Energy Update: Week of May 17

Friends,               

I was so close to really getting a big payout at the Preakness on Saturday.  A fast track and a gorgeous day led to me acing a win with a straight #6 Rombauer bet for a good-sized payout. Coupled with my exacta 6-5 play and I came home with enough to keep me going back for more in three weeks at the Belmont.  I will say though Concert Tour – among the pre-race favorites – killed both my Trifecta (5-3/6 wheel-10) and Super boxes 6-5-10-3/9 wheel).  That is unfortunate as I would have really hit it big.  Anyway, off to Elmont, NY in just three weeks for the Final Jewel in the Triple Crown.  The chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup is underway (what a great Caps/Bruins game on Sat after the race) with games all week.  And NBA Playoffs are ready to launch later this week.

Talk about events changing today’s lede!!! Just before Noon today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-1 in favor of energy companies contesting a lawsuit filed by the City of Baltimore seeking monetary damages due to costs caused by global climate change.  The ruling authored by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch came on a technical legal issue that could help the companies in their effort to have the case heard in federal court instead of state court.  The ruling is expected to affect around a dozen similar lawsuits brought by various U.S. states, cities and counties.  Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the ruling. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, did not participate in the case, likely because he owns stocks in two oil companies involved in the litigation.  My colleagues say it is a very technical decision and doesn’t really tell us much about the merits, but is an important first step to getting these challenges to the appropriate venue. Chris Horner, who filed an amicus brief in the case, wrote this blog today.

Today, as part of a larger DOE summit on Buildings, the White House hosts a roundtable at 4:15 p.m., on Decarbonization that will feature Gina McCarthy, CEQ’s Brenda Mallory, Sect. Granholm and EPA Admin Michael Regan.  A significant number of HVACR officials will be there and they recently released a new decarb position. 

On the Hill, a number of good hearings this week headlined by House Energy hearing with Energy Secretary Granholm on the DOE budget.  Others include Senate Ag and Energy hearings Thursday on forestry management issues and climate and hearings tomorrow in House Energy on Auto technologies and a Senate Banking hearing on the Flood Insurance program.   Finally, the House Resources GOP will hold a forum tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on addressing critical mineral supply chain challenges with SAFE’s Abby Wulf and IEA’s Tim Gould among a bunch of others.

Major events this week:

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds its inaugural Global Forum tomorrow and Wednesday to focus on economic recovery. Speakers include Bill Gates, Treasury Sect. Janet Yellen, GE Renewable Energy CEO Jérôme Pécresse, Colombia President Iván Duque and Venture Global LNG CEO/Founder Michael Sabel.
• The Center on Global Energy Policy holds its 7^th annual Columbia Global Energy Summit virtually tomorrow to Thursday to focus on understanding trends shaping our current energy system, and what's ahead for energy policy, energy markets, geopolitics, technology and efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change.  Among the speakers will be IEA’s Fatih Birol, White House Advisor Gina McCarthy and BP’s Bernard Looney.
• OurEnergyPolicy continues its energy series Wednesday at Noon with a forum on the future of natural gas, examining the economic, environmental, and policy issues facing natural gas and its role in the future energy mix.  Speakers include AGA’s Richard Meyer, ASE’s Paula Glover and Ross Turrini of National Grid. 

Congrats to our friend Nick Loris who has joined the Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions (C3 Solutions) to serve as their Vice President of Public Policy.

Remember, taxes are DUE TODAY!! (Ouch, among my least favorite days) Hope you stay safe & healthy and keep getting those vaccine shots so we can get rid of these masks for good.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Regardless of whether it matters to them, Iron Maiden not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is INSANITY. Regardless of who is writing in or not, the Committee must induct them. They have helped spawn an entire genre of music. What else do you need to do?”

KISS guitar player Paul Stanley recently on Twitter, sharing his views of the decision by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominating committee to still not induct Iron Maiden even though ‘they have helped spawn an entire genre of music.’

