Energy Update: Week of May 15th

Friends,

Hope everyone enjoyed their Mother’s Day.  I did a lot of planting and was still able to get out for my first major ride of 2023. Starting the training ramp up for the 100-mile Pelotonia trek in August. Of course, you will be hearing more about that later… 

Coming to you live from Los Angeles today. I’m out here for quick meetings and then headed back for another busy week as we run up to Memorial Day. Lots to do given the permitting issues and the debt ceiling deadline. Starting with debt limit, there is another Big Four White House meeting tomorrow with many on the Sunday shows highlighting some promising language for agreement from the White House. Many groups like the US Chamber of Commerce, Portland Cement and several others, are calling for permitting to be part of the debt limit deal. While that would be great, my long-time, historical Spidey-Sense tells me that the timeline is likely too short. With Senate Energy Chair Manchin calling for action on permitting reform by August Recess, look for some commitments on this alongside any spending cut commitments that Republicans might extract (especially if there is a short-term extension). Probably more on this on Wednesday when Senate Environment returns to the issue in a hearing. Also on Wednesday, Senate Energy is holding a vote on DOE nominees David Crane (Infrastructure) and Jeff Marootian (EERE), among others.

Other Congressional hearings include House Transpo and Senate Environment hearings on Water, House Resources on wildfire issues, a House Energy subpanel on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and a House Energy subpanel mark up of legislation including the Save Our Gas Stoves Act from Rep. Debbie Lesko, all tomorrow.  On Wednesday, House Transpo looks at FEMA disaster prep/response and one House Oversight panel hosts EPA’s Joe Goffman on the recent fuel economy rules while another hosts USPS on its plan to electric its fleet.  On Thursday, Senate Finance discusses the climate and clean energy tax incentives in the IRA.

Also, keep on your radar the G-7 meeting in Japan late in the week, where discussions of natural gas (driven by the host) have been pressuring the US to take a stronger stance supporting natgas exports to EU and Asia.

There are two major DC energy forums worth attending on Thursday.. LNG Allies, API, the Chamber’s Energy Institute, AXPC and Euro gas companies hold the 5^th Transatlantic Energy Security Forum on Thursday morning with former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette (now of Sempra), DOE’s Brad Crabtree, Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin, House Energy Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, State’s Geoffrey Pyatt, European Commission’s Dite Juul Jørgensen and our friend Kevin Book all speaking.  Then, Thursday afternoon, POLITICO is holding its 2023 Energy Summit at The Schuyler. The forum will dig into clean energy technologies and innovation and features Energy Secretary Granholm, Sen. Ed Markey, White House Infrastructure Advisor Mitch Landrieu and Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. Finally, don’t forget tomorrow’s Atlantic Council 4:00 p.m. fireside chat with TC Energy CEO François Poirier and a morning WaPo Live event with Sen. Coons on innovation and sustainability.

Finally, it is a super busy Fly-In week for many, including the HVACR and Cement industries, with both the Air-Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration Institute and the Portland Cement Association both bring members from across the country to hit Capitol Hill and the Administration. AHRI hosts a bunch of great panels including one this morning with POLITICO Playbook king Daniel Lippman and dean of the energy  trade press Doug Obey, as well as a conversation with my colleague Scott Segal and key energy committee staff. PCA hosts House Energy Committee member Jay Obernolte and a load of DOE and Admin Climate officials. Happy to connect you if you have questions.

It is PGA week at Oak Hill outside of Rochester, NY and on Saturday, I might be headed to a certain place in Baltimore where the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown will go off around 6:45 p.m. Derby winner Mage is the favorite currently, but there is some question surrounding Derby Favorite Forte (he was scratched by the State Vet on Derby  morning) who wanted to run but is likely blocked because Preakness race day in the last day of the normal 14-day block from racing after a Vet scratch like this. If he is approved, look for him to jump to the front of a pretty weak field.  I liked Disarm who closed hard for a strong 4^th in the Derby but he just scratched this morning. Also scratching was Confidence Game, but I was already fading him anyway. I just didn’t see it after his failure to close at Churchill (the shorter distance won’t help him). Blazing Stevens is fresh and is legit, First Mission will likely go out to lead (helpful in the shorter Preakness) and I like National Treasure after his Santa Anita Derby performance despite higher odds (maybe 18-1). Henry Q and Perform are sleepers with good closing speed. Long shots worth a $2 flyer include Instant Coffee and Chase the Chaos as this field is wide open (even more now with Disarm and CG Out).

