Energy Update: Week of March 15

Friends,               

Hope you didn’t mind “Springing” forward yesterday with Daylight Savings Time kicking in.  I was up early because I had a Big 10 Field Hockey game at Rutgers (Sorry Zack Colman, MSU got crushed 5-1.  BTW, Congrats to Zack and Kim on their recent engagement) and had to be there early to go through the rigid COVID testing protocols.  BTW, hope you had a great Pi Day (Yesterday - 3/14); beware of the Ides of March TODAY; have a fun St. Patrick’s Day (Wed - 3/17); and do something generous on St. Joseph’s Day (Fri -3/19: you Italians/Sicilians know what I mean).

While I was eating my Detroit-style Deep dish Pi last night, it was busy with the NCAA men’s Basketball Bracket and the 63^rd annual Grammys.  Top NCAA Seeds include overall #1 Gonzaga (could this be the year?) Michigan (led by Fab 5er Juwan Howard in his first full year), Baylor and Illinois.  More on HOOPS WITH SUGGESTED BRACKET SLEEPERS BELOW…  On the Grammys while Trevor Noah was good as the host, am I the only one who couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on for the first hour or so?  Or at least until Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) performed Leave the Door Open?  It was also finally leveled by Lionel Ritchie performing a wonderful tribute to the late Kenny Rogers (and as you may know I am not really a huge fan of either).  Even the rock and metal categories were very weak this year (unlike 1989 when AC/DC, Iggy Pop, Jane’s Addiction, Jethro Tull and Metallica for …And Justice for All were all nominees). Now that is some tough competition…

On to the good stuff: Another big event this week for Reps. McKinley and Schrader and their bipartisan Clean Energy Standard Legislation.  The duo sits down with our long-time friend Bill Loveless at an event for the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.

In Congress, the House is in session this week, but after the chamber adjourns Friday, there are no floor votes until April 13^th when they will return to infrastructure. Senate stays an extra week before recessing. Look for a vote in the Senate as early as 6pm today on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland who will prevail in one of the closest votes so far (mostly likely undermined by the Biden Admin’s early moves on oil/gas leasing and Keystone).  On Thursday, House Science looks at the Texas power issues/blackouts (Of course, the Committee is led by Texas’ Eddie Bernice Johnson) and House E&C’s Enviro Panel looks at jobs and a climate bill.  There are a bunch of other hearings all mentioned in the Schedule below, but one of note tomorrow in Senate Energy where they look at solutions that decrease emissions, reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains and increase US manufacturing.

We’ve been talking a lot about EVs and the supply chain of critical minerals. Recently, we highlighted a new venture that aimed at collecting critical minerals for the EV supply chain from the Deep Sea and focused on a SAFE report on the topic.  In the News this week, we look at a new report from CSIS says clean energy technology is becoming the latest frontier for geo-economic rivalry, making the security of supply chains for rare earths and critical minerals a global strategic issue.

Biden heads to Philadelphia/Delaware County, PA tomorrow to discuss the COVID relief package as part of an administration-wide PR push.  It didn’t get off to a great start with the Admin noticeably missing the topic on the Sunday shows yesterday. But the visit does offer a timely reminder of the broad damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on the American economy. Union refinery workers plan to remind Biden of that devastating impact, including the skyrocketing Renewable Fuel Standard compliance costs (RINs)—something wholly within the control of the federal government— that has made this bad situation much worse, pointing to a letter from PA Gov. Tom Wolf asking for a waiver from the RFS program. The Delaware Co AFL-CIO is among the groups raising concerns.

Speaking of oil/gas, the International Energy Agency will release its monthly market analysis and its annual five-year oil market preview on Wednesday, providing its latest look at how it sees demand returning from the pandemic.

Finally, special welcome to Rebecca Brown who joined the Bracewell StratComm team from DOE (more below) last week.  Hope you stay safe & healthy and get those vaccine shots if you can!

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

"We need a diverse and stable supply of energy to power our needs in the 21^st Century, and we will continue to need oil and natural gas to help meet those demands.  From an oil and gas standpoint, we need to acknowledge that renewables have an important role to play. And environmental activists need to ditch this idea that fossil fuels can be phased out anytime soon."

Dan Haley, Colorado Oil & Gas President & CEO in an op-ed in the Colorado Springs Gazette arguing for a broad portfolio of energy options to meet consumer demands.

ON THE PODCAST

Duke’s Lynn Good Assesses Grid for Reliability, Zero-Carbon – In this week’s edition of Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Bill Loveless is joined by Lynn Good, the chair, president and CEO of Duke Energy, one of America’s largest energy holding companies, with more than 7 million electric power customers in the Southeast and Midwest and nearly 2 million natural gas customers in five states. Bill reached Lynn at Duke Energy’s headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, to talk about the situation in Texas and what it might mean for utilities in other states, as well as her company’s goal of providing electricity with net-zero emissions by 2050, a target well short of the 2035 mark for that achievement set by President Biden and congressional Democrats. Lynn and Bill touched as well on the similarities and differences in the cleaner-energy positions of the Biden administration and the power sector, and how she thinks the conversation could proceed to find some agreement on policies that would support a carbon-free power sector as soon as possible.