ON THE PODCAST

Columbia Team Talks Oil transition with Occidental’s Hollub – In this edition of Columbia Energy Exchange, host Jason Bordoff is joined by the person navigating Occidental Petroleum through this period, its CEO, Vicki Hollub, who has been CEO since 2016.  Vicki recently said Oxy would become not just an oil company but a carbon management company, and Jason asked her about that and more when they spoke a few days ago in front of a live virtual audience at the annual Climate Science and Investment Conference hosted by the Columbia Climate School and the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School. 

FUN OPINIONS

MIT Expert: Before Building Sustainably, We Need to Define It – In an op-ed in The Hill, MIT research scientist and executive director of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHub) Jeremy Gregory writes sustainability is more than a buzzword. While it’s a simple concept, its manifestations are myriad — yet intersectional. The same solutions that address the functional sustainability of our infrastructure can also address environmental and social sustainability. As we embark on a historic infrastructure plan it’s important to keep this definition in mind. Thankfully, it seems to be at the heart of Buttigieg’s agenda.

FROG BLOG

TX Should Be CCS Leader – In a post for the Texas Tribune, Matt Welch, the state director of Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation, a statewide organization that promotes free enterprise, increased competition, and less government regulation in the energy economy, writes opportunities carbon capture technology can bring to Texas. Welch notes that currently, companies are required to seek approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to store carbon dioxide, in what are known as Class VI injection wells. However, the Texas state Legislature is considering House Bill 1284 and Senate Bill 450, which would allow the state to authorize this storage without federal oversight.

FUN FACTS

• CCS Volumes Up: The Energy From 1960 and 2000, there were less than 100 peer-reviewed academic papers about carbon capture (CCS); last year alone there were more than 1,000 peer-reviewed academic papers about CCS. Source: PubMed. 2020.
• Losing Energy: In 2020, energy production in the US fell to 96 quadrillion BTUs (quads), down more than 5% from 2019; in absolute terms, this annual decrease is the largest on record. 
• Cool and hip:  The Brazilian Amazon is now releasing more CO2 than it absorbs.

 

IN THE NEWS

New EIRP Report Calls for Aggressive Action on China, Indo-Pacific Region – A report by a bipartisan task force of former officials and experts organized by the Energy Innovation Reform Project (EIRP) says the United States must develop new strategies and policies that address the intersection between a global energy transition and increasing geopolitical competition to successfully navigate economic and security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.  “Advancing American Energy and Innovation in the Indo-Pacific Region” was authored by EIRP’s Task Force on U.S. Indo-Pacific Energy Strategy. The bipartisan group is chaired by former Under Secretary of State Ambassador Paula Dobriansky (2001-2009) and Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman (2009-2014). The report provides strategic insights, policy recommendations, and principles for the United States in contending with rapidly changing global political, economic and energy realities. It underscores the need for bipartisan approaches to U.S. energy policy that America can sustain over the decades necessary to confront today’s key challenges. In its 19 recommendations, the report advances proposals for security, economic, and clean energy policy on issues spanning LNG exports, nuclear power and proliferation, critical mineral supply chains, cyber security, greenhouse gas emissions, investment, and energy innovation. The report stresses integrating policies to achieve a low-carbon future into wider efforts to accelerate energy innovation, boost competitiveness and economic growth, and enhance national security.

HVACR Industry Advances Decarb Strategy –The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) today released a General Position Statement on Decarbonization advancing the association as a resource for states and localities grappling with how to successfully, sustainably, and affordably reduce emissions related to the built environment. The paper notes that, “The air conditioning, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, and water heating industry has a long history of providing innovative, high-quality, energy-saving, affordable products that enhance the comfort, safety, health, and productivity of businesses and people around the world,” and expresses AHRI’s support for “the ongoing, science-based transition to a lower carbon society in which consumer choices for heating, cooling, water heating, and commercial refrigeration are the most energy efficient, environmentally beneficial available anywhere in the world, while maintaining appropriate and adequate levels of safety, health, comfort, and affordability.” AHRI head Steve Yurek said “Our member companies – which have more than 100 years of experience and expertise in product solutions, technology, and innovation – can serve as a valuable resource in helping the nation achieve a lower carbon society.”  Yurek said that several AHRI member companies plan to participate in today’s White House Roundtable on Decarbonization.  It also comes on the heels of the success of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, passed by Congress in 2020, which provides authority to the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the production of high-global warming potential hydrofluorocarbons and establishes a national phase down structure for the refrigerants that are widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.  That effort, more than 10 years in the making for the industry, is forecast to ultimately result in a .5- degree reduction in global temperatures over the next 30 years, even as it creates jobs and helps the industry’s global trade posture.

