Energy Update: Week of June 3
Energy Update - June 03, 2019
Friends,
After another fun trip through SoCal, we are ready to get back to the action. How about the unprecedented results at the Scripps Spelling Bee on Friday when 8 middle schoolers stumped judges and Webster’s Dictionary for 20 rounds until they were all finally declared co-champions. Kudos to Scripps for awarding the $50K scholarships to all of the co-winners.
June 1st means both now Hurricane Season and Summer Driving Season are underway. First, hurricanes: MIT experts that are researching hurricanes and building resiliency are available to discuss the 2019 hurricane forecast and season. The 2017 and 2018 Atlantic hurricane seasons caused significant damage in different ways, including the flattening of Mexico Beach, FL due to wind damage. And you may recall the story about the one house in Mexico Beach that was built with resilience measure that remained standing. MIT’s Jeremy Gregory is a great expert who can discuss how we can build better and what Congress is doing to help.
As for the driving season, EPA released its E15 rule on Friday finalizing a plan that will allow higher ethanol gasoline to be sold in summer months. It is an issue that pleases the ethanol industry, but has drawn scrutiny from refiners who say it is illegal and enviros who say it will increase air pollution. Also other refinery workers are angry the EPA cut back on RIN market reforms that they say were part of the deal. While it goes into effect for the summer, this isn’t the last we’ll hear about this issue given the expected lawsuits from the refining industry.
Andy Wheeler discussed the driving season E15 issue and other EPA items at lunch with the National Press Club today. Check out the video link and coverage.
Congress is back inaction this week and will roll back into budget issues. On the hearing front, Senate Energy looks at opportunities for the expanded deployment of grid-scale energy storage and the nomination of Interior/FWS director Robert Wallace on Wednesday. Senate Environment has Wallace tomorrow and then digs into advanced nuclear technology, focusing on protecting U.S. leadership and expanding opportunities for licensing new nuclear energy technologies. Also Wednesday, the House Select Intelligence Committee holds hearing on the national security implications of climate change.
Off the Hill, Cato looks at the Jones Act’s impact on LNG tomorrow, CSIS looks at climate disaster shocks on countries Wednesday and SEIA Head Abby Hopper meets with WRISE hosting a Thursday lunch & learn event
There has been a lot going over trade with the new tariffs on Mexico, the USMCA heading to Congress and all the other whirl wind on Australia, China, etc. My colleague Josh Zive is covering it completely and can be a great “on-the-record” or background resource on the issue for you or your colleagues covering trade. I can send you his latest insights or just drop Josh an email at josh.zive@bracewell.com
Finally, get ready for the Belmont on Saturday. Preview below… Call with questions,
Best,
Frank Maisano
(202) 828-5864
C. (202) 997-5932
Belmont Preview
The final Jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown is Saturday when the Belmont Stakes runs at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, just outside New York City on Long Island.
The oldest of the Triple Crown races, Belmont Stakes are named after August Belmont, a financier who made quite a name and fortune for himself in New York politics and society. Obviously, he was also quite involved in horse racing, and his imprint is even intertwined within the history of the Kentucky Derby.
Race: It is the 151st running of the Belmont Stakes.
History:
- The inaugural Belmont Stakes was run in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack in the Bronx. The location of the track is now the Jerome Park Reservoir next to Lehman College.
- The Belmont Stakes is the oldest Triple Crown race and the fourth oldest stakes races in North America, following the Phoenix Breeders’ Cup, originally the Phoenix Stakes, at Keeneland (1831); the Queen’s Plate in Canada (1860); and the Travers at Saratoga (1864).
- The Belmont Stakes was originally contested in a clockwise direction, similar to traditional European races. It wasn’t until 1921 that the race ran counter-clockwise, like most American races.
Track Record: Secretariat (2:24.00 in 1973)
Largest Margin of Victory: Secretariat, 31 lengths in 1973
Post Time: 6:35 p.m.
Post Draw: Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. ET held at Citi Field in Queens. Livestreamed on www.BelmontStakes.com
Distance: The Belmont is the longest of the three Triple Crown races at 1½ miles. The Derby is mile-and-a -quarter while the Preakness a mile and 3/16. If you talk furlongs, the Belmont Stakes is significantly longer (12 furlongs) than the Preakness (9.5 furlongs) and the Kentucky Derby (10 furlongs). The 1867 Belmont Stakes was run at 1 5/8 miles; the current 1 ½-mile distance wouldn’t be established until 1927.
