Energy Update: Week of June 17th

Friends,

If you like Rory McIlroy as a PGA golfer, yesterday was a rough day.  McIlroy missed out on another major by losing a 2-shot lead to Bryson DeChambeau with just five holes to play on Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. It was DeChambeau’s second US Open win and was the 25^th anniversary of Payne Stewart’s historic win at Pinehurst (just prior to his untimely death), which was an inspiration to DeChambeau.

We have a full house at FERC (finally).  The Senate approved all three new Commissioners last week.  Look for them to be in place by the Commission’s July 25^th meeting, making the June 27^th open meeting a going away event for departing Commissioner Allision Clements. Also, states, utilities and others must submit reply briefs tomorrow for staying EPA’s power plant greenhouse gas standards. Finally, we are expecting the Supreme Court to start Issuing decisions this week on a series of Admin law questions including Chevron Doctrine. 

The biggest event this week is in Las Vegas where EEI 2024 is set for tomorrow to Thursday at the brand-new Fontainebleau. Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, will deliver the opening keynote address. FERC Chair Willie Phillips provides the Closing Keynote on Wednesday, while other speakers include HP CEO Antonio Neri and host of utility CEOs.

Congress is heading into its pre-election summer schedule, spending as little time in the Capitol as possible. The House is out of session the full week while the Senate is in tomorrow before it breaks for the Juneteenth holiday. Only Senate Approps’ transportation subcommittee looks at unlocking Department of Transportation financing for more transit-oriented housing development.

Last week, the Republicans routed the Dems in a very fun night at Nationals Park, raising more than $2 million for Literacy charities. The atmosphere was fantastic… They game itself and the protesters jumping on the field: Not so much.  The Congressional Women’s Softball game is set next for June 26^th. Since 2009, the CWSG has raised more than $3.7M for Young Survival Coalition (YSC), the premier global organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young adults who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Speaking of cancer charity, the training rolls on this summer for the August 3^rd Pelotonia ride in Columbus.  Of course, I am riding this year for my younger brother Art who was diagnosed with brain cancer in December. I am doubling my fundraising goal this year to honor/support my brother’s fight, so I hope you can help me reach that goal. Any amount matters, so please head to this Pelotonia link and help.

Call with any questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932                                                                                                              

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“What I'm most worried about is that — it's always been true since the founding, but especially in the modern era — the world throws complicated problems at our society, at our government, with more and more huge issues, very complicated. Congress doesn't have the bandwidth to deal with any one subject more than maybe once every ten years. Congress doesn't have the expertise to figure out Covid or clean air issues down to the level that you really have to. They don't have the foresight to imagine, ‘Well, what's the next problem?’

NRDC’s David Doniger in a POLITICO Q&A on Chevron Deference, which is expected to be decided by the Supreme Court soon.

ON THE PODCAST

Former FERC Chair Discusses Power Markets, Grid Reliability – In this episode of Volts, recorded at a live Canary Media event, host David Roberts is joined by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee to discuss his multiple decades of climate advocacy, his political successes and the upcoming threat to one of his crowning achievements.

Graves to Retire – In light of Garrett Graves announced retirement, the POLITICO Energy Podcast reposted its March 25^th visit with Graves and host Josh Siegel. They discuss GOP views on climate, the role of Donald Trump as party leader, Republican attacks on the Inflation Reduction Act, and what Graves would do in permitting negotiations with Democrats.

FUN OPINIONS

Cement Leaders Flood Hill to Talk Sustainability – In an opinion piece in RealClearEnergy, Portland Cement Assn CEO Mike Ireland writes reducing the industry’s carbon footprint has been a priority for America’s cement manufacturers. In the race to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, there are no breaks nor brakes. Time is of the essence, and we must work together to reach this goal.

FROG BLOG

Bryce: NatGas Plays Aggressive Role in AI, Other Demand Issues – In his Substack post from this morning, columnist Robert Bryce offers three reasons why natural gas prices could go up, three stocks to buy if they do and three reasons why natgas could stay “perpetually cheap”.

FUN FACTS

US Sets New Clean Energy Records: US sets new record with $71B in clean energy investment. In the first quarter of this year, private investors poured 40% more money into clean energy and electric vehicles than they did in Q1 2023.

