Energy Update: Week of January 25

Energy Update - January 25, 2021

Friends,               

That was a great week with last Wednesday’s inaugural ceremony, including great performances from Amanda Gorman, Lady Gaga, JLo and Garth Brooks. Whether you like President Biden or not, the day’s events sure had to make folks who care about the institutions of our government feel pretty good for the new President and his long-term service.  But then the policy issues started and his first push wasn’t so good for the union guys who helped him over the top in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.  More on this below…

This week, Biden will spend the second week of his presidency in much the same way he spent his first: signing a slew of executive actions intended to roll back certain Trump administration policies while implementing his own. Biden this week will focus on a designated theme each day with climate being the issue of the day on Wednesday.  Among the usual items that we expect (science, transparency, limits on oil/gas/coal leasing), we also expect him to announce a “Climate Leaders” Summit set for Earth Day, April 22nd.  Speaking of Wednesday, the Senate Energy Committee will hold a nomination hearing for Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department, while Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is before Senate Commerce tomorrow.  Then Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee holds its organizational meetings at 1:00 p.m.

As a direct response to the Biden EOs, tomorrow the Chamber’s Global Energy Institute holds a presser at 2:00 p.m. with Marty Durbin, NM Chamber head Rob Black, Stephen Waguespeck, of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and Diane Schwenke, President and CEO, Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. Check in with Matt Letourneau or me for the coordinates. 

Other good event this week include:

 

With some personal sadness, but also great excitement for her, I wanted to make sure you saw the news that Amy Harder is leaving Axios to join Bill Gates-led BreakthroughEnergy and develop a new journalism initiative there that tells stories about the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition. Congrats Amy!!!!  Also KUDOS to our friend Bryan Lee who is launching a New Energy Markets podcast with his first episode up this weekend and check out the exciting, new Punchbowl News folks (old Playbook editors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman) providing pretty great insights in a new location. 

The Super Bowl LV is set.  Shockingly, Tom Brady is back and so is Patrick Mahomes.  The GOAT against the Kid (you saw what I did there, right?)  Also, Tampa becomes the first team to ever play a Super Bowl in its home stadium in 55 games (yes the ’80 Rams played in the Rose Bowl but that WAS NOT their home field).  Sorry to my friends in the Bills mafia, but it was a great season and a promising future. It makes saying “well there’s next year” more believable than the past (BTW, my hometown Lions only get worse). Stay safe & healthy…and get those vaccine shots if you can!

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“In revoking this permit, the Biden Administration has chosen to listen to the voices of fringe activists instead of union members and the American consumer on Day 1… Sadly, the Biden Administration has now put thousands of union workers out of work.”

The United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters in a Statement on the Biden Administration’s first day action to revoke a necessary permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

“The anticipated decision to cancel the Keystone Pipeline will kill thousands of good-paying Union jobs.”

Laborers' International Union of North America on the same decision

“Environmental ideologues have now prevailed, and over a thousand union men and women have been terminated from employment on the project.”

NABTU’s President Sean McGarvey.

ON THE PODCAST

Energy Podcast Visits with Gramlich – A new energy markets podcast hosted by our friend Bryan Lee launched this weekend with the first episode discussing the energy market and climate change priorities of the Biden administration and incoming Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Rich Glick.  Lee visits with our friend Rob Gramlich of Grid Strategies, who is a former FERC and wind industry official.

Columbia Podcast Looks at Biden Climate Team with Carol Browner – In this week’s Columbia Energy Exchange Podcast, host Bill Loveless discusses the Biden administration’s climate change goals and his planned appointments with Carol Browner, who spearheaded climate policy for President Barack Obama following his inauguration in 2009. With a long and distinguished career in environmental and energy policy and regulation at the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House, Carol brings unique insight to the challenges of implementing new policies and the wherewithal that’s needed to make it happen.