See you on Wednesday at Senate Energy or Thursday at LNG Allies or POLITICO’s Energy Summit. Call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932                                                                                                                         

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Aspirational policy is getting ahead of operational reality.”

Todd Snitchler, CEO and president of the Electric Power Supply Association in response to EPA’s clean Power Rule.

ON THE PODCAST

Volts Taks Land Use, Clean Energy – On his Volts Podcast, David Roberts hosts Jessica Wilkinson (Power of Place project manager) and Nels Johnson (the project’s science and technology lead) of The Nature Conservancy to discuss land use and clean energy issues and other findings in a new TNC report. They discuss the technology shifts that will enable a lighter footprint, the policies that could help encourage them and the best ways to avoid community resistance.

CapCrude talks Permitting with Herrgott – This week on CapCrude Podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights industry editor Molly Christian spoke with Alex Herrgott, president and CEO of the Permitting Institute, on what leading permitting reform proposals before Congress could do for the energy sector and what else may be needed to improve the permitting process. Despite bipartisan agreement on key areas, including the need to limit timeframes for project reviews, the complexity and abundance of permitting laws mean Congress may have its hands full on this issue for years, Herrgott says.

FUN OPINIONS

PA Leaders Call for Permit Reform – In an op-ed in the Reading Eagle, is president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President Luke Bernstein and Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council Rob Bair write Pennsylvania must continue to lead with good public policy. Lawmakers can improve permitting processes without compromising their purposes or important environmental protections. We suggest several steps: 1) Permit application reviews should follow a predetermined schedule and projects should be deemed approved if an agency fails to meet a required deadline. Qualified third-party reviewers should be able to review permit applications. Both proposals have passed the state House and state Senate in past sessions. 2) We should provide certainty to state agencies that their decisions will stand up in court and stop wasting taxpayer resources on frivolous lawsuits by limiting the ability of courts to award attorney’s fees. And 3) We should add transparency to the process by allowing the applicant to see the exact status of their application. .

FROG BLOG

Walters: CA Often Gets Pulled Back By Courts – In his column in CalMatters, Dan Walters writes California politicians sometimes ignore that basic fact of civic life in their zeal to lead the parade. But when they cross the legal line, as defined in federal law, they get their comeuppance. For instance, the federal appeals court that oversees California recently overturned an ordinance passed by city leaders in Berkeley, one of the state’s more adventuresome jurisdictions, to ban natural gas service in newly constructed buildings. A federal trial judge upheld the ordinance but the 9th District Court of Appeals declared that federal law did, indeed, preempt the issue so Berkeley could not strike it out on its own. California’s governors and legislators are also prone to enacting new laws that run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, federal law or, in some cases, the state’s own constitution.

FUN FACTS

IN THE NEWS

EPA Rolls Out Climate Rules for Power Plants – As expected, EPA released the most stringent emissions limits ever for coal- and gas-fired power plants. Legal challenges are anticipated. It is important to note that GHG regulations have a shoddy track record when challenged and were overturned with the sense that Congress ought to be the one to act. It is underscored by many different types of potential legislation Congress could pass to address greenhouse gases (including carbon taxes or various Clean Energy Standards like the former McKinley-Schrader approach, etc.), rather than have EPA try to pound a square peg into a round hole on GHGs. Secondly, I know power plants are an important place to find reductions, but the reality is, the electricity sector has already made the most gains of all the sectors in terms of decarbonization. It just again shows that with environmental activists and their allies in public office, that no good deed ever goes on punished. We have plenty on this if you are following up. 

New SAFE Report Highlights Aluminum Challenges – The SAFE Center for Strategic Industrial Materials (C-SIM) released a report examining how recent domestic policies designed to promote the energy transition and reduce carbon emissions are increasing demand for aluminum used in many of the needed technologies but without addressing supply-side challenges, specifically the affordable electricity generation and distribution required to sustain domestic aluminum production. The SAFE “Legislative Analysis for the U.S. Aluminum Industry” report examines the details of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Defense Production Act, and the 2022 CHIPs Act. These new laws will cumulatively increase demand for aluminum in significant ways:

• The IRA incentivizes more production of solar polar, batteries, and electric vehicles, the latter requiring hundreds of pounds more aluminum (per automobile) compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
• The IIJA funds $73B for aluminum-heavy electric infrastructure and $5B for a nationwide network of EV charging stations.
• DPA supports the domestic production of strategic materials, including aluminum, used in large-capacity batteries used in EVs and military systems.
• CHIPS Act sets aside $39 billion in direct federal assistance to produce semiconductors in the US, which is the fastest growing demand share of high purity aluminum discs.