IN THE NEWS

API Outlines Framework for Permitting – API released a new policy roadmap to unleash America’s energy security and help reduce inflation. Ahead of the first presidential debate, API is calling both candidates, as well as policymakers on both sides of the aisle, to leverage America’s energy resources to help protect consumers and cement U.S. energy leadership. The five actions policymakers can take today to secure American energy leadership, protect consumers and help reduce inflation include: 

     1. Protect consumer choice. 

     2. Restore the role of American energy in bolstering our geopolitical strength. 

     3. Leverage our abundant natural resources. 

     4. Fix our broken permitting system. 

     5. Advance sensible tax policy. 

“As the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas, we bring stability in a time of chaos, making our industry the envy of the world,” API CEO Mike Sommers said. “This critical framework highlights our commitment to maintaining America’s energy advantage for decades to come.” 

Trade Groups Blast Fuel Economy Rule, File Suit – Speaking of API, they are part of a coalition on trade groups that filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the EPA’s light-duty and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards for model years 2027-2032. The National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation and a group of six auto dealers representing sixteen brands and collectively operating dozens of dealerships in major markets across the country join API as co-petitioners in today’s lawsuit. The auto dealers include Mickey Anderson, president and CEO of Baxter Auto Group; Thomas Maoli, president and CEO of Celebrity Motor Cars; Roger Elswick, president and CEO of Community Auto Group; Steve Gates, owner of Gates Automotive Group; Phillip Tarver, owner of Lake Charles Toyota; and Bob Loquercio, owner of Bob Loquercio Auto Group.

Bonn Climate Meetings Slow to Start – Reports from our friends at Climate Home News say the mood at the closing session of the Bonn climate talks on Thursday night was somber. Frustration and finger-pointing dominated interventions by delegates representing both developed and developing nations, as they lamented the collapse of key talks on the Mitigation Work Program – the main channel for curbing planet-heating emissions. Disappointment also ran high over minimal progress towards a new post-2025 finance goal due at November’s COP29 summit in Baku, with rich countries refusing to put numbers on the table. Finally, there were grumblings about the narrow scope and opaque process of work on integrating climate science into the UN talks in Bonn.

CRES Hires New Policy Director – Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) said Christina Baworowsky will join CRES as new Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. Before joining CRES, Christina served as senior federal policy advisor at Tesla, where she represented the company before Congress and the Administration. Before joining Tesla, Christina was the principal federal lobbyist for ChargePoint, the world's largest electric vehicle charging network. She also represented Alliant Energy Corporation, an investor-owned utility serving Wisconsin and Iowa. Earlier in her career, Christina worked at the Nuclear Energy Institute in governmental affairs.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

GreenFin Conference Set for NYC – GreenFin 24 is set for New York City today. GreenFin is the leading sustainable finance conference for professionals harnessing the power of capital markets to realize a net zero economy. Speakers include EPA’s Satyem Khanna, Tom Steyer, RMI’s Brian O’Hanlon and Paul Bodner of the Bezos Fund.

CA Hydrogen Conference Set – The California Hydrogen Conference is set for today in Sacramento, CA. The event will feature educational sessions and dynamic keynote presentations that assess the opportunities and challenges of hydrogen, explore its role in promoting California's economic growth, and discuss its impact on reducing carbon emissions in the transportation, energy, and industrial sectors. ARCHES CEO Angelina Galiteva, CEC Chair Siva Gunda, SoCal Gas’ Neil Navin, FCHEA CEO Frank Wolak and several others speak.

EEI 2024 Focused on Power Deman, AI – EEI 2024 is set for tomorrow to Thursday at the brand-new Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, will deliver the opening keynote address. FERC Chair Willie Phillips provides the Closing Keynote on Wednesday, while other speakers include HP CEO Antonio Neri and host of utility CEOs.

Cyber Threat Forum Set – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Semafor hosts a forum on urgent cyber threats facing consumers, government, and private entities, and how to safeguard election integrity and national security. Speakers include Anne Neuberger, White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber & Emerging Technology; Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon; Janet Rathod, Citigroup's Global Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence; Push Kumar, DoE's Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response among others.

CSIS Forum Looks at India Issues – CSIS India hosts the U.S.-India Clean Energy Partnership for 450 GW event tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. The keynote speech will be given by the Chargé d'affaires, Indian Embassy, Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan, and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Richard Duke. The first panel will focus on federal level cooperation and will feature Assistant Secretary Geoffrey Pyatt (Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Department of State.

Senate Approps Panel Looks transit Friendly Housing – The Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee is holding a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on unlocking Department of Transportation financing for more transit-oriented housing development. The witnesses are Brookings expert Tracy Hadden Loh, Adhi Nagraj from urban real-estate developer McCormack Baron Salazar and Morteza Farajian, the executive director of DOT’s Build America Bureau. 

