Energy Update: Week of March 14th

Friends,

It was great to see so many of you at CERAWeek last week. It certainly was timely and informative given our current state of affairs, high crude/gasoline/natgas prices and other supply chain challenges out there on commodities like nickel. Plus, it was really good to just be at an event with PEOPLE!!!!

March Madness is HERE!!!  NCAA hoops playoffs start tomorrow with two men’s play-in games with full action launching on Thursday.  The 2022 NCAA Men’s Tournament bracket will also mean a return to normal after the event was canceled altogether in 2020 and played in a bubble in Indianapolis (men’s) and Texas (women’s) in 2021. Tops Men’s seeds are Baylor (despite a Big 12 loss to Oklahoma), Gonzaga, Arizona and Kansas.  Some teams to watch in the first round, #12 New Mexico St taking on UConn in the West, Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) and Chattanooga.  Take a close look at those 5-12 and 4-13 matchups. Other good teams to watch: fast-paced St. Mary’s CA, Purdue, Villanova and Houston.  Here are some additional sleepers: South Dakota St, Murray St KY and Loyola-Chicago (again).  One final thing to watch will be how Duke plays in Coach K’s final run. They did beat Gonzaga and UK this year, but they played poorly in the ACC Final against VA Tech, played a pretty weak schedule all season and just aren’t that good.  NCAA Women’s Bracket is also out with play-in games starting Wednesday and full sched on Friday.  Top seeds are So Carolina, Louisville, NC State and Stanford.   Watch out for big names outside of the top seeds who have been there before, including Baylor, UConn, Maryland, Texas, Notre Dame and Iowa.  

Congress is slow this week as it still hammers out its budget proposals.  Wednesday seems to be the busiest day for the hearing schedule.  The Senate Environment Committee has an oversight hearing on the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund formula, including possible changes to how it allocates loans. House Ag discusses USDA’s role in addressing climate change as update the Farm Bill. House Science’s Energy Subpanel looks at bioenergy and the fuels of tomorrow and finally, House Oversight’s Environment Subcommittee looks at federal wildfire prevention efforts and the human and climate toll of wildfires with known fire/climate expert Carole King (Yes, the singer).  On Thursday, Senate Energy hosts Kathryn Huff to head DOE’s nuclear office and OMB’s Shalanda Young is expected to see votes on her nomination as soon as today.

Following on CERA, the American Fuel and Petrochem Manufacturers (AFPM) hold their annual meeting in New Orleans today and tomorrow.  Former VP Mike Pence is speaking to the group.  SXSW also launched on Friday and runs through Sunday (3/20).  Even with all the great film, comedy and music festivals, it also carries an issues conference that has a bunch of climate changes panels all week. Tomorrow, ACORE releases a grid report with Grid Strategies and BPC focuses on critical mineral supply chains with DOE’s Vanessa Chan.  On Wednesday GABI hosts a discussion on nuclear geopolitics with our friend Dave Banks and finally Thursday, the American Security Project holds a conversation with Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus to discuss the climate agenda on Capitol Hill.

Happy Pi Day today, tomorrow is the Ides of March and Thursday is St. Patrick’s Day!!! Of course, they have already dyed the Chicago River green.  It always makes me recall one of my favorite lines from the Harrison Ford Classic, The Fugitive.  I also always love that the Kalamazoo Wings dye the ice green for St. Patty’s Day. Enjoy a green beer or a Shamrock Shake on Thursday while you are watching Hoops. 

Call with Questions or bracket tips…Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“I don’t see what that’s going to solve…it would lead oil prices or gas prices to go up.”

Democrat and former chair of CEA under Obama admin Austin Goolsbee Secretary commenting on a CNBC’s Squawk Box regarding a windfall tax on oil companies.

ON THE PODCAST

SoCal Gas’ Maryam Brown on CNBC on New H2 Infrastructure – Not a podcast this week, but on Friday, SoCal Gas President Maryam Brown was on CNBC’s Exchange discussing clean energy infrastructure and path to energy Independence, highlighting clean energy through their new hydrogen infrastructure project in the Los Angeles basin. Brown added they are also helping customers reduce their bills through weatherization and energy efficiency programs.