FUN OPINIONS

Grid Expert Says CA Not Doing Enough to Strengthen Grid – In an opinion piece in CalMatters, electric grid expert Amit Narayan writes California has a power problem that’s only going to keep rearing its head until we solve it. The true culprits of the blackout he writes are an antiquated grid and archaic market constructs that are holdovers from a less efficient era.

WSJ: Oil, Gas Moves Bad for US Consumers – In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal writes that any doubt that the Biden Administration plans to slowly regulate fossil fuels out of existence vanished in his week. After blocking the Keystone XL pipeline kill, perhaps more significantly, Biden imposed a 60-day freeze on new leases on federal lands and bureaucratic permitting. “Federal land accounts for 51.9% of New Mexico's oil production and 66.8% of its natural gas, as well as a sizable share of gas extraction in Colorado (41.6%), Utah (63.2%) and Wyoming (92.1%). A federal leasing ban would cost some 18,000 jobs in Colorado, 33,000 in Wyoming and 62,000 in New Mexico by 2022.  States would also lose hundreds of millions of dollars of mineral royalties that are shared by the feds. Oil and gas revenue accounts for 20% of New Mexico's budget. Downstream suppliers like fracking sand mines in Wisconsin and steel manufacturers in Pennsylvania would also be hit.”

FROG BLOG

HARDER LINE: Small – In her final weekly column in Axios, Amy Harder offers a big, historical view on where we are with energy and climate change as she departs for BreakthroughEnergy.  Amy writes the inauguration of President Biden completes an economic and political consensus that climate change is an urgent threat the world should aggressively address. Whether this consensus produces action remains deeply uncertain.  While we have made great strides, Harder still says “oil, natural gas and coal accounted for 81% of the world's energy consumption in 1990. Thirty years later — in 2020 — that figure dropped to 80%, mainly because of the pandemic, according to the International Energy Agency.  For all the money flowing to cleaner energy, we have a 1% drop in fossil-fuel consumption's share to show for it. It's questionable whether it would have dropped at all were it not for a terrible public health crisis.”  Finally, she highlights the two most significant challenges: politics and technologies, which makes success much harder.

IN THE NEWS

Biden Recommits to Paris – As expected, President Joe Biden on day one re-committed the US to the Paris Climate Agreement.  The UN Secretary General has communicated receipt of the US acceptance of the Paris Agreement and noting US will once again be a Party to the Agreement on February 19, 2021.  Many folks in industry commented favorably on the move including the US Chamber, API, the American Cleaning Institute, EEI, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, SEIA and ACORE. 

Biden Also Nixes Keystone – In a separate executive order, Biden formally revoked a permit for the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, an $8 billion project that would cross the Canada-U.S. border and connect the Alberta tar sands with a network of refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. TC Energy, the pipeline's developer, could challenge the move in court, but their next move is unclear given a Federal permit is necessary.  The moved angered unions that supported Biden during the campaign including LIUNA, UA Pipefitters, IBEW, International Union of Operating Engineers and North American Building Trades Union. In a joint letter to the President, several labor unions noted the pipeline would “be 100% union built” and “[m]ore than 2,000 Americans are already earning paychecks tied to the Keystone XL project” while also warning that blocking the project would mean “1,000 union jobs would vanish in the cold of winter and in the middle of a pandemic.”

Biden Blocks Leasing – President Joe Biden is poised to suspend the sale of oil and gas leases on federal land.  They by Interior order, stopped all decisions for 60-days with eyes on a longer delay.  API CEO Mike Sommers said restricting development on federal lands and waters is nothing more than an ‘import more oil’ policy. “Energy demand will continue to rise—especially as the economy recovers—and we can choose to produce that energy here in the United States or rely on foreign countries hostile to American interests.” Sommers added with this move, the administration is leading us toward more reliance on foreign energy from countries with lower environmental standards and risks to hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in government revenue for education and conservation programs.

