Energy Update: Week of July 12

Friends,               

Hope you had a great holiday week.  I am starting off this week by asking for your help.  You all know I’m a bike rider and with the Tour d’ France nearing its closing stages, I wanted to share that I’ll be participating in Pelotonia charity bike ride on August 7^th in Columbus, OH.  Pelotonia is a global community that is committed to accelerating funding for innovative cancer research which has raised more than $200 million for cancer research based at Ohio State Med Center.  Every single dollar raised is invested in the brightest minds in cancer research who are making cancer therapies less toxic and more effective for patients. Bottom line: I am asking for your support of my fundraising goal as I ride this 50-mile ride for Cancer research. To make a donation, please follow this link to my profile page.  Any little bit helps.

On to the action.  First, great news for our Bracewell Energy Team: Rachael Marsh, a seven-year FERC veteran has rejoined our DC office as a partner in the energy regulatory practice. Marsh held various positions at FERC, including most recently as a top legal advisor to former FERC Chairman and now Commissioner Neil Chatterjee. She will be a great resource for you as you cover FERC-related action going forward. 

Congress rolls back into town for a four-week push to August focused on infrastructure, police reform, climate and budget issues. The biggest event this week may be Wednesday’s Senate Energy markup/vote of Chair Joe Manchin’s lengthy energy infrastructure bill.  Other items include House Approps pushing forward on energy funding today, two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees meeting on oversight of NRC and the Senate Enviro approving some key environment nominations on Wednesday, the House Select Climate Committee holding a Thursday hearing on environmental justice through climate action/infrastructure investments and the House Science Committee discussing equity in energy innovation in a Friday hearing with Dan Kammen.

Off the Hill, BPC hosts a forum on net-zero and potential Clean Energy Standards tomorrow featuring Reps. Casten and Armstrong. Axios holds a virtual event on Wednesday looking at the future of alternative energy with Sen. Ed Markey, ACP CEP Heather Zichal and GE Renewable Energy CEO Jérôme Pécresse. On Thursday, Rep. John Curtis joins Washington Post Live to discuss the goals of the newly launched Conservative Climate Caucus.

And congrats to our friend and former BP PR guy in DC Jason Ryan who is now senior media relations manager at American Clean Power.

It was pretty awesome celebrating in the North End of Boston (we were visiting Hannah/Adam) yesterday after Italy overtook England in penalty kicks to win the Soccer’s EuroCup and Novak Djokovic tied Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, winning his 20^th Grand Slam title in Wimbledon final yesterday. Finally, the British Open Starts on Thursday.  Stay safe & healthy and get those vaccine shots if you can.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“[Rachael] is my ace and she is my closer. I don’t make decisions without getting her judgment, and checking with her first, but it’s not just me whose trust she has gained. She has also gained the trust of my colleagues, of staff, and of stakeholders who know her to be an honest broker, a hard worker, and a pragmatic problem solver.”

 FERC Commissioner/former Chair Neil Chatterjee at FERC’s May 20, 2021 public meeting thanking Rachael Marsh for her service.

ON THE PODCAST

CSIS Talks with ClearView’s Tezak on Pipelines – In the latest episode of CSIS’s Energy 360⁰, host Ben Cahill is joined by Christi Tezak (Clear View Energy Partners) to discuss oil pipelines in the United States. Christi and Ben look at how the Biden Administration is approaching pipeline issues, new actions from state-level governments, recent court rulings, and how these decisions may impact future pipeline projects.

CapCrude Looks at OPEC Fight – In this episode of the Platts podcast Capital Crude, hosts look at the UAE and Saudi Arabia dispute over how to ease oil-production limits as global demand recovers from the pandemic. Nareeka Ahir, a geopolitical analyst at S&P Global Platts Analytics, talks about the oil market risks that could emerge from the fight. She also shares the latest geopolitical risks from the Iran nuclear talks, Iraq's widespread power outages, Nigeria's oil facility attacks and Libya's volatile oil output.

FUN OPINIONS

Lake Barrett on 10 Years After Fukushima – In an interview on 60 Minutes, former Energy Department official Lake Barrett discusses the cleanup work at Tokyo Electric Power Company's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Barrett, who oversaw the Three Mile Island cleanup, is now a senior adviser for TEPCO. Lesley Stahl reports on the unprecedented cleanup effort which includes four-legged robots, robots that climb stairs and even robots that can swim into reactors flooded with water. They're equipped with 3D scanners, sensors and cameras that map the terrain, measure radiation levels and look for the missing fuel.