Purse: A total purse of $1.5 million with the winner taking home $800,000. The first Belmont Stakes featured a total purse of $2,500, with the filly Ruthless taking home the $1,850 winner’s share.
Who is In: Derby horses Tacitus, Master Fencer, Spinoff and Tax return to the field this weekend and will try to take a popular route to the winner's circle. In the five years when the Triple Crown was not on the line since 2012, the Belmont winner was a horse who raced in the Derby, but skipped the Preakness four times. Tacitus (3rd in the Derby), Japan’s Master Fencer (6th), Tax (14th) and Spinoff (18th) raced in the Derby and skipped the Preakness. Tacitus, is the strongest of the Crew and currently is the 11-8 favorite. Preakness Stakes winner War of Will is the 2-1 second choice and many times the winner has come from Preakness after not performing well in the Derby. Tax and Spinoff were way back in the Derby but Tax has talent and could slide into the box is the field disintegrates. I also would expect Master Fencer to be another choice to pick up the pieces in that case. Of course, War of Will will be many people’s favorite given his performance in Baltimore but He is really the only one to run all three races. Everfast will also return but I expect he hit his peak at Preakness and the will be hurt by the Belmont distance. Bourbon War comes back after a poor performance in the Preakness, but with Mike Smith on the mount, he may get a new energy.
Who is New: Of the new horses, Intrepid Heart, will be a horse to watch after the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park where he stumbled at the start but still rallied to finish third. He will be a good longer shot pick. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Intrepid Heart has just three starts -- all this year -- but has won two of them. Sir Winston is a long shot trained by Mark Casse (WoW trainer) who was second in the Peter Pan Stakes but I think that race is difficult to read. Finally, Joevia is likely a pacesetter because of his early speed. Even at 30-1, probably not worth the $2.
The Field/odds:
Tacitus 8-5
War of Will 2-1
Everfast 8-1
Spinoff 9-1
Master Fencer 11-1
Intrepid Heart 12-1
Sir Winston 16-1
Bourbon War 16-1
Tax 16-1
Joevia 33-1
New Mounts
Intrepid Heart (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez) Intrepid Heart has just three starts -- all this year -- but has won two of them. In his last race, the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park, he stumbled at the start but still rallied to finish third. He was sired by Tapit who has sired both the 2016 (Creator) and 2017 (Tapwrit) and Touch Gold, who also won the Belmont herself in 1997. Also, Pletcher has trained 3 winners in the Belmont, including Tapwrit. He has Velazquez on the mount which should help give him an edge, especially since he is fresh.
Sir Winston (Mark Casse, Joel Rosario) He rallied to second at the Peter Pan in Belmont but failed to be a threat any three previous races. He has a solid pedigree for the distance and performed well at Belmont Park, but don’t expect him to contend other than as a late charge that picks off faders.
Joevia (Greg Sacco, Jose Lezcano) Joevia is a speed horse and may be in the field to make sure the pace is robust. He will be a true long shot given the distance. He is son of champion Shanghai Bobby but doesn’t have the strength to go all the way.
Returners
War of Will (Mark Casse, Tyler Gaffalione) Bumped in the Derby and Preakness winner, he has pride to win here which would make him a de facto Triple Crown Winner arguably. That means a lot for stud fees. It will be important for Gaffalione (who still is a rookie despite the Preakness win) to get WoW situated in a comfortable position just off of the pace, and keep enough of the horse’s energy in reserve through the long backstretch and sweeping far turn before releasing the horse at the right time. A lot for even a promising Rookie to consider after everything unfolded perfectly for him in Baltimore.
Bourbon War (Mark Henning, Mike Smith) I put a lot of chips on BW in the Preakness but he never threatened in a disappointing 8th-place finish. He received the solid early pace in the Preakness that he needed to set up his closing kick, but had no response as he crossed the wire 9 ½ lengths behind War of Will. He is the same horse, but the distance makes it harder. I expect he can rebound, but I don’t think he wins. Put him in the box.
Everfast (Dale Romans, Luis Saez) Everfast hit his peak at Preakness and the will be hurt by the Belmont distance. He figures to be a longshot once again because he has never strung together two good efforts in a row. If you’re thinking of him, but him in the box.
Master Fencer (Koichi Tsunoda, Julien Leparoux) He is a closer but can he stay close enough to finish. Expect to see him at the back of the field, but a fast pace will help him pick off stragglers.