Glick Takes Over FERC, Hanson at NRC – Our friend and FERC Commissioner Rich Glick took over as Chairman last week.  Despite the move, FERC is expected to have a 3-2 Republican majority until the term of Neil Chatterjee, a Republican, ends on June 30. Biden also said Democratic Commissioner Christopher Hanson will the chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, replacing Kristine Svinicki who exited the agency on Inauguration Day.

Trump EPA Last Minute RFS Waiver Stayed – The EPA granted two last minute waivers that were blocked by the DC Circuit as court cases are considered.  FAJC said outgoing Administration seems to have taken minimal actions to address the lingering legal and administrative issues surrounding small refiner exemptions, or SREs.  “We believe experts within the EPA understand the necessity of adequate safety valves for the renewable fuels program and wanted to go further but were turned back by the White House.  The incoming Administration appears to be holding its powder dry on next steps for the RFS program, emphasizing instead its commitment for next-step advanced biofuels.  Recent favorable trends for renewable diesel are an example of how the market is changing.” Of course, the Supreme Court’s role in taking the 10th Circuit case – which will hear arguments in April – changes the dynamic around all of these questions.

NRC Looks to Speed Reviews for Advanced Reactors – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff proposed a major rulemaking to update the environmental review process. If enacted with a vote by the Commission, the rulemaking would create a streamlined path for advanced reactor environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NRC staff plans to streamline and enhance the flexibility of the NRC’s NEPA environmental review process and to update or otherwise conform provisions to reflect NRC staff practice, while ensuring the appropriate consideration of potential environmental impacts. Additionally, this rulemaking would provide greater alignment between the environmental review process and the safety reviews for commercial advanced nuclear reactors.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

NAS Holds Meeting on Nukes – The National Academy of Engineering is hosting a virtual committee meeting today on laying the foundation for new and advanced nuclear reactors in the United States.

USEA Looks at 45Q Issues – The US Energy Assn holds a forum today at 1:00 p.m. to look at the revised 45Q Tax Credit that has been finalized by the IRS and the almost 5,600-page Omnibus contained many other provisions relating to CCUS.  USEA's Consensus Team and guest speakers Fred Eames, David Lowman, Keith Tracy, and Max Williamson as we discuss the Finalization of 45Q and discover the pertinent Omnibus sections of interest to the CCUS community. 

S&P Global Oil Conference Set – S&P Global Platts holds the Americas Petroleum and Energy Virtual Conference tomorrow to Thursday.   The event provides comprehensive coverage of the entire energy slate: oil, natural gas, and petrochemicals looking at how the energy sector will reignite operations, reboot business models, and eventually reemerge post-pandemic. Speakers will include OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Continental Resources’ Harold Hamm, KinderMorgan CEO Steven Kean and Williams Companies CEO Alan Armstrong.

Event to Look at South Asia Energy – The US-Asia Institute holds a discussion panel tomorrow wat 8:00 a.m. with three energy experts on Southeast Asia’s energy sector and members of the international business community will analyze current and upcoming energy initiatives in Southeast Asia, mechanisms through which nations in Southeast Asia - particularly Indonesia - are cooperating within the energy sector, and the impact of energy initiatives on Southeast Asian economies.

IEA to Present New Clean Energy Transition Commission – Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., the International Energy Agency holds a virtual discussion on a new global commission on people-centered clean energy transitions. Denmark’s Energy and Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen will join IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol to present the report.

Senate Commerce Host RI Gov, Commerce Nominee – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to consider the presidential nomination of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to be Secretary of the US Department of Commerce. Commerce, of course, oversees NOAA, NWS, the National Hurricane offices and numerous other climate-related agencies.

Chamber Focuses on EV Infrastructure – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds a webcast at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow on electric vehicles logistics and infrastructure. This discussion will examine the challenges of electric delivery vehicle deployment and how Congress and the Administration can help.  Speakers include Schneider Electric’s John Lindsay, Cummins Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Tech VP Amy Adams and UPS’s Thomas Jensen.