US-EU Address Steel, Aluminum Joint Capacity – European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced today in a joint statement (also below) that the United States and European Union would enter into discussions on global steel and aluminum excess capacity. As part of the agreement, the EU will delay doubling its retaliatory tariffs on US whiskey imports and other products that were set to take effect on June 1.  The deal announced today commits both sides to “finding a solution before the end of the year that will demonstrate how the U.S. and EU can address excess capacity, ensure the long-term viability of our steel and aluminum industries, and strengthen our democratic alliance.”

Public Power, Co-Ops Urge Level Playing Field for Clean Energy Tax Incentives – The American Public Power Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and Large Public Power Council pressed lawmakers Friday to allow direct pay to public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives to support tax policies that will allow public power and electric cooperatives to fully utilize direct pay for renewable and clean energy tax credits. Not-for-profit and tax-exempt community-owned electric utilities currently are excluded from being able to directly claim those credits and as a result only indirectly benefit through long-term power purchase agreements with developers and partners that can claim the credits. The letter says allowing public power utilities and rural electric cooperatives to receive these tax credits in the form of direct payments for building clean energy infrastructure would ensure that all utilities serving all Americans would have equal access to these federal resources.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

DOE Hosts Buildings Summit – DOE holds Better Buildings, Better Plants Summit today through Thursday. This annual event for program partners and other key stakeholders provides the opportunity for professionals to explore emerging technologies and share innovative strategies in energy and water efficiency. Secretary of Energy Granholm will deliver the opening keynote. DOE leadership will recognize the 2021 Goal Achievers and recent partner accomplishments. EERE head Kelly Speakes-Backman, Science Office head Kathleen Hogan and experts from Oak Ridge, NREL and Pacific NW NL. 

White House Summit to Focus on Building Decarb – As part of the Summit, the White House holds a White House Roundtable on Decarbonization at 4:15 p.m. that will feature Gina McCarthy, Brenda Mallory, Granholm, EPA Admin Michael Regan and GSA acting head Katy Kale.  The leaders will convene industry stakeholders in dialogue on equitable decarbonization of America's buildings, associated opportunities for jobs, and new programs for efficient electrified buildings.

IEA Releases Net-Zero Report – The International Energy Agency holds a virtual news conference tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Paris Time (4:00 a.m. E) to discuss a new report, "Net Zero in 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy System."

Colombia President, GE Renewable CEO, others Address Inaugural Chamber Global Forum – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds its inaugural Global Forum tomorrow and Wednesday. Led by U.S. Chamber CEO and President Suzanne Clark, the Global Forum will focus on economic recovery and will bring together leaders from business and government to discuss the opportunities and impediments to a dynamic global recovery. Speakers include Colombia President Iván Duque, GE Renewable Energy CEO Jérôme Pécresse and Venture Global LNG CEO/Founder Michael Sabel, among others. Speakers will share their views on how public-private partnerships are driving efforts to combat the global pandemic, the impact of U.S. trade relationships on business innovation and job creation, and why diversifying energy sources is good for both the environment and future economic growth.

Forum Look at Green Climate Fund – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. the role of the Green Climate Fund in scaling up finance for action. GCF Executive Director Yannick Glemarec and an expert panel on how institutional support, innovative financing solutions, and new partnerships can mobilize the investment needed to scale up sustainable mitigation and adaptation action, and strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable countries across the globe. 