These laws do offer some supply-side support, specifically the vitally important manufacturing production tax credit (45X) and investment tax credit (48c). Unfortunately, the demand-side drives for aluminum outpace these few supply-side investments. For comparison, the IRA contained sourcing provisions to incentive critical minerals production within the U.S. and among reliable trading partners to address the added demand for advanced batteries. The IRA did not contain comparably scaled support for strategic industrial materials, including domestic aluminum production.

Seadrift TX Site for SMR Nuclear Plant – Dow and X-Energy said Dow has selected its UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site in Texas southwest of Houston for its proposed advanced small modular reactor (“SMR”) nuclear project. The project is focused on providing the Seadrift site with safe, reliable, zero carbon emissions power and steam as existing energy and steam assets near their end-of-life. DOE named Dow a sub-awardee under X-energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (“ARDP”) Cooperative Agreement. The JDA provides for up to $50 million in engineering work, up to half of which is eligible to be funded through ARDP, and the other half by Dow. The project is expected to reduce the Seadrift site's emissions by approximately 440,000 MT CO2e/year. Dow and X-energy will now prepare and submit a Construction Permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”), an important milestone to bringing the project to fruition. Construction on the four-reactor project is expected to begin in 2026 and to be completed by the end of this decade. Dow’s Seadrift site covers 4,700 acres and manufactures more than 4 million pounds of materials per year used across a wide variety of applications including food packaging and preservation, footwear, wire and cable insulation, solar cell membranes, and packaging for medical and pharmaceutical products.

DOE to Refill SPR – DOE will begin replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve once it has delivered on a commitment to offload 26 million barrels from the reserve next month, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has told lawmakers in testimony late last week. The Biden administration carried out several major sales from the reserve last year, taking stocks down to a 40-year low, and has previously pledged to make purchases once the price of crude oil falls below a range of $67 to $72 per barrel.

Transocean eyes drillship wind power conversion – Drilling contractor Transocean is considering converting two of its drillships for use in offshore wind installation, having signed a memorandum of understanding with turbine installation vessel owner Eneti. David Keddington, Transocean's vice president of global supply chain, said the decision to go ahead with the conversion will depend on agreeing to the right terms with a client who is willing to pay for heavy lift vessels.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

BioGas American Set for Chicago – The American Biogas Council holds 2023 BioGas Americas in Chicago at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk Today to Thursday. The event is the biggest event in the US for biogas/RNG.

Forum Looks at Climate, Food Challenges in Middle East – The Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings will host an event today on how pressing issues of food insecurity and climate change will affect both internal urbanization and external migration in the Middle East, and opportunities for international and U.S. action. Ferid Belhaj, the World Bank’s vice president for the Middle East and North Africa, will provide a keynote address. His remarks will be followed by a discussion on implementing change with Brookings experts Marsin Alshamary, Reva Dhingra, and Jeannie Sowers. The conversation will be moderated by Reuters Bureau Chief for Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan Maya Gebeily.

Forum to Look at Energy Transition – NYU’s Institute for Policy Integrity holds a forum today at 2:00 p.m. on energy insecurity and energy transitions obstacles and opportunities.  Panelists will share takeaways from their research and policy work at the nexus of energy insecurity and energy transitions. After a discussion of how to identify and measure energy insecurity, panelists will share their findings on how the energy security of low-income populations might be affected by different aspects of the energy transition. Panelists will also examine possible solutions, such as energy cost assistance programs and post-crisis opportunities. Finally, panelists will reflect on their research design strategies for ensuring that their research processes and results serve and benefit the communities they are engaging.

Forum Looks at CCS Lessons – The Global CCS Institute holds a webinar tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. looking at CCS commercial and regulatory frameworks. The event will focus on lessons learned from the CCS experience in the US.  Government representatives and policy experts will share the lessons learned from the CCS experience in the US, and discuss expectations for the future of CCS deployment in the region.

Coons, ARPA-E Join WaPo Live for Climate Discussion – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. ET, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-head of the Climate Solutions Caucus, and Evelyn Wang, director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) join Washington Post Live for a series of conversations about the role of innovation, technology and federal policy in addressing climate change.