FUN OPINIONS

Economic Freedom Improves Environment – C3 Solutions’ Drew Bond and Anthony Kim of The Heritage Foundation penned a joint op-ed on The Washington Times titled How Economic Freedom Creates a Healthy Environment.  In this piece Kim and Bond point to The Heritage Foundation’s 2021 Index of Economic Freedom to show that economically free societies tend to be cleaner societies. Instead of embracing an “all of government approach” to climate, the Biden administration should adopt an “all of the above” approach that unleashes the power of the free market.  The write: “Economic freedom safeguards the environment by reinforcing environmental stewardship. Countries with greater economic freedom tend to fare better on protecting the environment than countries with more intrusive, government-directed environmental governance.”

Bordoff: Time for a Green Industrial Policy – In an opinion piece in FP, Columbia Center for Global Energy Policy head Jason Bordoff writes the time for a green industrial policy is now and the Biden administration can restore U.S. leadership by building the clean energy economy. Bordoff says such a clean energy industrial policy might dramatically increase clean energy research and development funding can accelerate needed innovation. Subsidies can lower the cost of clean energy technologies, and a carbon price can increase the cost of carbon-intensive alternatives. The government can use its procurement power to create more demand or reduce risk for developers by signing long-term energy purchase agreements.

FROG BLOG

ClearPath Blog: The Permitting Program Crucial for Carbon Capture’s Success – In a recent ClearPath Policy Blog, Analyst Jena Lococo says Carbon capture hit a policy trifecta at the end of 2020 and start of 2021, and that momentum has continued with recent, exciting commercial developments. While promising technologies are being developed to utilize carbon emissions in fuels and materials, storage of carbon dioxide deep underground remains a tried and true mitigation solution and is feasible around the U.S. because of the vast amount of available storage resources. However, we can only capture and reduce carbon emissions as fast as we can permit the projects to do so. And the success of the rapidly growing number of carbon capture projects hinges on the ability to timely obtain a single permit – the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI permit.

NCAA Bracketology

Brackets:  https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/print/basketball-men/d1/2021.  The NCAA will release the bracket for the women’s tournament – in Texas – tonight.

NYT’s Victor Mather has tips on your bracket: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/14/sports/ncaabasketball/ncaa-tournament-pool.html

Location, Location – This year's men’s tournament will be held entirely in Indiana because of the pandemic. There are some slight changes to how the bracket will be seeded. The top four seeds will be handled the same and so will the First Four. The changes will come in how the rest of the bracket is completed. Teams will be placed in the bracket based on rankings without the usual considerations for geography. First round locations include Purdue’s Mackey Arena, IU’s Assembly Hall, Bankers Life Fieldhouse (home of the Pacers), Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse and Indian Farmers Coliseum (IN State Fairgrounds).  Elite * and Final Four will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium.  For the women’s tournament, teams will play in Texas at three sites in San Antonio: the Alamodome, the (our friend and former Valero CEO) Bill Greehey Arena at St. Mary’s University and the Convocation Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Texas State University will have first-round games at the University Events Center in San Marcos, as will the Frank Erwin Center at the University of Texas in Austin.

What about COVID – Financially, the NCAA needs its men’s basketball tournament to happen after losing $56 million last year when the tournament was shuttered. It will be a challenge to pull off the event, and the concurrent women’s tournament, during the pandemic. We already saw conference controversy with Louisville, Duke, UVa and Kansas all missing parts of the season or year-end conference tourneys with COVID.  Because of that, this year, there are four replacement teams that were just outside the bubble, which means that they are not in…BUT (Louisville, Colorado State, St. Louis or Ole Miss) could replace any team from a multi-bid league that is forced to withdraw from the tournament for COVID-19 reasons. Should any of those have a team withdraw, the Cardinals would be first to fill the spot in the bracket in the order listed. No replacement teams will be added after 6 p.m. TOMORROW. Any team withdrawing after that would leave its game declared a "no contest." If a conference has only one team, if they need to withdraw by tomorrow’s deadline, the conference may choose its substitute. The new team will assume the position in the bracket of the team it replaced.

PLAY–in Games – Normally on Tuesday/Wednesday, play-in games are delayed to Thursday and feature Michigan State-UCLA for a #11 seed, #16s Mt St Mary’s (MD) and Texas Southern, Drake and Wichita St for a #11 and Norfolk St and Appalachian St for the final #16 (and the unlucky chance to face overall #1 Gonzaga).  The most interesting of these games will be the marquee matchup of MSU and UCLA.  The Spartans have been inconsistent but should be able to slide past a struggling UCLA team. If they do, they will give BYU problems because of Izzo, Spartan pedigree and a defensive scheme aimed at BYU’s reliance on 3-pt shooting.

The Field – Of the field of 68, the Big Ten has 9 teams to lead conference participation, but no Big Ten team has won the tournament since Michigan St. did it 2000.  The ACC and Big 12 have 7, SEC has 6, PAC-12 5 and Big East 4.  There are 31 automatic bids for Conference Champions.

Gonzaga Looks Tough – Both of the Zags’ potential second-round opponents played their best basketball last month and have faded of late. Neither has the type of defense needed to contain the buzzsaw that is the Gonzaga offense. Luck of the draw has loaded up the high seeds in this region with a rogues’ gallery of teams the Zags have already beaten. This is in part due to how many Big Ten and Big 12 teams earned high seeds and needed to be separated into different regions.  Gonzaga has already played and defeated Kansas and Virginia this season on neutral courts. The Zags led Kansas by as many as 18 and stretched a lead to 33 against Virginia.