Forum Looks at Global Freight Issues – The Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies and the Port of Houston hold a Houston Global Freight Summit tomorrow and Wednesday. The first day of the summit will focus on what is needed for a robust rebound from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. On day two, experts address the challenge of moving freight around the world in a lower-carbon environment.

Senate Energy Holds Noms Hearing – The Senate Energy Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to consider the nominations of Robert Anderson to be solicitor of the Interior Department, Shannon Estenoz to be assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, and Tanya Trujillo to be an assistant secretary of the Interior (Water and Science).

Senate Banking Looks at Flood Insurance – The Senate Banking Committee will hold its first hearing on the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. The NFIP has long been the subject of controversy, with competing proposals from both sides of the aisle on reforming the debt-ridden program. While the last administration reauthorized the program in the fall, Congress must renew the NFIP's statutory authority to operate periodically (i.e. on or before Sept. 30 of this year).

Forum to Look at Climate Security – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., New America’s Resource Security Program hold a discussion about the state of the climate peace and security community of practice, focusing on decision support tools and best practices.  NATO’s Benedetta Berti-Alberti is among the speakers.

Webinar Looks at CCS in Large Scale – The US Energy Association holds a webinar tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on building commercial scale clean energy systems through deep decarbonization and gigaton scale carbon capture infrastructure. 

House Energy Panel looks at Auto Techs –The House Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on the potential and perils of automobile technologies.

House Science Looks at NASA Climate Issues – The House Science, Space and Technology Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on NASA's Earth Science and Climate Change activities.  The hearing looks at current roles and future opportunities.

ELI Looks at Climate, Finance issues – The Environmental Law Institute and leading experts hold a forum tomorrow at Noon that is an in-depth exploration of regulating the financial sector in the decarbonization era.

McCarthy Headlines Columbia Energy Conference – The Center on Global Energy Policy holds its 7^th annual Columbia Global Energy Summit virtually tomorrow to Thursday.  Energy experts from around the world gather for the Summit, which will focus on understanding trends shaping our current energy system, and what's ahead for energy policy, energy markets, geopolitics, technology and efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change.  Among the speakers will be IAE’s Fatih Birol, White House Advisor Gina McCarthy, Hydro-Quebec’s Sophie Brochu, CPS Energy’s Paula Gold-Williams, BP’s Bernard Looney and many more – including SIPA experts like Jason Bordoff, former FERC Chair Cheryl LaFleur and CARB head Mary Nichols.

House Resource GOP to Look at Critical Minerals – The House Natural Resource Committee GOP will hold a forum tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on addressing critical mineral supply chain challenges.  The Forum will look at the necessity of securing domestic supply chains for critical minerals and the many challenges in achieving that goal.  Speakers include SAFE’s Abby Wulf and IEA’s Tim Gould among a bunch of others.

Hudson Looks at Batteries – The Hudson Institute holds a webinar tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., on advanced batteries and America's national security.  The event features expert panelists Ben Richardson, Dr. Nina French, Jim Caley and Dr. Kyle Grew for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing the Department of Defense (DoD) in the development of advanced batteries.

Forum Looks at Middle East Energy Transformation – On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the Middle East Institute holds a webinar on deep environmental transformation in Gulf Arab States.

Forum Looks at Hydrogen – On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security hold a fireside chat with Dr. Andrew Forrest on the key developments and next steps to developing the global green hydrogen economy. This event is part of the Global Energy Center’s Fireside Chat series, which highlights key energy leaders and provides a platform on the energy issues that will define the future. Dr. Forrest is Founder and Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue), a natural resources company that has invested over $40 billion USD developing global scale infrastructure and some of the world’s most efficient resource extraction and transport techniques.

House Approps Panel Looks Climate Finance – The House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at global climate finance issues.

Senate Enviro Looks at Biodiversity – The Senate Environment Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. examining biodiversity loss.  The hearing will address drivers, impacts and potential solutions. Andy Treharne of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation is among those testifying.

