relevant data, and outlining several challenges facing public and private data providers. Speakers include DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate Policy Andrew Wishinia and EPA policy office head Vicki Arroyo.
Forum Looks at Climate Policy Trends – Climate Xchange holds a forum om Wednesday February 15th at 3:00 p.m. to look at 2023 State Climate policy trends. The forum will look at what climate policies are being introduced in state legislatures this year and what trends the panelists are keeping an eye on. Panelists Include CAP’s Sam Ricketts.
Reuters Forum Looks at IRA Framework for Hydrogen – Reuters holds a forum on Thursday February 16th at 11:00 a.m. to look at hydrogen and the energy transition. The hour-long discussion will explore how the clean energy industry can collaborate and capitalize on existing announcements and prepare for future changes, a look at green hydrogen hubs, and the opportunity to track clean energy deployment and production to maximize the potential of the IRA.
Columbia Forum Features Maldives Leader – On Thursday February 16th at 1:00 p.m., the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs holds a roundtable discussion with Thilmeeza Hussain, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations. Hussain will discuss how she has managed to navigate her career utilizing the principles of the just transition. We will also discuss ways to apply the lessons Hussain has learned to students’ career paths.
BCSE Forum Set to Look at Tax Issues for Energy – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy holds a webinar on Friday February 17th at 3:00 p.m. on the tax implications and the market opportunities for energy projects. Panelists will discuss Inflation Reduction Act-related tax opportunities for energy efficiency and sustainable energy projects, including structures, process and timing, and potential limits and challenges of the new legislation.
Distributed Wind Forum, Lobby Day Set – The Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) holds Distributed Wind 2023 on February 27th at the Residence Inn in Arlington, VA. The event is the tenth annual where the leaders of the distributed and community wind industry convene to showcase this sector of the wind industry to an audience of policy makers, agency staff, and renewable energy industry leaders.
Annual Ethanol Forum Set – The Renewable Fuels Association holds its 28th annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando from February 28th to March 2nd. The 2023 event theme “Ready. Set. Go!“ reflects the US ethanol industry’s momentum moving forward into new markets and opportunities. The NEC is the nation’s most widely attended executive-level conference for the ethanol industry. There is much to learn and experience at the NEC, where sessions featuring globally renowned speakers are interspersed with numerous networking opportunities to help the industry connect and collaborate.
CERA Week Locked In – The energy industry’s biggest event, CERA Week will be held on March 6th to March 10th in Houston. CERAWeek brings together global leaders to advance new ideas, insight and solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy, the environment, and climate. CERAWeek is widely considered to be the most prestigious annual gathering of CEOs and Ministers from global energy and utilities, as well as automotive, manufacturing, policy and financial communities, along with a growing presence of tech. Speakers include White House Advisor John Podesta, former Energy Secretaries Ernest Moniz (now at EFI) and Dan Brouillette (now at Sempra Infrastructure), State’s Amos Hochstein, IEA’s Fatih Birol and dozens of energy CEOs.
ACORE Policy Forum Set – The annual ACORE Policy Forum on March 9th in Washington, D.C. with the annual ACORE Awards Gala the evening before. The event will feature important discussions around ensuring the success of the Inflation Reduction Act, building the clean energy workforce of tomorrow, and what is needed to catalyze a domestic clean energy supply chain and upgraded electric grid to meet our decarbonization goals and achieve the clean energy transition.
Granholm to Headline Energy Track at SXSW Conference – The South by Southwest Festival and Conference will be held on Friday March 10th to Sunday March 19th. The Energy track runs From Friday to Sunday and will feature Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Our friend Morgan Bazilian of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines will discuss the EV battery supply chain, Jane Stricker of the Houston Energy Transition Initiative will look at energy Transition issues and another friend Julian Spector of Canary Media will also talk energy. There will also be a Climate and Transportation track. The SXSW Conference provides an opportunity for the global community of digital creatives to encounter cutting-edge ideas, discover new interests, and network with other professionals who share a similar appetite for forward-focused experiences.
SAFE Summit To Address EV Supply Chains, Infrastructure – Senior business leaders from the world’s leading automobile, mining, and transportation corporations as well as White House and senior government officials are scheduled to headline the SAFE Summit: A Pathway to Electrification from Minerals to Market, on March 28-29th in Washington, D.C. The summit aims to seize the historical moment provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The two-day event, co-hosted by SAFE and the Electrification Coalition, will offer practical next solutions that will, in collaboration with U.S. allies and partners, build out robust and reliable supply chains and supporting infrastructure for the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the broader energy transition. John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation will address the summit on the Biden Administration’s agenda and priorities; as will Jigar Shah, Director of the Loan Programs Office at the Department of Energy. Top-tiered sponsors and speakers include FedEx Chairman Fred Smith, Nissan Motor Company, and Teck Resources Limited CEO Jonathan Price. Additional SAFE Summit sponsors include Lithium Americas, Lyten, The Metals Company (TMC), and DLT Labs.
MIT Energy Conference Set – MIT holds its annual energy conference on April 11th and 12th in Boston. The event brings experts across the three key fields of technology, finance, and global policy to discuss critical solutions that will shape the future of the energy landscape, particularly during this time of uncertainty, urgency, and hardship. Our friend Laura Parkan of Air Liquide will speak.
FP Hosts Climate Summit – On Wednesday April 26th, Foreign Policy holds its third annual Climate Summit, where they will convene climate-minded leaders and experts for high-profile discussions on maintaining momentum from COP27 and following through on commitments. With a focus on achieving net-zero, addressing climate justice, and the logistics of implementation, this event will look at the first steps of making the world’s answer to climate change a reality. The event will also explore how governments and organizations are making progress, identifying and implementing best practices and navigating the road ahead to COP28.