Spinoff (Todd Pletcher, Manny Franco) The wet track at the Derby hurt Spinoff but I wonder if that was the only thing…it was a debacle. He is still inexperienced and the Belmont’s distance is a major obstacle. But Spinoff has enough talent and untapped potential to make him a solid longshot choice. Should get out fast but, I don’t expect much more.
Tacitus (Bill Mott, Jose Ortiz) Lots on him in the preview but bottom line is he remains in good form, has five-weeks’ rest and should go off as the favorite.
Tax (Danny Gargan, Irad Ortiz) Tax turned in the first subpar performance of his career at the Derby, never making an impression. Prior to that, he had shown up in all five starts. He has the resume to hang but questions remain whether the Derby was a fluke or not. He’s your sleeper.
Triple Crown or Not – The Belmont Stakes is a vastly different animal in a Triple Crown year compared with a non-Triple Crown year. Any Belmont Stakes with a Triple Crown hopeful generates significantly more buzz than years when there is no chance for a sweep. So what to expect on Saturday.
Looking for Past Perspective – Looking over the last 20 editions of the Belmont Stakes, there were eight years in which there was a Triple Crown on the line — 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2014, 2015, 2018, so here some facts from the other 12 races for any common threads:
Front Runner Struggles: No front-runner has won the Belmont in a non-Triple Crown year during this 20-year span. By contrast, Triple Crown victors Justify (2018) and American Pharoah (2015) and Da’ Tara (2008), who upset Big Brown after setting an uncontested pace as a 38-1 outsider did win from the front with the big prize on the line
Stalking Horse: Four of the 12 were second or third after the opening quarter-mile and half-mile, within two lengths of the pace. Ten of the 12 were within five lengths of the pace after a quarter-mile and nine of the 12 were within 4 ¾ lengths after a half-mile.
Hard Closers: Twice the race was won by deep closers: Creator in 2016 and Jazil in 2006. But it is just very difficult to do.
Where the winner Comes From: The median for these 12 editions of the Belmont places the winner in fifth, 3 ¼ lengths off the pace, after the opening quarter and fifth, three lengths off the pace, after a half-mile.
Smooth Pace: Regardless of Triple Crown or not, the actual pace is generally always about the same: the 12 non-Triple Crown Belmont Stakes, the average half-mile is 48.49 seconds, while Triple Crown editions have been slightly faster with an average of 48.35.
A War of Will Trend – Again in the 12 non-Triple Crown Belmont Stakes, nine of the 12 winners competed in at least one of the previous two Triple Crown races. Two of them, Afleet Alex (2005) and Point Given (2001), lost in the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness before dominant performances in the Belmont Stakes. War of Will fits this profile.
Skipping Maryland – Seven other Belmont winners during non-Triple Crown races in this 20-year stretch were Derby runners (ranging from fourth to 17th) who skipped the Preakness and came back and won the Belmont Stakes. That group includes Tapwrit (6th in Derby) in 2017 and Creator (13th in Derby) in 2016. Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Tacitus (who shares sire Tapit with Tapwrit), sixth-place finisher Master Fencer, 14th-place finisher Tax, and 18th-place finisher Spinoff fit that profile.
The Other Three — Ruler On Ice (2011), Drosselmeyer (2010), and Rags to Riches (2007) — did not compete in a Triple Crown race before winning the Belmont, although Rags to Riches was a dominant 4 ¼-length winner of the Kentucky Oaks. Ruler On Ice entered off runner-up finish in the Federico Tesio Stakes, while Drosselmeyer was second at the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes, respectively. This year, Sir Winston enters off a runner-up finish in the Peter Pan, while Intrepid Heart ran third in that race after a troubled start.
No Luck for Maryland/NY Combo – Two other horses in this field who ran well in Baltimore may be out of luck trend wise as none of the previous 20 Belmont winners missed the Derby, ran in the Preakness, and then won the Belmont Stakes Preakness runner-up Everfast fits in this profile.
It Will Probably Be Close – Three of the 12 non-TC races were decided by a neck or less, five by a length or less, and eight by two lengths or less. The only two true blowouts were by the Afleet Alex (7 lengths) and Point Given (12¼ lengths), who also happen to be the only two favorites to win in the last 12 non-Triple Crown editions of the Belmont Stakes.