FUN OPINIONS

Fannon: Russian Energy Sanctions Need Follow Through – In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, former State Department official Frank Fannon writes eliminating Russian oil from global markets, America can transform #StandingWithUkraine from a slogan into a powerful diplomatic tool.  He adds, executing sanctions like the ones on Russian energy require the clear capability to impose them—and communicating that capability to the intended target and other parties that could be affected. Just as important is demonstrating a commitment to follow through. In 2018 Iran, like Russia, was using oil revenue to fund malign activities around the world and stir political instability in its region. The Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement and impose oil sanctions on the regime caused considerable market uncertainty.

FROG BLOG

The Hill: Grow Economy, Strengthen Security, Reduce Emissions – In a new op-ed in The Hill, BCSE head Lisa Jacobson and Charles Hernick of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) write according to new data and analysis from the 2022 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook from the Business Council on Sustainable Energy, clean energy production is way up with records being broken for renewable power, battery storage and sustainable transportation. And while emissions have slightly risen, the U.S. economy is on a fundamentally cleaner and more efficient trajectory than ever before. Demand for U.S.-produced natural gas grew 9.4% – driven largely by exports. LNG exports jumped an astonishing 64% last year, providing much-needed energy security to our allies in Europe and helping Asia meet growing demand while lowering global carbon emissions at the same time. All this new clean energy means that as the U.S. economy grew, we also improved our competitiveness. Over the course of 2021, the U.S. economy grew by 5.6% and energy use rebounded by only 4.3%.

FUN FACTS

CERA Week Back in Action: The 40^th CERAWeek concluded on Friday with more than 6,000 industry insiders attending from more than 100 countries.  The “Davos of Energy” as the FT called it had more than 840 speakers on almost 500 panels over the five days.  

IN THE NEWS

EPA Rule Includes Industrials for First Time – EPA proposed a plan Friday to reduce interstate ozone- pollutants and a new rule requiring energy and industrial firms to create worst-case-scenario playbooks for hazardous discharges under the Clean Water Act. The ozone rule is part of an update to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule under the 2015 ozone standard and creates new emissions budgets beginning in 2023. The rule targets “upwind” states’ nitrogen oxide emissions to prevent them from flowing “downwind” across state lines.  For the first time it targets industrials which has raised concerns from the cement industry, boiler owners and others.  PCA said on Friday they are committed to reducing our emissions as detailed in its Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality.  PCA’s Sean O’Neill added “we are proud that our members have already invested hundreds of millions of dollars to install control technologies to meet stringent criteria pollutant and hazardous air pollutant emissions standards.”

Coons, Cornyn Introduce Hydrogen Trucks Legislation – Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Hydrogen for Trucks Act, a bipartisan bill to support the adoption of heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations. The legislation will soon be introduced by U.S. Representatives Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Hydrogen for Trucks Act is also cosponsored by Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Representatives Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Greg Pence (R-Ind.). The Hydrogen for Trucks Act is the latest addition to the Coons-Cornyn Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative, a package of bills to support the deployment of hydrogen technologies and cut emissions in hard-to-abate sectors. These carbon-intensive sectors—such as global shipping or the production of steel, cement, glass, and chemicals—face technological barriers that limit the adoption of other forms of clean energy.

Background: Heavy-duty vehicles account for only a small fraction of vehicles on the road but contribute nearly a quarter of all transportation greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions—they only emit water vapor and warm air—providing an opportunity for cleaner forms of transportation without sacrificing reliability or range. Heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles are an emerging technology just beginning to enter the market, and first adopters face cost barriers and risks that require federal support to overcome. The Hydrogen for Trucks Act provides financial support to fleet owners and operators looking to make the switch to zero-emission vehicles. Like other legislation in the Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative, priority is given to projects that will maximize emissions reductions to realize the greatest environmental benefits.