Granholm Heads to Energy Panel – The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy will host Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to testify on the agency’s fiscal year 2022 budget request.

House Science Look at DOE Computing Issues – The House Science, Space and Technology Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. on accelerating the future of scientific computing at the Department of Energy.

Forum to Look at RD&D Spending – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation holds a discussion on energy RD&D in the federal budget, and prospects for FY 2022 with experts from ITIF and elsewhere.  Speakers will include ITIF’s David M. Hart, Carbon180’s Erin Burns and Rebecca Dell of the ClimateWorks Foundation. 

WaPo Hosts McCarthy – On Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., Washington Post LIVE holds a forum where senior writer Frances Stead Sellers talks with White House national climate advisor Gina McCarthy on about the economic effect, as well as societal impact, of a greater emphasis on renewable energy.

NIA to Discuss Report on NRC Fee Reform for Advanced Reactors – The Nuclear Innovation Alliance holds a webinar Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. discussing its latest report "Unlocking Advanced Nuclear Innovation: The Role of Fee Reform and Public Investment."  Former NRC Commissioner Stephen Burns will moderate a panel featuring NIA Project Manager Alex Gilbert as well as representatives from nuclear start ups Oklo and Kairos Power.

Forum Looks at Future of NatGas – OurEnergyPolicy continues its energy series Wednesday at Noon with a forum on the future of natural gas. The event features a conversation examining the economic, environmental, and policy issues facing natural gas and its role in the future energy mix.  Speakers include AGA’s Richard Meyer, ASE’s Paula Glover and Ross Turrini of National Grid. 

Forum Tackles Biden Jobs Plan, Climate – The Center for Environmental and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum on Wednesday at 1:00 pm. to look at President Biden’s American Jobs Plan.  In this webinar, experts will discuss opportunities to strengthen the resilience of our infrastructure and criteria to guide resilient infrastructure legislation and projects.

House Resources Attacks Oil, Gas Industry – The House Natural Resources Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. looking at taxpayer dollars and the Oil and Gas industry.

Forum to Look at Green Schools – The Center for American Progress holds a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on investing in K-12 infrastructure to explore the need for healthy green schools.

Forum to Look at Future of Enviro Movement – Green 2.0 will host a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. with Asian-American and Pacific Islander leaders on the future of the environmental movement.

Senate Approps Panel Looks at Military, Climate Resilience – The Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. on military infrastructure and climate resilience. Army Installations expert Jack Surash, Deputy assistant Defense secretary for environment and energy resilience Richard Kidd, Navy Installations AS James Balocki and Air Force Environment AS Mark Correll all testify.

USEA Looks at Emergency Control Systems for Transmissions – The US Energy Assn is holding its 2^nd webinar in the Grid Modernization Webinar Series Thursday co-hosted by USAID's Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI). In this webinar, speakers will present on the implementation and benefits of the Republic of Georgia’s State Electrosystem's (GSE) Emergency Control System (ECS).

JHU Forum Looks at US-China Climate Issues – Johns Hopkins University hosts the next installment in the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) 35^th Anniversary Signature Event Series Thursday at 9:00 a.m. looking at green technology innovation and climate cooperation between the U.S., China and beyond. HNC alumni working at the forefront of green energy innovation will share their expertise and insight on emerging global trends in the energy sector, the future of climate cooperation between the U.S. and China, and the role of emerging markets.

House Climate Committee Looks at Jobs, Union Issues with Grid – On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will hold on investments to modernize and expand the electric grid.  The hearing will take on ways that upgrading and expanding the electric grid can create jobs, integrate higher levels of renewable energy, boost grid reliability and protect public health.  Witnesses will include ITC Holdings Corp CEO Linda Apsey, IBEW’s Donnie Colston, Michael Skelly of Grid United and EEI’s Emily Sanford Fisher.

Senate Ag Looks at Forestry, Climate – The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee holds a hearing Thursday at 9:30 a.m. on Federal, state and private forestland opportunities for addressing climate change.