Other Top Seeds – In the East, Michigan is incredibly vulnerable without Isaiah Livers, and in the second round will either face LSU’s explosive offense or St. Bonaventure’s stifling defense. Those two are the most dangerous 8- and 9-seeds in the tournament, and that could spell trouble for the Wolverines. In the Midwest, Illinois has looked so strong of late, beating top ranked teams through the end of the Big Ten regular season and claiming the conference tournament crown, but Houston is poised for tournament success thanks to its lockdown defense, WVU pulled a very advantageous first-weekend opponents in Morehead and SDSU/Syracuse.  And #4 OK State is good too. In the South, Baylor will face some of the hottest teams in America in Ohio St., Purdue and Arkansas. 

First Round Sleepers – Here are some key first-rounders to watch:

• WEST #12 UC Santa Barbara could be trouble for #5 Creighton who was hammered by an average but surging Georgetown team (Liam Donovan’s favorite) in the Big East Tourney.
• WEST #13 Ohio will give UVa fits, especially as UVa had to COVID pause during the ACC tournament.  Ohio plays fast-paced and will run and gun against UVa which usually likes to control the pace.
• SOUTH #14 Colgate is always a perennial troublemaker and at 14-1 could pose problems for Arkansas despite the Razorbacks being arguably the hottest team in the nation having lost just once since February began.  This game will be fast.  Colgate is a top-ranked team in temp stats and are the third-best 3-point shooting team (40%) in the country, yet Arkansas is one of the few teams that plays faster than the Raiders.  This one will be exciting.
• WEST #15 Grand Canyon could present problems for the national Player of the Year Iowa’s Luke Garza. GCU has some big players and Garza’s biggest struggles this year have been against teams with athletic big men.  Not saying GCU pulls off the upset but watch this one. 
• SOUTH #12 Winthrop is also red hot while Villanova is struggling due to injuries.  Without leader and starting point guard Collin Gillespie for the remainder of the season, it’s hard to say whether the Wildcats can hold off a solid Winthrop team that was three points away from being undefeated.
• EAST #7 UConn is also a very dangerous 7-seed. The Huskies boast a tough defense (first in Big East in defensive efficiency) and are led by player of year candidate James Bouknight. UConn could certainly make the Final Four in the East region.
• EAST #14 Abilene Christian may be the best chance for an upset in the first round.  The Wildcats’ perimeter defense is super active and especially effective, finishing first in the nation in turnover percentage, forcing 9.9 steals and more than 20 total turnovers per game. They also held opponents to below 30% shooting from 3-point range.  Texas won the Big 12 but they turn the ball over a lot, which could be disastrous against ACU.

Betting Lines Are Often a Tell – Watch the betting Line in these tough games.  Often times they will tell you which games people think may be an upset.  It is the best form of polling.

IN THE NEWS

Former DOE Comms Staffer Heads to Bracewell PRG Team – Former DOE Deputy Director of Communications Rebecca Brown has joined the Bracewell Policy Resolution Group’s (PRG) Strategic Communications team as a Principal.  At DOE, Brown worked closely with the Secretary of Energy and Department leadership developing communications strategy for global, national, and local audiences. Prior to that she worked on the energy teams at two international public affairs firms and worked with clients in the energy and manufacturing industries on issues spanning exports, trade tariffs, offshore drilling, renewables and infrastructure projects.

“We are very excited to have Rebecca join our strategic communications team,” Bracewell PRG Co-head Scott Segal said.  “She brings great experience on energy and environmental issues that provides additional strength to our skilled group of professionals.”

New CSIS Report Highlights Importance of Critical Minerals – Recently we highlighted a new venture that aimed at collecting critical minerals for the EV supply chain from the Deep Sea.  Last week in a new report, CSIS expert Jane Nakano writes as clean energy technology becomes the latest frontier for geoeconomic rivalry, the security of supply chains for rare earths and critical minerals—essential materials for clean energy—has become a global strategic issue.  The fragility of global supply chains revealed by COVID-19 and rising competition from China have only heightened the importance of supply chain security for critical minerals. This report compares strategies and actions taken by the United States, European Union, and Japan, illuminating key economic, security, and geopolitical factors behind these evolving approaches to enhance the security of critical minerals supply chains.

BPC Announces Membership of Farm/Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force – The Bipartisan Policy Center announced a new Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force. During the next year, the task force will shape policy recommendations that enhance the role of American agriculture and forestry as valuable natural climate solutions and provide new revenue streams to farmers, ranchers, and foresters. Co-chaired by former Sens. Heidi Heitkamp and Saxby Chambliss, the task force includes leaders across industry, forestry, and agriculture; environmental nonprofits; trade associations; and former government officials.  America’s natural and working lands underpin the national economy—sustaining food supply, generating timber, and providing wildlife habitat, recreation resources, and environmental benefits. These lands can further deliver natural climate solutions, including carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in agriculture and forests. In fact, NCS are emerging as a vital element of any comprehensive approach to address the risks of climate change. With an increasing number of corporations announcing net-zero emission pledges, the market for carbon credits is expected to grow to tens of billions of dollars per year within a decade. If the U.S. can establish an efficient and workable framework for generating and marketing verifiable land-based carbon credits, farmers and forest owners stand to generate substantial new streams of income while contributing to a climate solution.  See the membership list here.