Forum Looks at Climate, Middle Class – The German Marshall Fund of the United States holds a webinar tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. focusing on how a future U.S. foreign policy could resonate with domestic demands in areas such as trade, climate, and security. David O'Sullivan, former Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, will speak.

WCEE to Look at Next Admin – Tomorrow at Noon, the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment for a discussion about what to expect in environmental and energy regulation and enforcement as a new administration takes the reigns. Environmental and energy law experts who have closely tracked and analyzed developments under the Trump administration and policy goals of the incoming Biden administration, have experience enforcing environmental laws at the DOJ and have been in the federal government during prior presidential transitions will discuss where we are.

WRI Paper Looks at RNG – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., the World Resources Institute holds a forum on the role of Renewable Natural Gas in state climate policy. During this session, experts will discuss WRI’s newly released guidance paper on RNG as a state climate strategy, followed by speakers from U.S. states and regions that will highlight local developments, current barriers, and opportunities moving forward.  Speakers include WRI’s Dan Lashof, Rebecca Smith of the Oregon Department of Energy, Clean Fuels Ohio CEO Sam Spofforth and Chris Voell of the Danish Trade Council of North America.

Forum to Look at Utility Technologies – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., ICF hosts an expert live webinar about IEEE Standard 1547-2018, which requires distributed energy resources (DER) to provide specific grid supportive functionalities. These capabilities can help improve power quality for all customers and ensure that DERs can continue to be a reliable grid resource as penetration increases and the grid transforms. Although all DERs will be required to have these functionalities enabled, inverter-based DERs can utilize smart inverters to comply with the new standards.

Bryce Talks Electricity at UT-Energy Forum – Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., UT-Austin’s Energy Institute hosts author Robert Bryce, who will talk about his latest book, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, and his new feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. He will explain why electricity has transformed humanity like no other form of energy and discuss the enormous challenge of providing electricity to the billions who are still living in dire energy poverty. He will also show how rural electrification supercharged the American economy, spotlight the fuels that will power the electric grids of the future, and explain why, in the 21st century, power equals power.

US Chamber Leaders to Discuss Federal Lands, Waters Energy Ban – U.S. Chamber Global Energy Institute president Marty Durbin and state and local Chamber leaders will discuss the Biden Administration’s planned actions to ban energy production on federal lands and waters in a briefing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.  Durbin will be joined by New Mexico Chamber of Commerce head Rob Black, Stephen Waguespeck of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and Diane Schwenke, head of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce.  Please email mletourneau@uschamber.com to RSVP. 

Forum Discusses Energy Transition – Energy Dialogues hosts a discussion tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on energy transitions and decarbonization.  The discussion will focus on how and why the energy transition can occur and what it means to businesses. It will also address global competition and ESG issues.   Speakers include Clean Air Task Force expert Lee Beck, Sempra’s Brian Lloyd, Christopher Goncalves of BRG Energy & Climate and Delta Offshore’s Bobby Quintos.

Forum to Look at Net Zero – Third Way and the University of Michigan College of Engineering will hold a forum on the “Fastest Path to Zero” tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to explore how the Biden-Harris Administration can act decisively to support clean energy, job creation, and address climate change. The conversation features Josh Freed, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Lindsey Walter of Third Way and UofM’s Todd Allen, Jennifer Haverkamp and Sarah Mills.

Businesses Discuss Look for Bipartisan Climate Action – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to look at the business case for ambitious, bipartisan climate action. At this virtual event, top corporate leaders will outline the business case for climate action. In addition, C2ES will release its detailed recommendations for the new Administration and Congress. C2ES’s Climate Innovation 2050 initiative brings together companies from key sectors to examine challenges and solutions in decarbonizing the U.S. economy. Drawing on these discussions, C2ES’s new recommendations identify top priorities to drive climate innovation, reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience, remedy inequities, and support the post-pandemic economic recovery. Senior executives from Bank of America, LafargeHolcim, and PSEG will outline the steps their companies are taking and why they also support ambitious, bipartisan climate action.