Longer Shots Can, DO Win – Half of the winners in non-TC races won with double-digit odds: Creator (16-1), Commendable (19-1), and Ruler On Ice (25-1) helping bring up the average winner’s odds to just a tick under 10-1.
Double Trainer – Only three times in the past 50 years has a trainer won two Triple Crown races in a year with different horses: John Jacobs in 1970 with Personality (Preakness) and High Echelon (Belmont); D. Wayne Lukas in '95 with Thunder Gulch (Kentucky Derby) and Timber Country (Preakness) and in '96 with Grindstone (Derby) and Editor's Note (Belmont); and Todd Pletcher in 2017 with Always Dreaming (Derby) and Tapwrit (Belmont). Bill Mott can join this group if Tacitus can win he also trained Derby winner Country House. Mark Casse, who won the Preakness with War of Will, also has a shot at it with longshot Sir Winston.
No Baffert – Speaking of Trainers, this race will have NO Bob Baffert-trained horses. America’s most successful and most recognizable trainer, won’t be in Elmont this weekend. He’ll be in Southern California for his son Bode’s eighth-grade graduation.
PACE:
Early speed should come from Joevia out of the starting gate, receiving pace pressure from War of Will and possibly Spinoff and Tax through the first half-mile. But expect Joevia to hit a wall well before the field reaches the far turn. Question is will War of Will hit that wall as well.
As for stalkers, War of Will performed well at Preakness but he had a perfect trip and good breaks in the stretch – the exact opposite of the Derby. Look for Intrepid Heart to sit near the front-runners and vie for the lead through the far turn – and, as always in this race, jockey timing will be crucial. To that end, HoFer Velazquez is deeply familiar with Belmont's unique main track and his skill at judging pace should be beneficial to Intrepid Heart's chances. Same goes for Bourbon War who has Mike Smith on board.
Horses with a come-from-behind running style have not traditionally fared well in the Belmont. Since 2010, only one winner of the race, Tapwrit in 2017, was more than three lengths off the lead at any point. While Master Fencer raced last most of the Derby, he looked like he was just getting started running in the stretch, and that stamina should help him in NY.
Favorite Tacitus’ two most impressive victories -- the Tampa Bay Derby and Wood Memorial – he rallied from behind and benefitted from fast early paces. He is not likely to get that fast early pace to set up his late kick in the Belmont. But Tacitus owner Juddmonte Farms has raced three horses in the Belmont Stakes and never finished worse than third. Jose Ortiz rode Tapwrit in 2017, and kept his him closer to the early pace than in prior races and timed his move for the lead just right. I suspect Ortiz will try similar tactics here to take advantage of this horse’s stamina and rallying ability in the stretch.
Picks:
Win: I have War of Will, Tacitus and Intrepid Heart in the Top 3. Who wins? But I’ll take….
Super Box: Add Bourbon War or Master Fencer depending on early pace
Sleeper: Tax
Long shot: Spinoff
FRANKLY SPOKEN
“Allowing the year-round sale of E15 gasoline is both illegal under the Clean Air Act and will accelerate the destruction of wildlife habitat and pollution of our air, and drinking water. Instead of undermining public health protections, the White House should focus on using the EPA's upcoming rewrite of the ethanol mandate to promote cleaner, more sustainable fuels that support the rural economy while also protecting our air, drinking water, and wildlife habitat."
Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation following Friday EPA announcement allowing E15.
ON THE PODCAST
POLITICO Launches New Global Podcast – POLITICO is launching a new podcast on Thursday that will focus on trade, technology and the environment, among other global issues. "Global Translations" will go beyond the headlines, uncovering what's really at stake with the most pressing issues of our time, the political roadblocks for solving them and the ideas that might just propel us forward. Subscribe to receive the first episode at launch.
FUN OPINIONS
Forbes Column: Ethanol Industry Suffers A Court Defeat – Forbes Energy Contributor Robert Rapier wrote a blistering column last week on another court defeat for ethanol over small refinery hardship waivers. Granting hardship waivers to those who need them was part of the original RFS plan. However, the ethanol industry argued that the waivers were being granted too liberally. According to Dr. Scott Irwin, the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, these waivers do not even reduce demand for renewable fuel blends. In a Jan. 16 study, he said: “the data now clearly show that small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the RFS have not reduced physical ethanol use.”
