Energy Update: Week of March 18th

Just a short update this week because it is CERA Week and that is where most of the action is… But before that: NCAA March Madness starts now!

NCAA Men’s and Women’s Brackets are out, with play-ins games starting tomorrow. Defending Champ UConn is again the #1 overall seed and looks to go back-to-back. As for sleepers, I would have told you that NC State is one but I think that cat Is out of the bag with their ACC run this past weekend. Other good sleepers include Illinois and Gonzaga. Top seed on the women’s side is undefeated South Carolina with Caitlin Clark-led Iowa, Stanford, LSU and USC all right there as well.

If you are in DC, there is a March Madness Happy Hour hosted by C3 Solutions on Thursday at 4:30 pm at Dacha Beer Garden in Navy Yard that you should check out.

Many of us are headed to Houston for CERA Week. As you know, I will likely be found in my “office” at the Starbucks in the Hilton lobby. See you there!!! So much going on in Houston, just check out the agenda here. Secretary Jennifer Granholm is today’s keynoter luncheon speaker starting around 1:40 p.m., while the rest of the afternoon includes WH energy adviser John Podesta and Sens. Joe Manchin and Dan Sullivan. Finally, today, there is a great late afternoon plenary on politics and 2024 with API’s Mike Sommers, AGA’s Karen Harbert, EEI’s Dan Brouillette and NEI’s Maria Korsnick.  

Back in DC, there are a couple of big events happening. Most importantly, on Thursday, the Senate Energy Committee answered the question about how quickly the new FERC nominee might move forward.  They will host all three for a confirmation hearing at 10:00 a.m. and right at the same time that FERC holds its monthly meeting.

On Wednesday, the EPA is expected to release its UAW-modified mobile source fuel efficiency rule in an event at the DC armory. Also on Wednesday, the Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on PFAS while Senate Budget is likely to holds another hearing on climate change – even though we are launching into the Budget season (which kind of seems like a more important topic). Several House and Senate approps panels will hold an array of budget hearings with the President’s “new” budget out last week starting with Secretary Granholm visiting House Energy/Water on Wednesday.  And as usual (it seems), we are headed toward another FY24 shutdown on the six remaining agencies (including Homeland Security which has been the most contentious) unless something is completed by Friday midnight

Finally, this morning at 11:00 a.m. in Tennessee, the House Financial Services holds a field hearing on SEC disclosure issues, while on Wednesday, a House Financial Services panel does the same in DC.  Both are extra important after the 5^th circuit temporarily blocked implementation of the SEC Rule on Friday. 

In Congress, House Republicans are making this week its long awaited “Energy Week.”  Expect a lot of fanfare and handwaving but we will see how much goes down. POLITICO’s Josh Siegel reports a mixture of old and new legislation will come to the floor, including measures to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and methane fee, along with permitting bills to modify the Clean Water Act to make it harder for states to block pipelines and for environmentalists to sue to stop energy projects.  House Rules will set the full line up tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.

One last thing, rumor in the land says Sens. Sullivan, Barrasso, Risch and Wicker are expected to send a letter today focusing on the national security and geopolitical aspects of the moratorium, so stay tuned on that, especially with Sullivan speaking at CERA.

Get those brackets in by Thursday at NOON!!!! Call with questions.