FROG BLOG

WSJ: France Falling Short on Climate – In editorial, The Wall Street Journal writes that French President Emmanuel Macron’s climate-change amendment to the its constitution effectively died this week, tripping u his agenda and potential reelection. Its failure is the latest example in Western democracies of the disconnect between elites obsessed with climate change and the public.

FUN FACTS

Helium Processing Moving:  The US is closing its helium reserve. Air Liquide Is focused on providing helium for the market which includes medical and Industrial uses.  Recently, Gazprom of Russia has launched the first of six helium processing and storage plants and will produce 45 to 60 million cubic metric tons. Here are the Top 4 helium producers, in million cubic meters of helium production, in 2020:

1.            United States - 74 mcm

2.            Qatar - 45 mcm

3.            Algeria - 14 mcm

4.            Russia - 4.5 mcm               

IN THE NEWS

Top FERC Legal Advisor Rachael Marsh Rejoins Bracewell’s Energy Team – Bracewell announced today that Rachael Novier Marsh, a seven-year veteran of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), has rejoined the firm in its Washington, DC office as a partner in its energy regulatory practice. Marsh held various positions at FERC, including most recently as a top legal advisor to former FERC Chairman and now Commissioner Neil Chatterjee. Marsh will focus her practice on representing energy-sector stakeholders in legal, regulatory and policy matters with a nexus to FERC and other federal and state policymakers, drawing on her years of deep involvement in FERC’s substantive work. From January 2019 through June 2021, Marsh served as Chatterjee’s lead legal advisor. Prior to joining Chatterjee’s staff, Marsh spent three years as an attorney-advisor in FERC’s Office of the General Counsel, where she led multidisciplinary teams in preparing recommendations and drafting Commission orders, including on organized market issues. Marsh joined FERC in 2014 as a trial attorney focused on utility and pipeline rate matters in FERC’s Office of Administrative Litigation, after more than five years as an associate in Bracewell’s Austin and Washington, DC offices.

House Approps Increases Energy Spending – Over the weekend, House appropriators proposed a $1.5 billion boost to the funding for the Department of Energy and related agencies boosting plans to decarbonize the U.S. grid and prepare the country for stronger storms and more persistent droughts.

The text of the energy and water appropriation bill released Sunday calls for providing a total of $53.2 billion for the programs that fall under its purview.  Appropriators are seeking to increase DOE's budget by 7.9% to $45.1 billion, continuing a bipartisan trend of recent years. This is on top of increased proposed spending at EPA as well.

Yellen Looks at Financial Risks of Climate – Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says she will lead an effort by top U.S. regulators to assess the potential risk that climate change poses to America’s financial system, part of a wide-ranging initiative launched by the Biden administration. Yellen says the regulatory review, which will be done by the Financial Stability Oversight Council will examine whether banks and other lending institutions are properly assessing the risks to financial stability.

National Lineworkers Day Celebrated Saturday – EEI, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) all joined together over the weekend to observe National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Celebrated annually, the day honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first IBEW president, and our nation’s nearly 75,000 electrical lineworkers, who often work around the clock and in dangerous conditions to ensure that the customers and communities they serve have access to safe and reliable electricity. Lineworkers also maintain and enhance the energy grid and play a critical role in delivering America’s clean energy future.

Rig Counts Rises Again – Baker Hughes said the oil and rig count increased for the second week in a row for the week ending July 9, with four rigs added, bringing the total to 479. The total number of rigs is at the highest level since April 2020 and 85.7% greater than the number of rigs in place at the same time last year.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

NARUC Discusses Virtual Power Plants – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners holds a virtual discussion today at 3:00 p.m. on moving from theory to practice on Virtual Power Plants. Virtual power plants (VPPs) are systems that manage a network of distributed energy resources (DERs) of various types across a geographic area, aggregating control of those resources to provide and be compensated for energy, capacity, and/or services to the grid. During this webinar, speakers will focus on specific examples where DERs are being aggregated to act as resources and/or grid assets in addition to providing customer benefits. We will explore how the installed VPPs are working from both an operational/technical and economic/policy perspective. 

Forum to Look at Western Energy Markets – The 24^th annual Mid-C Seminar will be held today and tomorrow looking at progress and challenges in the Western Energy Markets. Speakers include a keynote from FERC Commissioner Alison Clements Today at 4:15 p.m.