House Energy Republicans Release Climate Competitiveness Bill –Republicans on the House Energy Committee are unveiling a package today they say is aimed at boosting U.S. competitiveness in various corners of the energy industry while seeking to curb climate change. The measures include authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline, prohibiting any bans on fracking and promoting carbon capture and storage research via the DOE loan program. The group, which includes Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Fred Upton and David McKinley, said the package will modernize and improve our energy infrastructure and promote an all-the-above energy strategy across the board, including solutions to unleash innovation in hydropower, nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas. These are real, workable solutions to make energy cleaner, reduce emissions, prioritize energy security, and keep energy costs low.

US Drilling Permit Approvals Accelerate – The number of drilling permit applications approved by the Bureau of Land Management jumped from only 16 in the first full month of the Biden administration to 200 in the past two weeks, bringing the total so far this year to 229, with operators in Wyoming and North Dakota receiving the bulk of those. Despite the accelerated pace of permitting, the count is well below the more than 1,200 permits issued over the same period of 2020.

Bipartisan Storage Investment Tax Credit Introduced – Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the bipartisan Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act, which would extend the investment tax credit to energy storage technologies. A companion bill was introduced in the House by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL). In December 2020, bipartisan legislation, the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act, introduced by Senators Heinrich, Collins and Tina Smith (D-MN) was signed into law as part of the Energy Act of 2020. The BEST Act authorizes the research, development, and demonstration of next-generation energy storage technologies in conjunction with DOE’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge, the Department’s comprehensive strategy to position the U.S. for global leadership in energy storage innovation, manufacturing, and exports.

       

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

BPC Holds Infrastructure Forums – The Bipartisan Policy Center holds webinars today at 2:00 p.m. on strategies for paying for a $2T Infrastructure plan and 3:00 p.m. panel discussion on strategies and principles for legislators to consider when developing infrastructure funding proposals.  Former House Tranpo Chair Bill Shuster and others speak.

Forum to Look at Ag Carbon Issues – Following last week’s announcement from the BPC, the Farm Foundation Forum holds a virtual discussion on emerging carbon markets in agriculture.

Senate Looks at Mineral Supply Chain – The Senate Energy Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on transportation technologies with a focus on solutions that decrease emissions, reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains and increase manufacturing in the United States. Witnesses include DOE’s Kelly Speakes-Bachman and Toyota’s Robert Wimmer among others.

NRC Looks at Medical Isotopes – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds a meeting by teleconference of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes. Agenda includes: Overview of FY2020 medical related events; Discussion on the status of the NRC's patient release evaluation of emerging brachytherapy sources; Discussion on calibration procedures for existing and emerging brachytherapy sources; Discussion on the current ACMUI reporting structure; and Overview on the consequences of radiopharmaceutical extravasation and therapeutic interventions in nuclear medicine.  My colleagues Ed Krenik and John Lee are experts here should you need anyone.

Forum to Address Net Zero Challenge – The Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy will host a webinar tomorrow at Noon on how the United States can decarbonize its energy sector in a just and equitable manner. Jesse Jenkins and Erin Mayfield will provide an overview of Princeton's Net-Zero America Project, which maps pathways for the United States to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Understanding the timeframes, social implications, and costs of retiring these assets will be essential to a just transition. To help understand some of these issues, Georgia Tech’s Emily Grubert will speak about her recent work on the implications of a 2035 net-zero emissions target on retirements of fossil fuel power plants in the US.

DOE Forum Aimed at State, Local Assistance – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. DOE holds a forum with its State and Local Planning for Energy (SLOPE) Platform. SLOPE is a collaboration between DOE and the National Renewable Energy Lab to support state and local action in building a 100% clean energy economy. SLOPE integrates and delivers data on energy efficiency and renewable energy into an easy-to-access online platform to enable data-driven state and local energy planning. The platform will also include sustainable transportation data this spring. Join this webinar for a demonstration of SLOPE's functionality and learn how Milwaukee, Wisconsin is using SLOPE in its energy planning and decision-making processes.

IEA release Market Reports on Oil, Pandemic Demand – On Wednesday at 4:00 A.M. (yes, that is correct!), the International Energy Agency will release its monthly market analysis and its annual five-year oil market preview on Wednesday, providing its latest look at how it sees demand returning from the pandemic. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and head of the IEA's Oil Markets Division Toril Bosoni present.

House Approps Defense Panel Focused on Arctic – The House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee will hold a hearing Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on climate change, national security and the Arctic. Former DOD Officials Dennis McGinn of the Center for Climate and Security and Sherri Goodman of the Wilson Center testify.

WRI Looks at Urban Climate Opportunities – On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., WRI hosts a conversation between government representatives and experts in sustainable urban development on how to tackle this triple challenge and help cities build back better. This webinar will also serve as the launch of our new report, Seizing the Urban Opportunity, demonstrating through the lens of six of the world’s largest economies – China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa – how national governments have a central role to play in unlocking the enormous potential of cities. The report, which will fuel much of the discussion, shows how putting cities front and center in both COVID-19 recovery and longer-term climate action can create jobs, advance key development priorities, and accelerate the shift to net zero.