What the Hydrogen for Trucks Act does:

• Incentivize the adoption of heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by covering the cost difference between these vehicles and traditional diesel vehicles.
• Encourage parallel deployment of vehicles and fueling stations, addressing the chicken-and-egg challenge that exists with vehicles and fueling infrastructure.
• Provide data and benchmarks for different types of fleet operations, thereby incentivizing private investment and accelerating deployment.

Other Supporters for the legislation: The bill is endorsed by Air Liquide, Air Products, Bakken Energy, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action, Carbon Direct, Chemours, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition, Cummins, Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Nikola, PGT Trucking, RMI, and Third Way.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

AFPM Meeting Set – The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers hold their annual meeting today and tomorrow in New Orleans.  Speakers will include former VP Mike Pence, Rep Garrett Graves, pollster Frank Luntz, energy journalist and author Robert Bryce and Cook Political Report senior editor David Wasserman.

Birol addresses Energy, Ukraine – The Washington Post Live holds a discussion today at 12:30 p.m. on Ukraine and energy Security issues with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.  The conversation will discuss the risks to the economy and how the U.S. ban on Russian energy imports reverberated throughout the global energy economy.

AU Looks at Middle East Climate Security – The American University’s School of International Studies, the Historical International Studies faculty research cluster, and the Mohamed S. Farsi Chair of Islamic Peace holds a forum today at 2:30 p.m. looking at the challenges of climate security in the Middle East. Practitioners and scholars will discuss the effects of climate change on people’s access to clean water; efforts to negotiate cooperation among Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians on the use of the Jordan River; and the political and economic effects of building dams, with a focus on Egypt’s Aswan Dam and Ethiopia’s new Renaissance Dam.

ELI Forum Looks at ESG – Today at 4:00 p.m., the Environmental Law Institute and Foley Hoag LLP hold a webinar about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices in 2022. Expert panelists will discuss how they work with ESG and climate-related financial risk disclosures, as well as what might be on the horizon for ESG as the potential increases for explicit guidelines for disclosure.

ACORE to Release Grid Report – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) will host a release of a new report, “Advanced Conductors on Existing Transmission Corridors to Accelerate Low Cost Decarbonization,” produced in collaboration with Grid Strategies. The report finds that reconductoring and rebuilding existing transmission pathways using advanced conductors can help accelerate the decarbonization of the power grid by creating a significant amount of new transmission capacity more quickly and more cost-effectively than new, large-scale transmission. The report also makes recommendations that the FERC could adopt in their upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on transmission planning, cost allocation, and interconnection queue reform, as well as recommendations for transmission planners and owners, public utility commissioners and legislators, and DOE. Grid Strategies will present an overview of the findings from the report, followed by a panel discussion featuring RTO staff, utilities, and technology experts.

Bennet Talks Climate Issues with WRI – Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., World Resources Institute holds a conversation with Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, a longtime climate champion in the U.S. Senate and tireless advocate of climate action through the Senate Finance and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committees. The discussion will center around the state-of-play on Capitol Hill and the benefits of the budget package’s climate measures. Following the conversation with Sen. Bennet, there will be a panel discussion about the legislation’s natural climate solution investments and how they can not only mitigate climate-fueled disasters, but support economies and jobs and address existing inequities.

BPC Looks at Critical Mineral Supply Chains—The Bipartisan Policy Center holds a forum tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. on securing America’s supply chains.  The event will feature a panel discussion with Dr. Vanessa Chan, Chief Commercialization Officer at the U.S. Department of Energy to hear more about the Biden Administration’s strategy for establishing resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains in a variety of critical industries, including the energy sector.

Forum Looks at Decarb Strategies – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a discussion on the progress of the First Movers Coalition in advancing decarbonization in the private sector. The discussion will feature Varun Sivaram, Senior Director for Clean Energy and Innovation for US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, as well as United Airlines’ Lauren Riley and Orsted North America Offshore’s Pamela Venzke.

Forum to Look at Risks in Climate Environment – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. understanding physical risks in a climate-impacted future. This webinar examines how different companies and organizations are assessing their forward-looking physical risks from a changing climate and developing resources to assist companies and investors.