CSIS Forum Features NNSA Director – Tomorrow and Wednesday, the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues and Los Alamos National Laboratory hold their 2021 Summer Conference. The virtual conference will feature a keynote address by the Acting Administrator of the NNSA (Dr. Charles Verdon), as well as presentations from emerging nuclear experts covering topics such as nuclear policy and strategies, arms control and proliferation challenges, technology and capabilities, and deterrence.

BPC Holds Clean Energy Standard Forum – The Bipartisan Policy Center holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on building faster to achieve net-zero.  The discussion will focus largely on Clean Energy Standards and BPC’s 23 federal policy recommendations from its Smarter, Cleaner, Faster Infrastructure Task Force that will accelerate the deployment of clean infrastructure.  Speakers include Rep. Sean Casten and Kelly Armstrong, former LA Gov Bobby Jindal and my colleague Scott Segal.

USEA Forum Focused on Solar PV – The US Energy Association holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on using renewables to operate a low-carbon grid.  The forum will feature a demonstration of advanced reliability services from utility-scale solar PV and utility-scale wind plants. This webinar will provide an overview of the tests, results, and how advanced reliability services from utility-scale solar PV & Wind Plants can aid in operating a low-carbon grid.  The main speaker will be Clyde Loutan, the principal for Renewable Energy Integration at the California Independent System Operator.

White House Climate Officials Talk Biden Policy – The New Democratic Network is holding an in-depth briefing tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on President Biden’s climate agenda with two people working on it every day in the White House, David Kieve and Jane Flegal.

House Resources Marks Up – The House Natural Resources Committee markup of several pieces of legislation on public lands, waters and the environment tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in subcommittee and Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. in Full.

Forum Look sat EV Infrastructure – The AEE Institute, NARUC, NASEO, and EVgo hold a virtual tour and charging demonstration tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at EVgo public fast charging sites in Baltimore and California. The event offers a behind the scenes look at the development of fast changing stations and learn how charging networks are adapting to meet a rapidly advancing market. EVgo’s Vice President of Market Development and Public Policy Sara Rafalson and Systems Engineer Jeremy Whaling will share the latest insights on technology trends in electric vehicle charging and EVgo’s plan to triple its charging network in partnership with General Motors. Special appearance by Jamie Hall of General Motors to talk about the automaker’s ambitious goals for an all-electric future.

Forum to Look at Illegal Resource Extraction – The International Conservation Caucus Foundation holds a summit tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at the Willard Hotel on illegal resource extraction. The program will focus on three specific areas: illegal fishing, natural resource/critical mineral supply chain security, and deforestation. The summit will highlight regional perspectives and provide an opportunity to discuss how the United States and international partners can work together in addressing these important issues.  Speakers include Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and John Garamendi (D-CA); Sens Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), James Risch (R-ID) and Mike Braun (R-IN), as well as several others.

Forum Looks at Clean Energy – The WRISE Webinar Series continues tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. looking at equitable access in clean energy the panel discusses how policy can help create a more equitable energy future.  Speakers include Paula Garcia of the Union of Concerned Scientists, Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute’s Dana Harmon and DOE Energy Justice & Workforce Senior Advisor Nicole Steele. 

Poynter Hosts Miles O’Brien – The Poynter Institute hosts a forum tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. looking at what’s next in aviation’s race against climate change during an engaging Q&A with PBS NewsHour’s chief science correspondent, award-winning independent journalist and our friend Miles O’Brien.  O’Brien will share more than three decade’s worth of insight as a science and climate reporter for outlets spanning from local broadcast newsrooms in Washington, D.C., Boston, Tampa and Albany to national outlets including CNN and PBS. Plus, as an accomplished pilot who often flies his own plane to cover the latest innovations in flight, O’Brien will describe what it’s like to elevate breakthroughs in aerospace technology.

Bloomberg Sustainability Summit Set – Tomorrow and Wednesday, Bloomberg holds its Sustainable Business Summit Global. The Summit bring together business leaders and investors globally to drive innovation and scale best practices in sustainable business and finance. This global event will span key markets and time zones, leveraging Bloomberg's unrivaled markets expertise to convene conversations uniquely focused on the risks and opportunities for corporate executives and forward-thinking investors in a 21^st Century economy.  bp’s Bernard Looney will be among the many speakers.

Senate Enviro to Consider Noms – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. on the nominations of Alejandra Castillo to be assistant Commerce secretary for Economic Development, Jane Nishida to be assistant EPA administrator for International and Tribal Affairs, Jeffrey Prieto to be EPA general counsel, and Michael Connor to be assistant secretary of the Army for civil works at the Department of Defense.