Ocean Climate Summit Set – Numerous countries will host the Ocean Climate Ambition Summit tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.  The summit will take stock of the ocean-climate dialogue and present next steps to advance ocean-climate issues through COP26, rescheduled for November. John Kerry and Sue Biniaz are among the speakers.

FERC’s Chatterjee to Headline Discussion – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., K&L Gates will host an open conversation with FERC Commissioner Neil Chatterjee to discuss energy market trends, infrastructure development, renewables, and the energy transition. Since joining the Commission, Chatterjee has championed strategic initiatives reflecting his firm commitment to ensuring that FERC regulations and actions reflect changes in today’s energy landscape. Additionally, Chatterjee has made energy infrastructure a top priority.

Senate Energy to Host Granholm – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. to consider the nomination of Jennifer Granholm to lead the Energy Department.

Event to Address Enviro Peacebuilding –The Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program holds a webcast Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. on a new special issue of International Affairs focusing on the value of environmental peacebuilding.  Speakers will illustrate the value of environmental peacebuilding both as an integrative research field and as a practice for furthering peace, sustainability, and development globally.

CCC Forum Looks CCUS Breakthrough – The Carbon Capture Coalition holds a virtual briefing on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. looking at the recently-passed Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Omnibus legislative package. This briefing features Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX) and numerous Coalition participants. The year-end bipartisan legislation includes an urgently needed two-year extension of the 45Q tax credit, and the bipartisan Energy Act of 2020, passed as part of the Omnibus, features historic authorization levels for retooled federal programs aimed at fostering research, development and commercial demonstration of carbon capture, removal, use and geologic storage.

NYU to Look at Regulations – The NYU law School’s Institute for Policy Integrity holds a forum on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to discuss how recent regulatory actions are likely to shape the regulatory and political strategies of President Biden’s new administration.  Speakers will include former Clinton OMB head Sally Katzen, Public Citizen’s Amit Narang and Bethany Noll, head of NYU Law’s State Energy and Environmental Impact Center.

Hydrogen Roadmap Discussed – On Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association holds the Northeast Regional debut of the “Road Map to a U.S. Hydrogen Economy” highlighting hydrogen's potential to reduce emissions and drive economic growth.  The findings of the Road Map will be detailed by Kimberly Henderson, Partner at McKinsey & Company.  Other industry panelists include Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh, Air Liquide North America Hydrogen President Karine Boissy-Rousseau, Toyota Motor North America’s Robert Wimmer, Microsoft’s Mark Monroe, Air Products’ Eric Guter and NEL Hydrogen’s Stephen Szymanski.

GWU Host Climate Elements Forum – GWU hosts a forum on Wednesday at Noon to discuss Earth, air, wind and fire, key essential ingredients of life. The talk discusses their roles in climate change, the dangers of precipitating an anthropogenic mass extinction, and actions humanity could take to avoid that.  Oxford Experts David Hendry, Jennifer Castle and James Foster Join GWU’s Sunil Sharman and ASU’s Ann Florini for the discussion. 

SEJ Hosts 2021 Agenda Forum – The Society of Environmental Journalists holds its 9th annual 2021 Journalists’ Guide to Energy & Environment on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. The event will feature leading journalists offering their predictions for the year ahead, plus special guests.  Keynote speaker will be White House National Climate Advisor and former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.  NPR’s Neela Bannerjee will moderate a panel of journalists that currently includes LAT‘s Sammy Roth, Mark Trahant of Indian County Today and Grist’s Yvette Cabrera. 

Report Assesses TX Role in EV Development – On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Advance Energy Economy holds a web event on whether Texas will be the Detroit of EVs.  Drawing on the new report, “Electric Transportation Supply Chain in Texas,” prepared by BW Research Partnership for the Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance, this webinar, presented by TAEBA and AEE, will look at the opportunities in Texas and other states to enter the auto, truck, and bus industry as it converts from gasoline and diesel to electric power. 