IN THE NEWS
E15 Rule Rolls out for Summer Driving Season – Meeting its Summer Driving Season deadline, EPA rolled out its new E15 allowing year-round sale of 15% ethanol and made some changes to the market in compliance credits for the Renewable Fuel Standard requested by independent oil refiners. Refiners attacked the rule with AFPM’s Chet Thompson said the group would file a lawsuit to overturn the rule adding "statutory language leaves no question that the EPA lacks authority to extend the E10 volatility waiver to E15. Finalizing this aspect of the proposed rule would clearly be unlawful, and we strongly oppose it.”
Other Refiners Miffed about Market Reforms Changes Part of Deal – The Fueling American Jobs Coalition said EPA’s rule today “only offers advanced disclosure of RINs holding and additional monitoring. This will fail to actually reform the complex RIN market. The type of market reforms originally proposed are already less intrusive than the biofuels industry faces when they enter the market for feedstocks, like corn and soybeans. So arguments regarding difficulty in implementation don’t hold much water.” FAJC said the RIN market is plagued by anticompetitive behavior such as price manipulation, RIN hoarding, speculation, and high transaction costs. Regulatory reform is needed to address these substantial market flaws because they contribute to the harm the RFS causes independent refiners, small gasoline retailers and consumers. FAJC: “The President promised that the move to allow greater summertime ethanol use would be coupled with serious market reforms for the RINs compliance program. Frankly, refiners didn’t think this was a balanced deal at the outset but they were willing to work with EPA to get the details right. EPA’s final rule seems to lack real and effective market reform, which clearly violates the spirit of the President’s deal. Refinery workers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere will bear the brunt of it.”
Report: Nuclear Plants Already Profitable – While there is a debate raging in Ohio over a bailout for two FirstEnergy Nuclear Power Plants, a new report sponsored by API says the plants actually are among the most profitable single reactors in the U.S. A report by former PJM chief economist Paul Sotkiewicz said the costs of running the plants are almost 25% below the industry average for single-reactor sites, making them some of the best performers in the U.S. The plants are averaging $28 million and $44 million a year in net profits, respectively, and out-of-market aid would only increase that, said Sotkiewicz.
White House Weighed In – Speaking of the Ohio nuclear debate/legislation, the bill passed Wednesday. Our friends at POLITICO report Bob Paduchik, a senior adviser to the Trump reelection campaign, made calls to at least five members of the Ohio House of Representatives, pressuring them to vote ‘yes’ on the bill, emphasizing preservation of jobs at the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear plants are essential to northeastern Ohio.
DOE Commits to Advancing “Freedom Gas” Through Exports – The DOE has authorized additional exports of domestically produced natural gas from the Freeport LNG Terminal in Texas, but the announcement is receiving most attention for using the phrase “freedom gas” when referring to LNG exports. Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes made the announcement at the 10th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM10) in Vancouver, Canada where DOE is highlighting its efforts to advance clean energy. The expansion of the Freeport LNG facility is estimated to support up to 3,000 engineering and construction jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs associated with the project.
New Study Highlights Untapped Potential of US Geothermal Energy – Speaking of DOE, it also released a groundbreaking analysis detailing how the United States can benefit from the vast potential of geothermal energy. The analysis culminated in a report, GeoVision: Harnessing the Heat Beneath Our Feet, summarizes findings demonstrating that geothermal electricity generation could increase more than 26-fold from today—reaching 60 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2050. The GeoVision analysis represents a multiyear collaboration among industry, academia, the National Laboratories, and federal agencies to evaluate the potential for different geothermal resources. The effort assessed opportunities to expand nationwide geothermal energy deployment through 2050 by improving technologies, reducing costs, and addressing project development barriers such as long permitting timelines. The analysis also examined economic benefits to the U.S. geothermal industry; investigated opportunities for desalination, mineral recovery, and hybridization with other energy technologies for greater efficiencies and lower costs; and quantified potential environmental impacts of increased geothermal deployment.
ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
IEA to Release Gas Report – The International Energy Agency holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. for the launch of its Gas 2019 report.
House Science Looks at Biodiversity – The House Science Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on biodiversity loss and its causes. Witnesses include Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services past chair Robert Watson, U of Minnesota expert Kate Brauman, Dr. Steven Monfort of the Smithsonian National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Jeff Goodwin of the Noble Research Institute and U of Georgia Ecology professor James Porter.