House Transpo Looks at Water Issues – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the next 50 years of the Clean Water Act.  The hearing will examine the CWA and infrastructure project completion.

USEA Forums Discusses Energy Transition, Operations – The US Energy Assn holds a forum tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. looking at the rising to the challenge of the energy transition and its impact on operations. Speakers will discuss the ongoing renewable energy transition and the challenges that it can pose to operations for the power sector. Speakers from New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and PJM will be discussing the ongoing renewable energy transition and the challenges that it can pose to operations for the power sector.

Senate Environment Hosts Fish, Wildlife Budget – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Proposed FY2024 Budget.

Forum Features Chatterjee –Tomorrow at Noon, the R St. Institute hold a conversation on reforms that can enable interregional transmission development and cost-effectively bolster energy resilience. Speaker will include former FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee and Electricity Consumers Resource Council CEO Karen Onaran, among others.

Forum Looks at Ocean Carbon Removal – Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., the American University’s Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy holds a webinar on developing a verification approach for open ocean carbon dioxide removal. Running Tide, a global ocean health company, has created a multi-pathway carbon removal system combining the chemical and biological interventions of naturally occurring carbon removal pathways: terrestrial biomass growth & sinking and ocean biomass growth & sinking.

E&E to Talk EPA Rules – Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., E&E News Reporters will hold a forum to discuss and analyze the latest proposals coming out of the EPA from new standards for power plant carbon dioxide emissions and a new national drinking water standard to regulations aimed at tailpipe emissions to limit smog and carbon from trucks and cars The event will dive into the challenges ahead with Sean Reilly, Jean Chemnick and Timothy Cama. 

House Energy Looks at Critical Infrastructure, Cyber Challenges – The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.

House Resources Looks at Wildfire Issues – The House Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. examining the challenges facing forest management, wildfire suppression and wildland firefighters ahead of the 2023 wildfire year.

USEA to Address CCUS Issues – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the US Energy Association holds a virtual discussion on utilizing risk management and insurance to support CCUS (carbon capture, utilization and sequestration) project enablement.

Atlantic Council Hosts TC Energy CEO – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a fireside chat tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. with TC Energy CEO François Poirier, as part of the Global Energy Center’s CEO Series, Poirier will share his vision for a reinvigorated North American strategy for energy security and global emissions reductions.

Senate Environment Moves on Permitting Reform – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to examine Federal actions to improve project reviews for a cleaner and stronger economy.

Senate Energy to Move DOE Nominees – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., Senate Energy holds votes on DOE nominees David Crane and Jeff Marootian.  They will also consider a bunch of new legislation.

House Transpo Hosts FEMA on Prep, Response – The House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on economic development, public buildings and emergency management will hold a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster preparedness and response plans. FEMA deputy administrator Erik Hooks will testify.

Forum Looks at WTO Climate Issues – The American-German Institute holds a Forum on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on reconciling trade and climate policies at the WTO. This session will cover avenues for enhancing the TTC’s trade deliverables, including bilateral aspects like conformity assessment, mutual recognition agreements, climate, and supply chain security and resilience, as well as multilateral issues like global trade rules and reform of the WTO.

Forum Looks at Labor, Green Transitions – The U.S. Institute of Peace holds a forum on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at preventing labor unrest in green transitions. The event features a conversation on emerging research about the risks of unrest on the long road toward a more peaceful and just transition. Experts will share and discuss which approaches can more effectively prevent social and labor unrest as a potential effect of sudden changes that can shock transitioning societies. The discussion will also look at recent cases from diverse geographies that provide lessons learned from failed processes and those that offer the best practices from early successes.

Heritage Hosts FERC’s Danly on Grid – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., the Heritage Foundation holds a discussion on power grid reliability with FERC Commissioner James Danly. Danly joins Heritage’s Travis Fisher to dig into the details of what we know about power grid reliability, what the impact of electricity policies will be in the near term (particularly the movements to decarbonize the grid and “electrify everything”) and what we can do to ensure grid reliability for decades to come.

Forum Looks at Conservation Title of Farm Bill – ConservAmerica holds a webinar on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. for a discussion on improving conservation outcomes on the nation’s working lands as Congress considers reauthorizing the farm bill’s conservation title.  The event features Josh Maxwell, Policy Director at the House Agriculture Committee; David White of Ecosystem Services Exchange and Alex Echols of the Campbell Foundation.