Forum to Look at NREL State, Local Program for Clean Energy – The Clean Energy States Alliance hosts a webinar Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. that will explore the newly updated State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform and applications for clean energy planning. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will share new SLOPE components. Find accessible charts and maps to use in plans and presentations and learn how you can access and apply SLOPE’s data on efficiency, renewables, and (coming soon) sustainable transportation opportunities and potential for states. NREL’s Megan Day presents. 

Forum to Look at Transmission – Americans for the Clean Energy Grid holds a webinar Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to introduce a report on transmission planning.  The report/event looks more closely at FERC's opportunity to spur more cost-effective transmission infrastructure and calls on FERC to build on its previous orders and strengthen transmission planning through such a rulemaking, provides the evidentiary basis for the Commission to take such an action, and offers a number of specific suggested policy changes. The event will include a discussion moderated by Rob Gramlich, report co-author and Executive Director of ACEG.  The speaker list is outstanding and includes former FERC Commissioners Betsy Moler, Jim Hoecker, Pat Wood, Nora Brownell, Joe Kelliher, Phil Moeller, Jon Wellinghoff and Norman Bay.  ACORE’s Greg Wetstone, ACP’s Amy Farrell and former DOE transmission official Peter Fox-Penner also speak.

Groups talk State-Fed Partnership on Energy – In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs, NASEO will be soon begin holding a new series of meetings and discussions designed to identify opportunities for enhanced state-federal collaboration on the validation and deployment of later-stage, pre-commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for buildings, with a focus on public buildings and facilities.  The first webinar Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. will introduce DOE EERE’s technology validation efforts and offer examples of innovative technology validation approaches by State Energy Offices. The event will offer a primer on Technology Validation developed for State Energy Offices, and will share needs/priorities for energy efficiency and/or renewable energy technologies.   

Forum to Look at Future of Ethanol – EcoEngineers will hold a forum on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to look back at 2020 and look forward to 2021. The second installment in our "crystal ball" series is all about ethanol EE’s in-house experts will discuss the trends with low-carbon fuel projects, various carbon credit markets, and predictions for the future of low-carbon fuel standards.

Forum Focuses on MicroGrids – Power Magazine holds a webinar on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. that will look at microgrids. The webcast features experts on microgrid design and installation, who will review the “Why” behind the technology, the “Plan” to incorporate it into the utility portfolio, and the “Install,” with an example of how one utility worked closely with its customer to accomplish the goals of satisfying the customer’s wish for renewable energy and a reliable source of power.

USEA Holds State of Energy Industry – On Thursday starting at 9:30 a.m., the US Energy Assn holds its annual State of the Energy Industry Forum. USEA begins each calendar year with its widely-recognized State of the Energy Industry Forum. The Forum brings together distinguished leaders from the most influential energy trade associations to share their outlook and to discuss dynamic issues facing the energy industry in the new year.

Event Looks at Hydrogen Challenges, Opportunities – On Thursday 9:00 a.m., Reuters Events holds an hour-long panel discussion looking at hydrogen scale and its role in Net zero emissions scenarios.  The event will discuss how, when, and where clean hydrogen production can be achieved at scale, key challenges in scaling up production (both technical and commercial), needed government support, infrastructure development and investor appetite to fund large scale projects.  Speakers include DOE Hydrogen expert Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Noe van Hulst of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), Hydrogen Europe Secretary-General Jorgo Chatzimarkarkis and Valérie Cazaban of H2V Industry.

Forum to Look s at Renewables to UN Peacekeeping – The Henry L. Stimson Center holds a webinar on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. looking at future renewable energy use for UN peace operations. The event is hosted by the Missions of Norway and the United Arab Emirates to the UN and will present the latest evidence from the field on ways to reduce peacekeeping missions’ reliance on high-cost diesel in favor of cleaner more effective sustainable energy infrastructure options that benefit UN missions, support host communities, and meet the UN Secretariat’s climate goals.