Senate Enviro Tackles Water Infrastructure – The Senate Environment Committee’s subpanel on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. examining the challenges facing drinking water and waste water infrastructure projects. 

House Science Looks at Scientists Leaving Gov’t – The House Science, Space and Technology Investigations and Oversight panel holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on rebuilding the Federal scientific workforce.  Betsy Southerland, former director of science and technology in the EPA Office of Water is among those to testify.

Senate Foreign Relation Committee Dissects China Competition, Policy – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on advancing effective US policy for strategic competition with China in the 21^st Century. CFR’s Elizabeth Economy and Center for New American Security senior fellow Tom Shugart testify.

NASA Team to Meet on Wildfire Issues – NASA Aeronautics Committee of the Advisory Council holds a meeting Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. by teleconference on the sustainability of aviation, Wildfire Mitigation Team, hypersonic market studies and innovation in the NASA aeronautics portfolio.

House Transpo Asks Business about Climate Issues – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. discussing the business case for climate solutions. The hearing will explore private sector actions to develop and implement solutions to climate change, with an emphasis on the surface transportation sector.  FedEx CEO Fred Smith, Proterra CEO Jack Allen and Pilot/Flying J CEO Shameek Konar, along with CRES VP Charles Hernick are among those testifying.

Forum to Look at TX Grid Issues – New America’s Resource Security program and Converge Strategies hold a forum on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. to discuss what happened in Texas and how renewables and clean energy present an opportunity to build a more resilient Texas energy grid.  CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams and former DOD energy official Sharon Burke.

Forum to Look at Orlando Sustainability – JHU’s SAIS Program holds a forum on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. on Orlando and its solutions to advance a sustainable energy future.  Since 2014, Chris Castro has worked at the City of Orlando as the Senior Advisor to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Director of Sustainability & Resilience, and 'Future-Ready' steering committee member, developing a comprehensive set of policies & programs that advance the City’s sustainability, climate action, and smart city goals. At the event Castro will talk about his experience in spearheading Orlando's efforts, including specific strategies that are working to accelerate a sustainable energy future.

House Energy Funding Panel Discusses Manufacturing – The House Appropriations Committee's Energy and Water Development Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. addressing domestic manufacturing for a clean energy future. USW’s Roxanne Brown, Plug Power’s Tim Cortes and Oak Ridge NL Manufacturing director Tom Kurfess testify.

DOE to Host Solar Tour – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Office holds a tour of their coolest research projects: farming under solar panels, super-powered concentrating solar technology, community solar developments, and technology innovations for utility-scale solar.          

Forum to Talk Carbon Pricing – On Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, in partnership with the Niskanen Center is hosting a forum on advantages and challenges of carbon pricing. Danny Cullenward and David Victor, authors of Making Climate Policy Work, will explain the critique of carbon pricing policy and why they found carbon prices to be ineffective nearly everywhere they have been applied. Afterwards, Cullenward and Victor will discuss the topic with carbon pricing proponents Joseph Majkut, director of climate policy at the Niskanen Center and Suzi Kerr, chief economist at the Environmental Defense Fund, who will take a fresh look at the promise and peril of carbon pricing and how we can help inform more effective policy decisions.

DC Enviro Film Festival Launches – Starting Thursday and running until Sunday March 28^th, the 29^th Annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital, featuring over 100 films. You can explore the on-demand catalog, including dozens of free offerings. 

Forum to Look at NatGas Transmission in India – The US Energy Assn and US-Asia Gas Partnership (AGP) holds a forum on gas transmission in India on Thursday at 6:00 a.m.  In this webinar, we will share insights on the role of transmission system operators (TSOs) in managing pipeline capacity and how India can adapt lessons from overseas’ sectors to India’s existing gas market structure.  Panelists will discuss different models for adoption of a TSO (ownership unbundling, independent system operator, transmission system operator, etc.), the challenges, and the stringent regulations that may be needed for implementation of these models.

Groups Launch New Clean Air Program – On Thursday at 9:30 a.m. groups will launch the Clean Air Catalyst, a new flagship program of USAID and a global consortium of organizations led by WRI and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Groups are working with communities on the frontlines of this global crisis to better understand local pollution sources and identify solutions that lead to sustained progress on cleaner, healthier air. The program will begin with pilots in three cities: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Indore, India; and Jakarta, Indonesia. To mark our official launch, there will be a virtual conversation on the topic of "Accelerating Clean Air Solutions to Deliver Better Health, Climate and Development Outcomes" featuring representatives from USAID, WRI, EDF as well as our pilot city partners.

House Science to Look at Grid Reliability – The House Science Committee has announced a Thursday hearing at 10:00 a.m. on lessons learned from the Texas Blackouts. The hearing is expected to target research needs for a secure and resilient grid. Witnesses include Princeton’s Jesse Jenkins, UT-Austin’s Varun Rai, NREL’s Juan Torres, R St.’s Beth Garza and former Obama DOE official Sue Tierney.

Senate Banking Looks at Climate – The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee holds a hearing Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on protecting the financial system from risks associated with climate change. Our friends Ben Zycher of AEI and EDF’s Nathaniel Keohane are among the witnesses.