House Oversight Panels Look at EPA Fuel Economy, USPS Vehicle Contract – House Oversight holds two hot buttons issue hearing on Wednesday.  At 2:00 p.m., the Subcommittee on economic growth, energy policy and regulatory affairs will review the Biden administration’s recent rules to limit tailpipe pollution with EPA’s Joe Goffman testifying. Earlier in the day at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on government operations and the federal workforce will hold a hearing on the Postal Service’s progress in implementing its 10-year plan, including its efforts to electrify its delivery trucks with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy as the witness.

Forum Looks at Net Zero, Energy Security – At 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the Atlantic Council holds a virtual discussion on efforts to bolster energy security and achieve net zero carbon goals. The event features a conversation with The Right Honorable Grant Shapps MP, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Forum Focused on TransAtlantic NatGas Issues, Energy Security – LNG Allies, Eurogas, Zukunft Erdgas, American Exploration and Production Council, American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber’s Global Energy Institute are holding the 5^th Transatlantic Energy Security Forum on Thursday morning in Washington, DC. This event will celebrate Transatlantic energy security gains made over the past year, discuss the need for U.S. permitting reform, and focus on two key questions: (1) How much more gas will Europe (and the world) need in 2030, 2040, and 2050 and (2) How is the natural gas industry planning to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions both in the United States and Europe at/before those same decadal mileposts.  Speakers will include former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette (now of Sempra) DOE’s Brad Crabtree, Senate Energy Chair Joe Manchin, House Energy Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, State’s Geoffrey Pyatt, Dite Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission and our friend Kevin Book. 

Brookings Looks at Infrastructure – On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., Brookings Metro, as part of the national United for Infrastructure Week 2023, will host an event focused on the implementation challenges confronting states and communities. Speakers with expertise across multiple infrastructure sectors will address many of the fiscal, workforce, and equity concerns that public officials now face—and offer solutions to help overcome them.

Senate Finance Looks at IRA, Energy Communities – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Finance Committee will discuss the climate and clean energy tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, focusing on jobs and investment in energy communities. Among the witnesses are former DOE EERE head Dan Simmons and BlueGreen’s Katie Harris.

POLITICO Energy Summit Set -- POLITICO is holding its 2023 Energy Summit on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C., at The Schuyler. The Forum will dig into clean energy technologies and innovation, including wind energy, solar power and battery technologies as well as the electrification of the transportation sector, while acknowledging the larger political forces that will shape any policy wins. Speakers will include Energy Secretary Granholm, Sen. Ed Markey, White House Infrastructure Advisor Mitch Landrieu, Ali Zaidi and several more.

USEA Looks at Just Energy Transition – On Thursday at 12:30 p.m., the US Energy Assn and US AID holds a webinar on a just energy transition in Chile with Natalia Correa, Head of Sustainable and Circular Ecosystems and Roberto Alhucema, Head of O&M Gas & Coal Chile de Enel Generación.  The event will focus on the steps Enel Chile has taken to prepare for net zero generation with a comprehensive Just Energy Transition.

C2ES Hosts Whitehouse on Carbon Border Adjustment – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions holds a webinar on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. featuring Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.  Whitehouse will discuss his “Clean Competition Act” and his perspectives on the future of a U.S. carbon border adjustment. A panel discussion will follow moderate by Nat Keohane with climate expert Alden Meyer, CLC CEO Greg Bertelsen and Shuting Pomerleau.

Climate Prep Conference Set – The Climate Change Preparedness Conference 2023 is set for Washington, DC Thursday and Friday. The three-day event unites climate experts, governments official and policymakers, community organizer. youth leaders, environmental professionals and other stakeholders from around the country to focus on adaptive solutions to foster climate resilience. Speakers include DOE’s Aaron Fuller, Tao Wang of the Word Bank, USDA’s Joaquin Altoro and former CEQ Head Nancy Sutley, now of LADWP.

RFF Looks at {Power Plant Rule – On Friday at 10:00 a.m., Resources for the Future and Harvard Law’s Environmental & Energy Law Program holds a webinar to review these latest EPA rules and explore the potential impacts on air quality, human health, and US decarbonization goals. Speakers include Chris Hoagland of the Maryland Department of the Environmen,t Harvard Law School’s Carrie Jenks and Harvard enviro professor Elsie Sunderland.