E&E Looks at Russian Energy Impact – The E&E News team holds an Insight Briefing tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on the Russian energy impact and lesser-known dependencies within the clean energy supply chain and climate policies. E&E News reporters Jael Holzman, Mike Lee, Sara Schonhardt and Christian Vasquez -- moderated by Climatewire Deputy Editor Mark Matthews -- discuss how the conflict is affecting current policies; what we have learned that may apply to or impact other relationships, particularly with China; and how it may shape decisions on energy and climate both in the private sector and government.

Senate Enviro Looks at State Water Funds – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to provide oversight of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund formula. The hearing will look at possible changes to how the program allocates loans.

Oversight Looks at Wildfires, Climate – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the House Oversight Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on wildfires and climate change.  The hearing evaluates the role of forest management in reducing catastrophic wildfires.  Known wildfire expert, Carole King, is among those testifying. 

House Ag Looks at Climate, Farm Bill – The House Agriculture Committee holds a hearing on the 2022 Farm Bill and the role of USDA Programs in addressing climate change.

House Science Looks for Future Fuels, Chems – The House Science Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. addressing bioenergy research and development for the fuels and chemicals of tomorrow.  Witnesses include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory chief scientist of energy processes and materials Jonathan Male, Michigan State University’s Eric Hegg, LanzaTech’s Laurel Harmon and Andrew Leakey, Director of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation.

Banks Talks Nuclear – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Global America Business Institute is hosting a presentation on the geopolitics of nuclear.  Atlantic Council Global Energy Center fellow, former Chief Strategist for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and Trump Climate official George David Banks will discuss. 

Energy Economists Look at Lithium – On Wednesday at Noon, the US Energy Economists hold their March lunch featuring a discussion of green lithium.  USAEE's Treasurer, Sree Venkat, and Richard Taylor of Green Lithium to discuss barriers to expanding the adoption of EVs such as security (and ease) of battery supply.

Forum Addresses Competitiveness with Cummins CEO – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on investing in US competitiveness.  The event features a fireside discussion featuring Tom Linebarger, CEO of Cummins, Inc., and C2ES President Nat Keohane on the business imperative for ambitious climate legislation and how low-carbon investments can help the United States lead the global transition to a net-zero economy.

EFI Looks at CCUS – On Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) holds a virtual public workshop on bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage. workshop will dive deep into the potential of BECCS to help us achieve the U.S. goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury.  Expert panels will focus on (1) feedstock and forestry issues for making BECCS a sustainable and viable climate solution and (2) addressing environmental justice concerns for BECCS plants and infrastructure.  Former CO Gov Bill Ritter is among the speakers.

Senate Energy Hosts DOE Nuclear Office Nomination – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on the nomination of Kathryn Huff to be an assistant Energy secretary for nuclear energy.

Forum Looks at Russia Energy Security Issues – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council holds a forum on the consequences of Russia’s war on energy security. Ambassador John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, moderates a conversation with Maxim Timchenko, chief executive officer of DTEK, Yuriy Vitrenko, chief executive officer of Naftogaz, Dr. Paul Sullivan, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, and Debra Cagan, distinguished energy fellow at the Transatlantic Leadership Network, on the pressing energy security concerns, including Ukraine’s energy security. 

House Oversight Turns to Nuke Legacy in Marshall Islands – On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., the House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on ongoing oversight of Runit Dome and the US nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands.

Forum to Look at Green Future – At Noon on Thursday, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center – in partnership with the US State Department – is bringing together regional organizations to advance an inclusive conversation on the future of green and equitable economies in anticipation of the Ninth Summit of the Americas.

Curtis Addresses Republican Climate Agenda – On Thursday at Noon, the American Security Project holds a conversation with Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), chairman of the Conservative Climate Caucus. Curtis will share his perspective the climate agenda on Capitol Hill and how to provide Americans, and the rest of the world, access to cheaper, reliable, and cleaner energy.