House Energy Panel Looks at Climate Policies, Jobs – The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment and Climate Change panel holds a hearing Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on the CLEAN Future Act and its effort to address industrial climate policies that can create jobs and support challenged communities. 

Forum to Look at Nuclear Security – The Henry L. Stimson Center holds a webinar on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. looking at nuclear security governance and how good governance leads to good security.  The speakers will focus on the civilian nuclear sector.  Former NRC Chair Stephen Burns speaks.

NOAA Holds Spring Flood Outlook – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration holds its virtual Spring Outlook and Flood Risk briefing on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. The event will feature NOAA experts and include temperature, precipitation and drought outlooks for April through June.

CAP Looks at Climate Solution, Enviro Justice – The Center for American Progress and the League of Conservation Voters hold a webinar at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday looking at an equitable climate future. CAP Founder John Podesta hosts a conversation with NY AG Letitia James, followed by a panel of EJ experts.

SEIA hosts Solar + Storage Forum – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., SEIA and DNV GL hold a webinar to learn more on financing for solar + storage projects. Having supported numerous first wave solar + storage systems acquire tax equity financing, DNV GL’s team of independent engineering experts have the knowledge to help advance projects. During this webinar, speakers will take their leading experience to provide key insights and lessons learned on technical due diligence for project technology and topography, energy revenue modeling for financing, critical safety issues and emerging trends and risks for solar + storage diligence, including cybersecurity.

House Resources to Look at Abandon Mine Land – The House Natural Resources Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee holds a hearing Thursday on restoring abandoned mine lands, local economies and the environment.  Witnesses include Reps. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), as well as Rural Action’s Marissa Lautzenheiser, Bobby Hughes of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Susan Kozak of the National Association of Abandoned Mine Land Programs. Pennsylvania's Office of Active and Abandoned Mine Operations deputy secretary John Stefanko and Wyoming DEQ director Todd Parfitt.

Forum to Look at ConEd Climate Response – ICF holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on utilities need to start incorporating climate change into every aspect of planning, design, operations, and emergency response.  This forum will look at Con Edison and how it embraced this challenge by relying on science, stakeholder engagement, and benchmarking to strengthen their energy systems and address adverse impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

House Transpo Looks at Resilience, Mitigation – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee holds a hearing on Thursday to discuss the benefits of investing in resilience and mitigation.

McKinley, Schrader Feature in Columbia Energy Center Discussion – Reps. David McKinley (R-WV.) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR) introduced the Clean Energy Future through Innovation Act which proposes significant investments in energy innovation and infrastructure, including carbon capture, advanced nuclear, renewables, efficiency, and storage as well as a clean electricity standard (CES) which targets an 80% reduction in the power sector by 2050 relative to the year of enactment. This combination of innovation and standards reflects some of the two parties’ priorities in Congress and represents a potential bipartisan compromise to move forward on climate change.  On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy will host a webinar to walk through some of the specifics of the bill as well as what it takes to get bipartisan support in Congress. Moderator Bill Loveless will sit down with McKinley and Schrader to talk through how they see the bill proceeding, why they choose these specific policy tools, and how they managed to come together to work on climate.

Conference to Look at Arctic – The Atlantic Council and Norwegian Ministry of Defense and Norwegian Embassy host a virtual conference Friday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. on security in the Arctic. This half-day conference will feature conversations with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide and Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen, as well as two discussion sessions featuring experts on Arctic and transatlantic security, as well as national perspectives from other Arctic nations.

Forum to Look at OPEC+, Market – On Friday at 10:00 a.m., the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies convenes a world-class panel that will discuss the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest oil market outlook, including its flagship monthly Oil Market Report and its annual Five-year Oil Outlook. Toril Bosoni, the head of the IEA’s Oil Industry and Markets Division, will present the findings of each report. Following this, Mark Finley, the fellow in energy and global oil at the Baker Institute, will moderate a discussion with Helen Currie, chief economist of ConocoPhillips, and Colin Fenton, chairman of commodities in the advisory practice of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Forum to Look at Nuclear Innovation – The ICCF Group is hosting a Congressional Briefing on Friday at 10:00 a.m. looking at nuclear energy innovation.  The event features comments from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and John Curtis (R-UT).  It will also feature a panel including our friends Jeremy Harrell of ClearPath and former White House Energy Advisor Wells Griffith, as well as the Atlantic Council’s Jennifer Gordon.

Forum to Addresses Conservative Climate, Environment Approaches – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., the Hudson Institute hosts an international political discussion on conservative approaches to tackling climate change and protecting the environment. Hudson Institute Research Fellow Nate Sibley hosts Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), UK Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns and and Canadian MP Greg McLean for a moderated discussion.

IN THE FUTURE

Oxy CEO Headlines Columbia CCUS Forum – On Monday March 22^nd at Noon, Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy holds its Carbon Capture and Energy panel, the third set of panels being convened as part of the Women In Energy CCUS Roadshow. These conversations highlight leading experts in the field of CCUS with a special focus on local policy and deployment. The Center’s Carbon Management Research Initiative and Women in Energy program will host a webinar addressing the vital role of carbon capture in greenhouse gas emissions reductions and carbon dioxide removal. The conversation will focus on the status of carbon capture policy and technology in Texas, including how carbon removal technology fits into strategies to address climate change and bring global greenhouse gas emission to the equivalent of zero. We will also explore how it can contribute to a more just energy transition and how to assure safe and effective deployment of the technology. A panel of exceptional leaders will then discuss a recent analysis by Susan Hovorka at the Bureau of Economic Geology and recent announcements by Occidental Petroleum on carbon storage resources, state and federal regulations, technological advances, and commercial opportunities in carbon dioxide use and removal, and efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sector.  Speakers include Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub.  