ELI Looks at Gas Stations, Energy Transition – On Thursday at Noon, the Environmental Law Institute, Coltura, and expert panelists to explore research examining gas stations through the lens of the climate crisis and the rise of electric vehicles. The event looks at four emerging trends – the climate crisis, the rise of electric vehicles, the aging of underground storage tanks and new research on gas station pollution. Panelists will review leading policy proposals that empower states and local governments to regulate gas stations to advance their climate goals, reduce pollution of air, soil, and groundwater, improve public health and save taxpayers money.

Forum Discusses Carbon Neutral Building Codes – The New Buildings Institute holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on carbon neutral building codes.  The webinar looks at opportunities for states and cities to leverage their energy codes in order to maximize carbon reductions and minimize costs including a broad overview of best practice strategies and approach in action. NBI staff will introduce new “decarbonization code language” that it is compatible with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and can be adopted as an overlay option. The code language and supporting guidance, which will help adopting agencies move to carbon neutral requirements in newly constructed homes and commercial buildings. 

EPA Green Power Program Detailed – The annual state of the voluntary Green Power Market webinar will be held on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. This annual EPA webinar is focused primarily on the voluntary market, through which consumers and institutions voluntarily procure renewable energy for all or part of their electricity needs. The webinar will present information on the various green power product options with information on their trends in green power purchasing; continued growth of new green power procurement options, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), community solar programs, and community choice aggregations; and trends of GPP partners green power use and diversification.  The presentations draw heavily on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's recently published Status and Trends in the U.S. Voluntary Green Power Market as well as the Green Power Partnership's program data. Speakers include EPA's Green Power Partnership Program Manager Christopher Kent and Eric O'Shaughnessy, a consultant that specializes in distributed energy resources and voluntary green power market research.

DOE to Look at Building Efficiency – The Department of Energy Better Buildings Residential Network holds a webinar on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. focused on diversity and inclusion in residential energy efficiency.  The event will look at what's being done and if it is working.

Forum to Look at Biden Clean Energy Plan – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., leading experts on clean energy hold a one-hour webinar to gain market insights on the federal and state policies and government programs for solar and energy storage over the next four years. The event will discuss the Biden Plan for a Clean Energy Future, explore the rollout and impact of the Biden administration plan at federal agencies such as FERC, the DOE and EPA, and look at which US states are taking leadership roles.  Clean Energy for Biden Audrey Lee is among the speakers

Hayhoe address Climate, COVID – The Baker Energy Institute at Rice University holds a forum on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. featuring Katharine Hayhoe, co-director of the Climate Center at Texas Tech University.   Hayhoe will discuss her work as an atmospheric scientist and a renowned science communicator who works to bridge cultural and political divides with regard to climate science.

WEN DC Trivia Kick Off Event – On Thursday, the DC Chapter of the Women’s Energy Network is hosting a fun night of virtual trivia, games, and networking. The event is will feature raffle prizes, energy themed trivia and games, and a chance for small group networking at the end. Registration is FREE.

NYU Forum to Look at Climate Rules, Impacts – The NYU Law's Institute for Policy Integrity and the Environmental Defense Fund hold a webinar on Friday at Noon looking at old laws and their Impacts on new climate policy ambitions.  This webinar will explore this challenge by considering New York's clean energy transition and tensions between old laws and the landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

EESI holds Congressional Education Sessions – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) will host an all-new, start-of-the-new-Congress Climate Camp online briefing series which starts Friday at 2:00 p.m. The training will go over the basics of the legislative process, highlighting key areas and opportunities for achieving near-term and long-term carbon reductions through policy. The first session will look at the budget and appropriations process already underway for fiscal year 2022. Presenters will include our friends Franz Wuerfmannsdobler of the Bipartisan Policy Center (formerly Congressional staffer for Sens. Coons (D-DE), Dorgan (D-ND) and Bob Byrd and former DOE and Senate Energy official Karen Wayland. The session will dive into how stimulus packages take shape, the role of climate action in stimulus, and what to expect in the upcoming months as the new administration and the 117th Congress work to address the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IN THE FUTURE

POLITICO to Look at Energy Transition Policies – On Tuesday February 2nd at 10:00 a.m., POLITICO hosts a virtual deep-dive conversation to explore policy proposals and practices that could be most effective in helping communities with economies that rely on fossil fuels navigate the energy transition.