Forum Looks at Climate Loss, Damage – The American University School of Public Affairs holds a forum Thursday at 1:30 p.m. looking as climate loss and damage as a major pillar of climate action.  This webinar series seeks to understand how national governments have, or have not, addressed them. We will look at the political opposition to prioritizing climate adaptation over climate mitigation, how “agenda setter” priorities heavily emphasize one set of priorities over another, and how there is little overlap, in most nations, between mitigation and adaptation policies.

Forum to Look at EE Block Grant Program in Infrastructure Law – NASEO and E4TheFuture are holding a “101” webinar on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. covering key basics of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and an opportunity to discuss plans, questions, and challenges.  

Forum Focused on Green Construction – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., GreenTech holds a webinar that will explore developments in construction that aim to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial and residential buildings at all points of the supply chain, potentially turning one of the most stubborn areas of the carbon footprint into a global opportunity for sustainability and housing equity.  We will be joined by experts in building materials and design to explore the future of building.

Forum to Look at Residential Solar – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory holds a webinar summarizing key findings from its recently published report, “Residential Solar-Adopter Income and Demographic Trends: 2022 Update.” The report, the latest in an annual series, describes income, demographic, and other socio-economic trends among U.S. residential rooftop solar adopters.  This latest edition is based on household level data for more than 2.3 million residential solar adopters across the country, with systems installed through 2020. With its unique size, geographic scope, and level of detail, this report is intended to serve as a foundational reference document for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers. 

Forum Looks at Geothermal Energy – On Friday at 10:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a panel about the value of US geothermal energy to decarbonization. This public event will convene key stakeholders to discuss opportunities for geothermal energy to play a significant role in US emissions reductions, as well as avenues for the US government to assist in the sector’s growth. DOE Geothermal Office Director Susan Hamm leads the speaker list.

Forum Looks at Mitigation, Adaptation – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., EESI holds a webinar on federal programs that focus on adaptation and the key role they are playing in helping communities prepare for and stay safe from the impacts of our changing climate. Panelists will discuss adaptation-focused federal programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies, and why these programs are important for districts across the country. Speakers include Cal Rep. Scott Peters, EDF’s Cathleen Berthelot and Cecilia Clavet of the Nature Conservancy

IN THE FUTURE

SEC Schedule Climate Disclosure Vote –The Securities and Exchange Commission has scheduled a March 21^st vote on a rule that would require public companies to disclose climate risks for investors for the first time.

Forum to Look at Advancing Women in Renewables – Next Tuesday at 9:30, Georgetown University hosts a forum on women’s engagement in renewable energy.  Leaders across government, civil society, and the private sector to discuss the importance of women’s participation in the transition to renewable energy. Panelists will share innovative interventions for advancing gender-responsive climate action and ensure women are both leaders and beneficiaries of renewable energy investments.

GWU Forum Looks at Social Cost of Carbon, Health – The George Washington University holds a forum next Tuesday at Noon on the health consequences are represented in the social cost of carbon. A panel of leading researchers will describe recent advances to fill this critical gap and ensure that the social cost of carbon adequately reflects the present and future public health burden stemming from a global climate altered by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

RFF to Look at SCOTUS GHG Case – Resources for the Future holds a forum on Tuesday March 22^nd at 3:00 p.m. on the Supreme Court’s West Virginia v. EPA GHG case.  The event will feature a conversation between legal experts Lisa Heinzerling and Jonathan Wiener, moderated by Susan Tierney, that will explore the implications of these cases for environmental policy.

Forum Host EPA, Justice Officials on Enviro Justice – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Wednesday March 23^rd at Noon on the Biden Administration’s focus on mitigating climate change and improving air quality in overburdened communities and using the Clean Air Act (CAA).  Mary Greene, the new Director of EPA's powerful Air Enforcement Division, will speak to enforcement priorities, policies, and the role of enforcement in creating clear and enforceable EPA rules. Greene will be joined by panelists from the DOJ, the private sector and a prominent CAA-focused NGO for a discussion of the future of air pollution enforcement and how new priorities can impact climate change and environmental justice communities.