NEI Hosts State of Nuclear Industry – On Tuesday March 23^rd, NEI President and CEO Maria Korsnick hosts NEI's annual State of the Nuclear Energy Industry event.  The virtual event will discuss the industry’s 2021 policy priorities to preserve the existing fleet, usher in new innovative technologies and maintain U.S. global leadership in nuclear technology. Following Korsnick’s keynote presentation, a panel of clean energy leaders will discuss the momentum surrounding policy and technology innovation that will help drive emissions down and build back the economy.

CCS Forum to Look at Funding, Biz Partners – On Tuesday March 23^rd at 9:00 a.m., the Global CCS Institute holds a forum on finding government funding and business partners in CCS Projects.  In this webinar, they will look at how financial support from federal governments is driving both CCS technology advancements and the financing of demonstration projects. In the US, the recently passed Energy Act of 2020 brings the potential of substantially more US Department of Energy funding opportunities for carbon capture. This webinar will provide insights into navigating transatlantic government funding opportunities and identify the priorities for funding across various sectors.

Nuclear Showcase Set – On Tuesday March 23^rd, the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council holds an Advanced Reactors Summit VIII & Technology Trailblazers Showcase.

EPRI to Look at Battery, Renewables End-of-Life Issues – Next Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) holds a forum to look at circular economy and end-of-life issues for batteries and renewables. This EPRI Washington Seminar will identify opportunities and challenges related to circular economies and end-of-life for batteries and renewables, provide federal and state perspectives on regulatory and policy approaches, and offer research reviews of circular economy and end-of-life advances relevant to the electric sector.

WCEE Holds Hydrogen Session – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) holds a  Lunch & Learn Series on Hydrogen 101 next Tuesday March 23^rd at 1:00 p.m. Hydrogen has the potential to be a key component of achieving net zero emissions worldwide.  The discussion will look at the differences between brown, blue, and green hydrogen and the potential that all of these resources have to transform and decarbonize the transportation, electric, manufacturing, and building sectors. Speakers include Danielle Vitoff, Associate Director of Decarbonization Solutions at Guidehouse and DOE Office of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Technology Manager. Katie Randolph.

Forum to Look at Best Practices for Clean Energy – Next Tuesday at 2:00 p.m., the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) together with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) will discuss best case practices addressed in their new guide for states on collaborating with CBOs. The guide covers the preliminary steps and training state agencies can undertake prior to pursuing collaboration with CBOs, how to structure community engagement, and how to build long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. Case studies highlight successful state/CBO collaborations. The guide provides a helpful primer and additional learning resources on environmental and energy justice, as well as an appendix on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.

CSIS Report Looks at Africa Power Situation – On Wednesday March 25^th at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Africa Program and the Energy for Growth Hub hold a joint public event to discuss key findings and recommendations from their report, Power Africa, on opportunities to accelerate progress in tackling poverty and address some of its highest priority foreign policy and development goals. CSIS Africa Program Director Judd Devermont will moderate a conversation with co-authors and panelists Katie Auth, policy director at the Energy for Growth Hub, Nilmini Rubin, senior associate at CSIS, and Kate Steel, co-founder and COO at Nithio. All have been closely involved in creating and shaping Power Africa over the years.

Forum to Look at Transpo Policies to Address Driving Costs – The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Institute for Policy Integrity hold a discussion on Wednesday, March 24^th at 12:00 p.m. for a discussion about addressing the social costs of driving through a vehicle miles traveled fee.  The discussion will focus on a new report, published this last fall by the Institute for Policy Integrity, A Pileup: Surface Transportation Market Failures and Policy Solutions, analyzes these social costs, and as one option, proposes transitioning transportation funding toward a vehicle miles traveled tax.

Hill Forum Looks at Public Lands, National Security – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., The Hill will convene policymakers and national security experts for an in-depth discussion on the intersection of our national security priorities and the global loss of nature.

Forum Looks at Renewable Procurement for Utilities – Utility Dive holds a forum on Wednesday March 24^th at 2:00 p.m. on best practices on utility renewables. In this upcoming webinar, Enel X will discuss how utilities can lead the transition to clean energy. Wholesale market experts Sean Perry and Brad Bury of Enel X will explore the major challenges utilities face in renewable procurement today, and cover:

Interior Sets Oil, Gas Review Forum –The Interior Department will launch its review of the federal oil and gas leasing program on Thursday March 25 with a public forum on oil and gas leasing on federal land and water, with participants representing industry, environmental conservation and justice groups, labor and others, and commence an online comment period.  Interior says the input would inform an interim report to be released in early summer outlining next steps and recommendations on the future of the program and what can be done to reform how leases are managed, how much revenue should go to taxpayers and other issues.