Brookings Looks at Climate, Market Regs – Next Tuesday February 2nd at 3:00 p.m., the Center on Regulation and Market at Brookings holds an forum to host Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Mary Schapiro, vice chair of global public policy at Bloomberg L.P., former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and head of the Secretariat of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, for a discussion on climate change and financial market regulations. This event will shed light on ideas and trends in this increasingly important area.

USEA Looks at Australian Power Market – The US Energy Association, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development, is hosting a webinar on Tuesday February 2nd at 4:30 p.m. on Independent Market Monitors. This webinar will feature a presentation by Scott Johnston, director at the Australian Energy Regulator. He will discuss how market monitoring takes place within Australia’s electricity-market framework.  This webinar is part of a series on Independent market Monitors under our Energy Utility Partnership Program under USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI), aimed at presenting options for conducting and monitoring of electricity markets.

BPC Hosts EIA Energy Outlook – The Bipartisan Policy Center will host a webinar on Wednesday February 3rd that will feature the release of the 2021 EIA Annual Energy Outlook. The event will feature a presentation by EIA Deputy Administrator Stephen Nalley and EIA Assistant Administrator for Energy Analysis Angelina LaRose, followed by a Q&A discussion with a panel of EIA experts.  AEO Outlook provides modeled projections of domestic energy markets through 2050, including cases with different assumptions about macroeconomic growth, world oil prices, and technological progress.

EPSA to Talk 2021 Policy Agenda – The Electric Power Supply Assn will hold a press briefing on February 4th at 11:00 a.m. to look at its 2021 energy agenda. Speakers will Include Vistra CEO Curt Morgan and EPSA CEO Todd Snitchly.

Columbia to Host UCSB’s Stokes – On Thursday, February 4th at 3:00 p.m., Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) will host activist/academic Dr. Leah Stokes University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) for a fireside chat moderated by Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs Vice Dean Scott Barrett and Columbia Business School professor. Leah will cover the role that utilities have played in promoting climate denial and rolling back clean energy laws. It will also discuss the federal agenda for climate action in 2021, and how the new Biden-Harris administration can move forward to cut carbon emissions while also battling the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing income inequality and racial injustice.

NARUC Winter Conference Set – The National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners will hold its Winter Policy Summit virtually on February 4th, 5th and 8-11th.  The event includes panels on Hydrogen, LNG, DERC order 2222, Grid resilience, COVID impacts on utilities, EVs/grid and natgas decarbonization.  Among the speakers will be NW Natural’s David Anderson, NGSA head Dena Wiggins, NRC Commissioner David Wright, API’s Riley Smith and Laura Nelson of the Green Hydrogen Coalition.

GW to Host Discussion of Politics, Journalism – George Washington University’s School of Media & Public Affairs (SMPA) community continues to be a protagonist in media and public affairs. Alumni, faculty, and National Council members work in and report from the White House and Congress, work in advocacy and strategic communication organizations to influence public opinion and policy, and conduct research on fundamental issues affecting the health of information and democracy.  To that end, SMPA lead by SMPA professor Peter Loge, will host a conversation on Thursday February 4th at 6:00 p.m. about where politics and journalism are headed.  I will join the panel with my friends/GW Colleagues Dante Chinni of the WSJ (fellow Warren, MI native) and Rebekah Tromble, SMPA’s Director of the Institute for Data, Democracy, and Politics (IDDP).

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

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

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

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

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