Senate Energy Looks at Energy Storage – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to examine opportunities for the expanded deployment of grid-scale energy storage in the United States. Witnesses include Argonne Labs’ Joint Center for Energy Storage Research director Dr. George Crabtree, Brookfield Renewable CEO Mitch Davidson, Xcel CEO Ben Fowke and PJM CEO Andrew Ott.
Senate Committees to Hold Hearing for FWS Nominee – The Senate Environment and Energy Committees will hold a nomination hearing on tomorrow and Wednesday respectively for Robert Wallace to be Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife at Interior.
Senate Enviro to Look at Advanced Nuclear – Following its hearing with Wallace, the Senate Environment Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow on advanced nuclear technology, focusing on protecting U.S. leadership and expanding opportunities for licensing new nuclear energy technologies.
Cato Forum Looks at Jones Act – The Cato Institute holds a briefing tomorrow at Noon on the Jones Act," focusing on a limited waiver to permit the transport of liquefied natural gas. Daniel Ikenson and Colin Grabow of the Cato Institute will discuss the Jones Act’s flaws and why reform should be on Congress’s agenda
Enviro Groups to Discuss NAFTA – Enviro groups hold a congressional briefing tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. to discuss the implications of NAFTA 2.0 for our air, water, climate, and communities. While the Trump Administration is eager to send its NAFTA 2.0 deal to Congress soon for a potential vote, congressional leaders have made clear that the environmental components of the deal pose real threats and must be changed.
House Science Panel to Look at Ocean Exploration – The House Science Committee’s Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on ocean exploration, looking at diving to new depths and discoveries. Witnesses include MIT’s Dr. Katy Croff Bell, Dr. Carlie Wiener of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Steve Barrett of Oceaneering International and Sofar Ocean Technologies Co-founder David Lang.
House Intel Looks at Climate – The House Select Committee on Intelligence will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the national security implications of climate change. Witnesses include Peter Kiemel of the National Intelligence Council, Jeffrey Ringhausen of the Office of Naval Intelligence and Rod Schoonover at the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
Forum to Look at Climate, Disasters – The Center for Strategic and International Studies and KPMG hold a discussion Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on climate, disasters and other shocks and whether countries are ready. KPMG will soon publish its annual Change Readiness Index (CRI) as a tool to evaluate a country’s ability to grow and respond to global issues, meet goals, cultivate opportunities, and mitigate challenges. The CRI helps to plan for the shocks described above which can disrupt global development progress, policy, and planning. In the age of information, with competing national priorities and goals, myriad news and analysis sources, and emerging technological tools for evaluating global progress, the CRI is one of the best sources of information that can feed into planning and executing international development strategies. KPMG’s Laura Frigenti offers remarks followed by a public panel discussion that will evaluate how public goods like the CRI—in addition to other tools— can help increase preparedness in developing countries with modern analytics.
Forum to Look at Efforts to Combat Ocean Pollution – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program holds a discussion on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. to look at USAID’s blended finance partnerships to combat ocean plastic pollution. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will speak along with several others.
DOE Atomic Wings Looks at Renewable, Nuclear – The U.S. Department of Energy & the North American Young Generation in Nuclear will host an Atomic Wings Lunch & Learn on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in 2168 Rayburn on pairing renewables and nuclear. Speakers include Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) Duke’s Amanda Long and several others.
Cruz to Headline Oil, Gas Forum – The 5th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2019 will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at the Cosmos Club. Sen. Ted Cruz will be Keynote Speaker. The Washington Oil & Gas Forum has been established as the prime international industry event in Washington, DC. The Forum is a unique opportunity for American and international oil/gas senior executives to meet with Congressional and Government leaders. This year’s topic is “Critical Oil and Gas Infrastructure and the role of U.S. LNG and Pipeline Gas in the Global Markets.” Other Speakers include Garret Graves, Eni Chair Gianni di Giovanni, State’s Frank Fannon, DOE’s Shawn Bennett and ATR’s Grover Norquist.
Forum to Look at Ocean Pollution – The Center for American Progress holds a discussion at 10:00 a.m. Thursday on protecting America's oceans by focusing on the nation's fisheries and coastal ecosystems. Featured panelists include former NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Vikki Spruill of the New England Aquarium and NOAA’s Kalani Quiocho, Native Hawaiian Program Specialist at its office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
SEIA’s Hopper to Speak to Lunch Group – The WRISE DC chapter is celebrating WRISE week with an exciting lunch & learn event on Thursday Noon featuring Abigail Ross Hopper, President & CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. Abby will discuss the vision of the Solar+ Decade, her dedication to diversity& inclusion in the solar industry, and what the next ten years will hold for solar and the women who make up part of the solar workforce.