Senate Energy Considers Manchin Energy Legislation – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a markup of Sen. Joe Manchin’s energy infrastructure proposal on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

House Transpo to Look at Budget – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on President Biden's FY2022 Budget Request: Agency Policies and Perspectives (Part II).  Witnesses include Patrick Breysse, Director of the HHS Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; Radhika Fox, Assistant EPA administrator for the Office of Water; Terry Cosby, Chief of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service; Nicole LeBoeuf, Acting assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service and Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

House Energy Hosts NRC – The House Energy and Commerce Committee panels on energy and environment hold a joint hearing Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. on oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC Chairman Hanson and Commissioners Baran and Wright will testify.

OEP Forum Looks at Offshore Wind – OurEnergyPolicy continues its webinar series on Wednesday at Noon looking at bringing offshore wind to market. This conversation will discuss the opportunities and challenges that are unique to bringing offshore wind projects to market in the Northeast in the near term and other coastal areas in the medium term. Will Roberts of Foss Maritime and clean energy leader and chief executive João Metelo both speak. Congressman Jerry McNerney provides opening remarks.

Axios to Host Conversations with Markey, Zichel, GE CEO – Axios holds a virtual event on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. looking at the future of alternative energy as a part of its Energy Forward series.  The event will discuss innovations from offshore wind to increased momentum around hydrogen and nuclear power and the impacts they'll make this year and beyond.  Axios Energy Reporter Ben Geman will host one-on-one conversations with Sen. Ed Markey and ACP CEP Heather Zichal.  Axios Co-founder & CEO Jim VandeHei will host a View from the Top segment with GE Renewable Energy CEO Jérôme Pécresse.

NAS Holds Meeting on Report – The National Academies will hold meetings Wednesday and Thursday to discuss Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System, a new report that outlines critical near-term policies needed for the decarbonization effort with a focus on ways to support communities that will be most impacted. As part of input gathering for the study's next report, committee members will meet with experts on climate justice and equity to discuss the recommendations from the first report and how future work can best support a just transition. Forums will be held on Wednesday from 3-4:30pm ET and Thursday from 1-2:30pm ET.

House Armed Services Looks at Enviro Programs – The House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. to address the FY2022 budget request for military construction, energy, and environmental programs.

Forum Looks at Climate Corps – On Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., Evergreen Action holds a virtual discussion on the need for a Civilian Climate Corps.  Sen. Ed Markey speaks.

Forum to Discuss CCS Report – The Global CCS Institute will be holding an interactive webinar on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. where policy and industry experts will take a closer look at the findings of the Institute’s latest thought leadership report, titled ‘Unlocking Private Finance to Support CCS Investments’.  The event will unpack climate finance, discuss the urgent need for rapid CCS deployment and provide insights on what’s needed to further incentivize CCS funding from industry. The Report also outlines what governments and private actors can do over the next decade to enable CCS to reach necessary scale.

FERC Open Meeting – Thursday at 10:00 a.m.  Some say this may be Neil Chatterjee’s final meeting.

Curtis Join WaPo Live Forum – On Thursday, July 15 at 10:00 a.m., Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) joins Washington Post Live to discuss the goals of the newly launched Conservative Climate Caucus, the historic drought in his home state and the negotiations in Congress over infrastructure.

Forum to Look at Hydrogen in Europe – The US Energy Association holds a virtual discussion on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. looking at lessons learned from initial experiences with low carbon hydrogen in Europe. Julia Frayer moderates a discussion with experts from Frontier Economics on the topic.

Forum to Look at Infrastructure Security Implications – The American Security Project holds a forum on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. on America’s infrastructure priorities.  The event will look at the far-reaching implications for national security – both within and outside the United States. Investments in the national grid, renewable energy, electric vehicles, carbon capture, and technological development, among other opportunities, have the potential to improve American competitiveness abroad while increasing resiliency and mitigation at home. Infrastructure legislation will play an outsized role in America’s climate security moving forward.  Speaker include CFR’s Alice Hill, Margaret Jackson of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and Fusion Industry Association CEO Andrew Holland.

ACCF Hosts CBO Director – On Thursday at 12:00 p.m., the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) will host Phillip Swagel, the 10^th Director of the Congressional Budget Office.  Swagel served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy from 2006 to 2009, where he played an important role in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was part of the U.S. government's response to the financial crisis of 2007–08. He has recently been a Professor in International Economics at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, a non-resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, senior fellow at the Milken Institute.

House Banking Looks at Block Grants for Resilience – The House Financial Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on Thursday at Noon focused on CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Disaster Recovery for States and Cities as well as denials of funding.