Eichberger Speaks on EV Infrastructure – On Wednesday March 23^rd at 1:00 p.m., ICF holds a webinar looking at effective policy approaches for EV charger deployment.  To provide objective insight to government leaders responsible for leveraging these funds, ICF worked with The Fuels Institute’s Electric Vehicle Council to analyze the efficacy of programs and policies aimed at supporting the installation of EV charging infrastructure. In this live webinar, our friend John Eichberger, Executive Director of The Fuels Institute, will join to discuss lessons learned from past EV policies, incentives, laws, regulations, and programs; what will work and the most/least elements of EV charging market development.

McCarthy, Phillips Headline ACORE Forum – ACORE holds its 2022 Policy Forum on March 24^th.  The forum is a deep dive on climate policy, regulatory priorities, grid advocacy, and equity in the transition to a renewable energy economy.  Keynoters will include White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and FERC Commissioner Willie Phillips.

Forum to Look at Sustainable Investing – Barron’s holds a forum on March 24^th at 12:00 p.m. on sustainability and energy transition looking at investing with impact. Speakers include Ecolab CEO Christophe Beck and Putnam’s Katherine Collins.

Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum Set – On Monday and Tuesday March 28^th and 29^th, the Atlantic Council holds its Global Energy Forum convening the world’s top energy and foreign policy decision-makers to set the global energy agenda for the year ahead and examine the longer-term geopolitical and geoeconomic implications of the changing energy system. The Forum is held in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, ADNOC, and Mubadala. The Forum will discuss the geopolitical and market issues confronting the energy industry in the coming year, develop new partnerships, and demonstrate thought leadership on global energy trends. The 2022 Forum will have a special focus on the pathways to meeting net-zero carbon goals. It will examine the continuing impact of the pandemic on energy, the current energy price spike, and the geopolitics of climate action.

EPSA to Host Competitive Power Summit – The Electric Power Supply Assn will hold its 2022 Competitive Power Summit on Tuesday March 29^th at the National Press Club.   The summit features a day of expert panels and featured speakers discussing critical issues facing competitive power today – and what it means for America’s energy future.

Battelle Host Climate Resilience Conference – Battelle hosts a technical program on Tuesday March 29^th and Wednesday March 30^th with invited keynote presentations, platform talks and lightning talks during the day and a poster reception Tuesday evening.  The curated technical program will explore breakthroughs in technology, policy, and infrastructure that will help mitigate the existential threats that climate change poses to our environment, health, communities, national security, and economic well-being. The program will emphasize field applications, case studies, technology solutions and test beds, but submissions on fundamental research and modeling studies are also encouraged.  Speakers include Gina McCarthy, Katherine Hayhoe, DOE’s Patricia Hoffman and Alice Caponiti and several more.

SEJ Conference Set for Houston – The Society of Environmental Journalists holds its annual meeting in Houston on March 30^th to April 3^rd.  Of course, Bracewell will hold its annual Thursday reception on March 31^st. 

Axios Hosts Barra – On April 5^th, Axios virtually holds inaugural What’s Next Summit - an event spotlighting the innovators making their mark on the future of work, life and getting around.  Axios journalists will lead newsmaking interviews and deep-dive discussions — asking the questions that you want to know about what’s coming across 5 key themes: Next Cities, Work Shifts, Electric Everything, Financial Flux and Trending Tech. GM CEO Mary Barra, NYSE’s Lynn Martin and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser all speak.

RFF Looks at Turmoil – Resources for the Future holds a Live event on the global energy outlook for 2022.  The event will look at turning points and turmoil in the energy transition. It coincides with the release of the 2022 Global Energy Outlook—RFF’s annual report that synthesizes global energy market projections and analysis from leading energy organizations, academics, and corporations—and an accompanying interactive web tool. The only report of its kind, RFF’s 2022 Global Energy Outlook harmonizes analyses from other organizations to allow for a clear understanding and easy comparison of potential future energy markets, climate trajectories, and policy options at global, regional, and national levels. The event will feature an in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets and the global energy system in the face of recent international climate action and energy market volatility from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.