Forum to Look at Energy Poverty – On Friday at Noon, Texas Public Policy Foundation holds a policy primer to look at data behind the devastating effects of energy poverty -- the reason life expectancies are a full 20 years shorter in developing countries. As access to reliable, affordable electricity improves, so does hunger, infant mortality, public health, and overall quality of life. Featured Panelists include former EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Mandy Gunasekara, CO2 Coalition head Caleb Rossiter and former state legislator Jason Isaac.
IN THE FUTURE
Forums Focus on EVs, Storage – Independent analysts, IDTechEx, will be hosting 6 specialist Business & Technology Insight Forums on June 10 - 12 in Novi, Michigan focused on electric vehicles and energy storage. The six half-day forums provide critical business intelligence on emerging technologies covering: Technology assessment Market forecasts Key players Industry structure Case studies and application trends Value chain and opportunities.
RFF Book Looks At Clean Air Act – In partnership with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Resources for the Future holds a book launch and discussion on Next Monday looking at a new book from the AAAS, "Lessons from the Clean Air Act: Building Durability and Adaptability into US Climate and Energy Policy." This book examines the Clean Air Act’s successes - and failures - and identifies lessons for improving future climate and energy policymaking in the United States at both the federal and state levels. At this event, leading experts in energy and environmental policy will discuss how these lessons could be used to guide and create effective energy policies at all levels of government.
EEI Meeting Set for Phily – Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) 2019 annual convention will be held in Philadelphia at the Downtown Marriott on June 10th and 11th. Electric company executives, industry thought leaders, and senior government policymakers will discuss the transformation taking place throughout the electric power industry and the innovative solutions that America’s electric companies are developing to meet customers’ evolving needs and expectations. Among the speakers will be Energy Sect Perry, former Energy Sect Moniz, Celebrity Chef José Andrés and Dan Yergin, as well as a number of Utility CEOs.
House Transpo to Look at resilience in Fed Buildings – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management will convene a hearing next Tuesday on efficiency and resiliency in Federal Building design and construction.
House Energy to Hear from Former EPA Heads – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hear from four former EPA heads to discuss the future of the agency on June 11th. Lee Thomas, William Reilly, Christine Todd Whitman and Gina McCarthy have been named as witnesses for the hearing,
Report on Nuke Security to Be Released – Next Tuesday, June 11th at 4:00 p.m. in 385 Russell, the Fissile Materials Working Group (FMWG) and Stimson Center are launching of a new joint report, "Nuclear Cybersecurity: Risks and Remedies." In an effort to address the gap in cyber nuclear security, the FMWG and Stimson brought together two dozen cyber security experts and stakeholders in the nuclear industry to address the cyber security risks to nuclear infrastructure. This report highlights how Capitol Hill and NGOs can work to mitigate security gaps. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) will provide opening remarks and panelists will then discuss the report, recommendations, and next steps for Congress.
ASE EE Forum Set – The Alliance to Save Energy holds EE Global on Wednesday, June 12th at The Mayflower Hotel. Over the last 12 years, EE Global has established itself as the energy efficiency elite’s gathering place – the one event that draws together business executives, government leaders, and advocates from across sectors and continents for actionable dialogues on advancing energy efficiency.
Atlantic Council to Host BP Stat Review – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center will host BP Group Chief Economist Spencer Dale on Thursday June 13th at Noon. Dale will present the findings of BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 followed by a moderated conversation. BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy provides an objective overview of what happened to energy markets in the prior year and a guide to future trends. Perhaps more importantly, it helps us better understand the complex world in which we operate and is considered of the most widely respected and highly anticipated global energy publications.
Clean Energy Expo Set – The 21st Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum is set for Thursday July 11th to showcase renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. In every state across the country, these technologies are having a significant impact in business development and job creation in the manufacturing, transmission, power, transportation, and building sectors. The bipartisan House Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus is the Expo's honorary co-host.
Chamber Energy Groups Sets Innovation Forum – The U.S. Chamber's Global Energy Institute hosts “EnergyInnovates: All In” on July 31st. The event will showcase innovators, projects, and technologies that have shaped today’s energy landscape – and are laying the groundwork for the future. It will also feature key industry executives and employees, high-level officials, and notable energy experts.