Granholm to Discuss Solar Program with Mayors – Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm holds a mayors' roundtable on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. to launch of the Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP+) tool, which streamlines the permit application process to enable faster deployment of clean energy. The tool makes it easier for local governments to issue permits for rooftop solar and solar-plus-storage projects, instantly approving permits that comply with building codes and other specifications, potentially saving thousands of dollars per installation. Granholm will discuss SolarAPP+ with DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office Director Dr. Becca Jones-Albertus, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s SolarAPP+ project lead, Jeff Cook, and mayors from across the country.

House Resources Looks at Tire Chems, Impacts on Salmon – The House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on chemicals from tires and playground surfaces and their impacts on endangered salmon. Washington State Professor Jenifer McIntyre and Sarah Amick, Senior counsel and vice president of environment, health, safety and sustainability at the U.S. Tire Manufacturer's Association, testify.

WCEE Hosts DOE’s Speakes-Backman – The  Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment will hold a forum on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. featuring a conversation between WCEE President Barbara Tyran and DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly Speakes-Backman about the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where she oversees the planning and execution of the organization’s $2.8B portfolio of research, development, demonstration, and deployment activities in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation. 

House Climate Looks at EJ Issues – The House Climate Crisis Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. on advancing Environmental Justice through climate action.

Forum to Look at Security Risks, Climate – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Climate Communications Initiative hosts a forum on climate change and its impacts to security at home and abroad. Our friend Lisa Friedman will moderate a conversation with Erin Sikorsky (The Center for Climate and Security) and Swathi Veeravalli (U.S. Africa Command) about how different parts of the security community are thinking about climate risks, what implications these risks hold for policy and planning, and where there are capacity gaps or aspects of climate security that need more research.

House Approps Moves Energy/Water Funding – On Friday at 9:00 a.m., the House Appropriations Committee holds a markup of the FY2022 Energy and Water Development appropriation bill; and the FY2022 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development appropriation bill.

House Science Looks at Innovation Agenda – The House Science Committee’s Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on Friday at 10:00 a.m. on fostering equity in energy Innovation. Witnesses include Cal-Berkeley’s Dan Kammen, Michigan State’s Shobita Parthasarathy, Bruno Grunau of NREL’s Cold Climate Housing Research Center  and Brown University’s Myles Lennon. 

Forum Looks at EU Green Del Impact on Food – The American Bar Association holds a virtual discussion on Friday at 11:00 a.m. looking at the EU's Green Deal and Its impact on food and agriculture. Panelists will discuss the Green Deal’s new paradigm for food and agriculture, and provide their unique perspectives on its impacts. Among the speakers are Valentyna Zayets, Head of the Ukrainian Economy, Trade and Agriculture Ministry's Department of State Policy in the Field of Organic Production and Syngenta’s Kris Ramaraju.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum to Look at Resilience – Next Monday at Noon, the Security and Sustainability Forum hosts a discussion with George Washington University Energy Resilience Certificate instructors for a 75-minute discussion introducing the program and how energy systems are changing to meet climate resilience and energy security challenges.  

Forum to Look at CO2 Recycling – The Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy will host a webinar on Monday July 19^th at 1:00 p.m. sharing key findings from a new report, “Opportunities and Limits of CO2 Recycling in a Circular Carbon Economy: Techno-economics, Critical Infrastructure Needs, and Policy Priorities.” This report aims to help investors and policymakers understand key issues and technology limits and navigate the dynamic landscape of CO2 recycling for hard-to-abate sectors. This webinar will feature a short presentation by Dr. Julio Friedmann, CGEP Senior Research Scholar, and Amar Bhardwaj, Marshall Scholar and incoming Stanford University PhD Student, followed by a moderated panel discussion with leaders in industry, technology, policymaking and government.  DOE Fossil Asst Sect Jennifer Wilcox will keynote. 

WRISE to Hold Town Hall – The Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) Executive Director, Kristen Graf, and Senior Manager, Operations and Programs, E'Lon Cohen Hall hold an online Town Hall next Monday at 1:00 p.m., the beginning of WRISE Week.  The meeting will highlight the latest in new WRISE events and programs, discuss our visions for the future, and of course there will be plenty of time for questions and ideas from participants. 

Hill Forum Looks at Trucks – The Hill hosts a policy forum on Tuesday July 20^th at 1:00 p.m. on zero-emissions trucks.  The event is the second of The Hill's three-part series will bring together lawmakers, truck manufacturers and business leaders to discuss policies supporting zero-emission trucks, domestic manufacturing of these vehicles and job growth in this sector. Speakers will include Rep. Debbie Dingell and Proterra CEO Jack Allen.