Forum to Look at Decarb on Economic Sectors – AU’s Center for Environmental Policy continues its series of decarbonization forums on Thursday March 25^th at 1:00 p.m. looking at decarb from economic sectors.  As the U.S. rejoins other leading nations in the race to mitigate climate change, the debate is no longer about whether climate change can be stopped; only about what will it take to get to Net Zero Emissions by 2050 to mitigate climate change and limit its effects to acceptable levels.

Event Looks at Net-Zero Buildings – The New Buildings Institute holds a forum on Thursday March 25^th at 1:00 p.m. looking at prime examples of net zero buildings found across the country. This webinar will feature some of the best buildings to date with a Case Study Jam format that allows in-depth sharing. Presenters will offer a tour of innovative technical solutions, strategies for successful stakeholder engagement, and more in their quest to achieve zero. 

NYT Event Looks at Oceans – The NYT Climate Series Netting Zero holds an event on Thursday March 25^th at 1:30 p.m. to look at Oceans.  Oceans are a crucial part of the biosphere, soaking up carbon dioxide, absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat trapped on Earth from carbon emissions and producing half of global oxygen. Action is imperative and the panel will look at how to unlock and accelerate ocean-oriented solutions without repeating the mistakes of the past.

Leaders Discuss Caribbean Urban Issues – On Thursday March 25^th at 1:30 p.m., the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center Caribbean Initiative, in collaboration with Yale University’s Center for Environmental Law & Policy, will hold the Caribbean Initiative’s first forum, “Caribbean Urbanism: Re-Imagining Resilience.” The event will focus on innovative ways to finance climate change adaptation. The Honorable Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, will open the discussion as she is a formidable spokesperson for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the challenges they face as a result of climate change. This forum will initiate a multi-stakeholder engagement process between Caribbean and US stakeholders as well as other interested partners in their efforts to develop pan-Caribbean projects that can benefit from new and innovative financial instruments. This financing is essential for disaster preparedness and sustainability in the Caribbean’s new green and blue economies.

EERE Head to Address DOE Solar Webinar – DOE’s acting assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman holds the next Solar Energy Technologies Office webinar, “100% Clean: How DOE’s Solar Investments Will Help Achieve Ambitious Decarbonization Goals.”  Speakes-Backman will discuss plans to achieve a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035 with net-zero emissions by 2050, as well as priorities for solar research and development.

Vilsack to Speak at Press Club – Newly-minted US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will speak at a National Press Club Virtual Headliners event at 2:00 p.m. Friday March 26.  Secretary Vilsack was confirmed on February 23rd to lead USDA – a role in which he served for eight years under President Barack Obama. He is the second longest serving agriculture secretary.  Vilsack is slated to speak about some of his priorities for the coming term including transforming America’s food system, creating fairer markets for producers, ensuring equity, developing new income opportunities with climate smart practices, increasing access to healthy and nutritious food, and making investment in infrastructure and clean energy in rural America.

EESI Continues Camp Congress Events – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) continues its Congressional Climate Camp online briefing series on Friday March 26^th at 2:00 p.m. to discuss lessons learned from past congresses and current public attitudes on climate.

Sempra Exec Highlights Panel on ESG in Dealmaking – The Deal holds a forum on Tuesday March 30^th at 1:00 p.m. to explore the role that ESG is playing in Power and Utility M&A transactions.  Issue will look at ESG diligence, scores and challenges that are impacting corporate deals. Sempra Corporate Affair SVP and Chief Sustainability Officer Lisa Alexander heads a panel with several utility analysts and Deal Senior Editor Tom Terrarosa.

Press Club Hosts Perino on Book – The National Press Club hosts a Book event on Tuesday March 30^th at 6:00 p.m. to discuss her new book, Everything Will Be Okay. 

Energy Security Conference Set For Congress – US Energy Stream hold s its in-person Energy Security Forum 2021 on April 8^th and 9^th at the Petroleum Club of Houston, TX. The Forum is an annual market intelligence platform that brings together powerful U.S. Congressmen, Senators, government leaders, top energy executives, and investors.  Speakers will include API’s Mike Sommers, Reps. Markwayne Mullin, Neil Dunn, Jeff Duncan, Gary Palmer, Randy Weber, John Curtis and Troy Nehls, among others. 

AFPM Annual Conference Set – The annual conference for the American Fuel and Petrochem Manufacturers will be held virtually on April 12^th - 14^th.  Our friends Christine Tezak of ClearView Energy, Monroe Energy’s Adam Gattuso, AFPM’s Derrick Morgan and Valero CEO Joe Gorder all speak.  

Power Market Conference Set – S&P Global Platts holds its 36^th Annual Global Power Markets Virtual Conference on April 12^th to 14^th. The Conference focuses on the latest trends in energy policy, generation development, power market dynamics, power finance, power asset valuation, A&D, and energy transition.

UT Austin Energy Week 2021 to Focus on Energy Transition – The UT Austin Energy Week 2021 Conference will be held on April 13^th and 14^th focusing energy transition issues.  UT Energy Week 2021 will focus on the intertwined dynamics of how leaders and organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors balance the complex suite of pull-and-pushes to position their organizations and communities to not only lead in the energy transition, but also become more equitable and resilient in the process.  Our friends Robert Bryce, former WSJ reporter Jeff Ball and former EERE office head Dan Simmons are among the speakers.

Biden Climate Forum Shaping Up – The Biden Administration is exp