ELI Hosts Clean Air Act Forum – The Environmental Law Institute hosts a seminar tomorrow at Noon focused on the basics of the Clean Air Act. Topics include permitting programs, air quality planning regulations, standards for major sources, area sources, and mobile sources and major recent developments, including regulation of greenhouse gases under the Biden Administration. Speakers include NRDC’s Dave Doniger, EPA’s Dan Schramm and DOE’s Kelly Crawford.

Forum to Look at Trucking Charging Infrastructure – RMI, the Mission Possible Partnership, and the North American Council for Freight Efficiency hold a webinar tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. providing truck charging solutions in Southern California. The webinar features the latest research from experts at RMI alongside real-world examples of deployment from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), Zeem, and BGIS.

Forum Discusses Book on Congress – Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m., a book event will be held at Bernstein Wealth Management featuring a conversation with Michael S. Johnson, co-author of Fixing Congress: Restoring Power to the People, for a discussion of solutions critical to empowering the citizenry to bring about change. Johnson spent 47 years serving in the White House, Congress, private sector public affairs, and advocacy as well as volunteering with nonprofit organizations. His congressional service spanning 13 years was with Rep. Robert H. Michel, R-IL, the House Republican Whip, and later the Republican Leader who retired from Congress in 1994.

RNG, SAF Forum Set – Infocast’s RNG & SAF Capital Markets Summit is in Houston on Wednesday and Thursday. Financial and industry leaders from across the RNG and SAF value chains will discuss ways to raise and deploy capital for the buildout of projects across North America. Gevo’s Eric Frey is among the speakers.

Webinar Looks at FERC Transmission Order – Advanced Energy United holds a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. looking at navigating state dynamics of FERC's Transmission Order. The webinar will explore the implications of the FERC Order on states, addressing key impacts, potential pushback, and Advanced Energy United's role in facilitating adaptation. Join this discussion to learn from our panel of experts about how FERC Order 1920 will impact current state and regional transmission planning processes.

Webinar looks at Nuclear Reactors – Power Magazine holds a webinar on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. to look at an in-depth look at Gen IV Reactors and Spent Fuel following the competition of Georgia Power’s Vogtle 3 & 4 reactors. The event is the third part of a three-part series on nuclear will include a deep dive into Gen IV Reactors and Spent Fuel and the potential of this revolutionary technology in enhancing sustainability and enabling industrial decarbonization.

IN THE FUTURE

RFF Forum Looks at Electricity Affordability – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a forum on Wednesday June 26^th at 2:00 p.m. on improving electricity affordability in the clean energy transition.  The event is the next event in RFF’s Exposure 2024 webinar series on environmental justice. The expert panel will explore the steps regulators, legislators, utilities, and nonprofits can take to address electricity affordability.

ACP Holds Energy Storage Summit – The American Clean Power Association holds its Recharge Energy Storage Summit on June 26^th to 28^th in Portland, OR. The event features cutting-edge sessions, the latest technologies and industry leaders and experts from across the sector.

Hydrogen Tech Expo Set for Houston – The Hydrogen Technology Conference & Expo will be in Houston on June 27^th and 28^th. The event is dedicated to discussing advanced technologies for the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. The event brings together the entire hydrogen value chain to focus on developing solutions and innovations for low-carbon hydrogen production, efficient storage and distribution as well as applications in a variety of stationary and mobile applications.

Nuclear Summit Set – In partnership with the United Coalition for Advanced Nuclear Power, ExchangeMonitor Publications & Forums hold the 2^nd Annual Nuclear Energy Security Summit June 26-27 at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, DC. This event brings together government officials, industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to discuss critical issues facing the nuclear energy sector, including securing the supply chain, increasing resiliency and achieving sustainability.

RealClearEnergy Hosts Forum – RealClear Dialogues Energy Future Forum will be held on Wednesday June 26^th and will focus on the intersection of technology, money and politics. The Forum is a one-day event featuring one-on-one conversations with the foremost experts across energy and environmental policy, capital markets, alternative energy, automotive, oil & gas, mining, nuclear energy and the grid. Speakers will include EQT’s Toby Rice, former LA Senator Mary Landrieu former Energy Secretary Spence Abraham and former FERC Chair James Danley, among others.

CNN Presidential Debate – June 27^th. The 90-minute debate, held in Atlanta will be moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

Bloomberg Green Festival Set – The Bloomberg Green Festival will be held in Seattle on July 10^th to 13^th.  The event is a global collaboration between innovators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, activists, musicians and more, to explore new solutions spanning the entire climate spectrum. The festival will cover four themes vital to creating practical, collective change: Technology and Innovation, The Climate Economy, Greener Living and Green Policy. Through dining experiences, performances, installations and cultural moments, guests will be immersed in interactive learning, participate in data-driven experiences and build relationships with world-renowned experts.