SEC Comissioner to Address ESG Issues – On Tuesday July 20^th at 2:00 p.m., Brookings hosts SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce to share her perspective on Environmental Social Governance (ESG) issues. The conversation will continue with a panel representing investors and the public interest who will react to Commissioner Peirce and share their own views.

BPC Hosts Members on ESG – The Bipartisan Policy Center will hold a forum on Tuesday July 20 at 2:00 p.m. featuring Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), two of the leading voices on ESG and disclosure issues.  The event will pose whether companies are disclosing enough material information to what would be considered a reasonable investor?

Forum Looks at Women in Renewable Energy – On Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., ELI’s Women in Environmental Law and Leadership (WELL) initiative and expert panelists hold a discussion on the role of women in the development of the environmental movement—and looking at the current opportunities for women in the emerging “green economy”; specifically, critical environmental and climate change policies under the Biden Administration and the Administration’s “green jobs revolution.”

Forum to Look at ESG Investing – The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy program (WIE) will host a discussion on Thursday July 22^nd at 10:00 a.m. looking at what this focus on “Social” goals means for investment trends in the energy sector. Panelists will consider how ESG is influencing decision-making across the full financial spectrum from venture capital to IPOs to publicly trading equity market trends. They will also address best practices, policy recommendations, and what energy companies are doing to address investor pressure on social issues. Speakers include Ruth Dressen of Triten Energy Partners, Carlyle’s Kara Helander and Veery Maxwell of Energy Innovation.

Energy Economists Talk Carbon Price, Grassroots – The US Energy Economists holds its monthly meeting on Thursday July 22^nd at 11:00 a.m. featuring a discussion of carbon prices and grass roots with Danny Ritcher. The focus of the discussion will be on the intersection between a carbon price to address greenhouse gas emissions and today's politics at the federal level. Dr. Danny Ritcher of the Citizens' Climate Lobby will highlight the major features of policies before Congress, and talk about significant shifts in support for this idea both from the business community and from other countries. He will also highlight economic research framing the policy debate and where to find it for those who would like to read more.

Forum to Look at Green Amendments – On Thursday July 22^nd at Noon, the Environmental Law Institute, Green Amendments for the Generations, and leading panelists from across the country hold a forum to explore the potential for Green Amendments to secure the constitutional recognition and protection of the right to a healthy environment and to provide a new path to help secure true Environmental Justice for all.

AEI Hosts Chatterjee, Discussion on Electricity Markets – On Thursday July 22^nd at 2:00 p.m., the American Enterprise Institute will hold a forum on electricity markets, costs reliability and cross Subsidies. With an opening address by Commissioner Neil Chatterjee of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and presentations from four well-known experts, this event will explore the respective benefits and adverse effects of the traditional system and a more competitive model.

Clean Energy Expo Set – The 2021 Congressional Clean Energy EXPO and Policy Forum will be held on Capitol Hill on the afternoon of Monday July 26^th.  The event will feature three sessions, including a mid-day panel featuring the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus Co-Chairs, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI).  Senate REEE Caucus Deputy Co-Chairs Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and House REEE Co-Chair Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) will also provide remarks.

Chamber Forum to Look at Resilience – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, will convene virtually on July 27-28 to host the 10^th Annual Building Resilience Through Private-Public Partnerships Conference.  Discussions will address collaboration required among private, public, and nonprofit sectors to help mitigate the effects of all disasters, while ensuring a resilient future that drives opportunity, prosperity, security, and advancement for all.

Transmission Conference Set – Global Transmission is organizing a two-day virtual conference on Transmission Infrastructure Investment on July 28-29^th.  The mission of the conference is to explore the issues that impact transmission investment and discuss how to finance the needed infrastructure. The conference will bring together policymakers, regulators, utilities, investors and technology providers to discuss what’s needed to build a decarbonized, resilient and modern electricity grid in the US. 

Oil/Gas Forum Set for Houston – US Energy Stream is holding the in-person 2^nd Texas Oil & Gas Forum 2021 on August 11^th and 12^th at the Petroleum Club of Houston, TX. The Forum is a bi-partisan annual market intelligence platform. It brings powerful U.S. Senators and Congressmen from both sides of the aisle together with top energy executives and energy investors. The main topic of this year’s Forum is how Texas and the United States can succeed in the energy transition and in net zero emissions economy.