IN THE FUTURE

WINDPOWER Set for New Orleans – America’s Clean Power holds Its annual WINDERPOWER Conference in New Orleans May 22-25^th.  The event is the renewable energy industry’s premier event. CLEANPOWER brings together policy leaders, industry experts, and clean energy companies together to grow the industry. CLEANPOWER unites the most knowledgeable minds in clean energy to chart the future of this powerful industry and discuss the opportunities ahead. John Podesta and Sen John Kennedy are Keynote speakers and our friends Marty Durbin of the Chamber’s GEI and Amy Andryszak of INGAA.

Forum Looks at Power Grid – WRI’s Systems Change Lab holds a forum on Tuesday May 23^rd at 9:00 a.m. for an important discussion with leading policy leaders and energy experts about what can be done to accelerate the global clean energy transition.  The event is co-hosted by the Bezos Earth Fund and Climate Action Tracker (a project of NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. Speakers will discuss pressing issues in the global power sector and how to overcome bottlenecks to a clean energy future. Panelists will also examine how the US Inflation Reduction Act, European Union’s REPowerEU Plan and other policies are reshaping the long-term outlook for how homes, businesses and vehicles are powered and what measures are critical to ensuring that workers currently working in extracting and using fossil fuels are not left behind.

Forum Continues Look at Farm Bill – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a briefing Wednesday May 24^th at 2:00 p.m. on Farm Bill policies and programs that help farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and rural communities drive down greenhouse gas emissions, generate jobs, and stimulate the economy. During this briefing, panelists will discuss how Congress can bolster key programs in the rural development and energy titles of the Farm Bill, such as the Rural Energy Savings Program, Rural Energy for America Program, and water and wastewater technical assistance programs. These provisions help rural communities improve energy efficiency, access electrification retrofits, upgrade water systems, and build out broadband capabilities.  James Clyburn and Aiken Electric Coop CEO Gary Stooksbury are among the speakers.

USEA Policy Forum Set – On May 25^th, the US Energy Assn holds its annual membership meeting and Policy Forum at the Ronald Reagan Building From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

SEIA Forum Looks at Residential Solar Installations – The Solar Energy Industries Assn holds a forum on Thursday May 25^th on lessons learned from residential installations. NREL will share research on roofing integrated PV products in the residential market segment, where markets seem to be growing nationwide, and insights from on-the-ground observations or time and motion studies of various roofing-integrated PV installations.

Energy Economists Look at LNG Exports – On Thursday May 25^th at 3:00 p.m., the US Association for Energy Economist holds its monthly event on the role of US natural gas exports in a low-carbon world. The U.S. liquefied natural gas industry should continue to engage with and gas to both the developed and developing countries in Asia, which should be long-term consumers of affordable and reliable natural gas for their own energy security and decarbonization goals. Rick Westerdale, executive director at the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI), speaks.

Punchbowl, API Host Permitting Forum – Punchbowl News will host a conversation on permitting reform on Wednesday May 31^st at 9:00 a.m. The event, moderated by Punchbowl News Founder Jake Sherman, will feature industry leaders including Mike Sommers, CEO of American Petroleum Institute, Paula Glover, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, Jason Grumet, CEO of American Clean Power and Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions.

Carbon Pipeline Hearing Set for Iowa – PHMSA provided notice of a public meeting it will hold on CO2 pipeline safety from May 31^st to June 1^st in Des Moines, Iowa. The meeting will “serve as an opportunity for pipeline stakeholders to help inform pipeline safety-related rulemaking decisions and share information surrounding CO2 pipeline safety. Key stakeholders include the public, states, tribal governments, other federal agencies, industry, and international regulators and/or organizations.”

Finance Forum Set for NYC – The ACORE Finance Forum returns to New York City on June 7-8^th. This year, leaders from across the renewable transaction landscape will assess risk mitigation amidst uncertainties regarding IRA implementation, inflation, permitting challenges and transmission constraints. With a great deal of capital ready to flow into the renewable sector, don’t miss this opportunity to learn how experts are navigating the possibilities and growth-driven challenges.

US Trade Rep Headline POLITICO London Forum – POLITICO holds its inaugural Global Tech Day, taking place on Thursday June 15^th in London. US Trade Rep Katherine Tai will keynote an event that will focus on the latest in global tech and the ramifications of our world's newest innovations on international politics.