Senate Energy Looks at Forests, Reforestation Issues – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to examine the role of reforestation, active forest management, and carbon storage in fostering resiliency.

FERC Meeting – FERC holds its monthly open Meeting on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Forum Look s at EU COVID Climate Recovery – FiscalNote holds a webinar on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on balancing priorities between aggressive environmental goals and Global COVID-19 recovery.  The event will focus on efforts by the European Union to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Forum to Look at Deep Decarbinization – The Niskanen Center holds a virtual event on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on deep decarbonization of the US industrial sector. A new Niskanen report finds that strategies to decarbonize industry will vary across regions and sectors, and will require a comprehensive federal and state policy context that encourages the deployment of a wide variety of low-carbon technologies. The discussion will highlight the main findings of this report, and provide insight on the challenges and benefits of this transition, as well as the technologies and policies that can help decarbonize heavy industry. ClearPath Senior Research Director Spencer Nelson is among the speakers.

WRI Looks at Data, Climate – On Thursday at 11:00 a.m., WRI Governance holds a panel on how open data strategies can bolster collaborative, ambitious climate action. Panelists will share their experiences in opening data, the challenges of connecting climate and data, and the benefits of making those connections. 

EERE Head Addresses Energy Group – On Thursday at Noon, the Women’s Energy Network-DC holds a virtual lunch conversation with Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. Speakes-Backman will share her thoughts on energy, renewables, and sustainability – today and looking ahead.

USEA Forum to Look at Hydrogen – The US Energy Assn holds a forum on Thursday at Noon on the potential, progress and challenges of developing the Hydrogen economy.  This webinar brings together industry leaders to discuss the state of hydrogen as a fuel for industry, heavy transport, power generation and more. Orrick Partner Peter Connors will co-moderate the panel discussion with USEA Program Director Michael Moore. The webinar will cover sectors ideally suited for a transition to hydrogen, where progress is currently being made and challenges the industry will need to overcome to supplant its conventional counterparts and scale-up hydrogen production and deployment.

Forum to Look at NE ISO Storage – ICF holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the overall potential of and outlook for storage economics in ISO-NE. The event will focus on how understanding drivers associated sources of revenue, and the overall use case for storage resources are going to evolve with increasing penetration of such resources.

Granholm Conservation Set – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., Climate Solutions holds its Inflection Point event featuring a conversation with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and an additional panel discussion with Maia Bellon and Anne L. Kelly about this unique moment to make unprecedented progress on equitable climate solutions at scale. 

R St Forum Looks at Cyber Ransom – In light of the Colonial ransomeware attack, R Street will hold a forum on Friday at 10:00 a.m. on lessons learned from the incident, the ethics of making ransomware payments, recent trends in industrial cybersecurity, the state of private/public partnerships, how the Biden administration should respond, and potential technical and policy solutions.  Speakers include Robert Knake of the Council for Foreign Relations, US Naval War College professor Nina Kollars and Schneider Electric’s Maggie Morganti.

Forum Tackles CCS in Net-Zero Future – The Global CCS Institute hosted its final Carbon Capture and Storage 101 Webinar on Friday at 10:00 a.m.  This is the final installment of a three-part series of webinars introducing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and the policy needed to deploy more carbon capture projects around the world.  This event will look at a Net-Zero Future and features Shuchi Talati, the Chief of Staff of the Office of Fossil Energy and three CCS policy experts (ClearPath’s Jean Lococo, CATF’s Lee Beck and NWF’s Shannon Heyck-Williams) from leading climate NGOs in D.C. They will discuss the government’s role in incentivizing investment in CCS, and how strong policy can help accelerate the deployment of the technology around the globe. In addition, they will give an overview of the current state of CCS policy initiatives being debated in the U.S. Congress and the DOE’s role in implementing CCS policy.

EESI Session Continue on Budget Recon – EESI holds another Congressional Climate Camp session on Friday at 2:00 p.m. This briefing will discuss budget reconciliation procedures along with do’s and don’ts for those involved in the process. A moderated, 40-minute discussion will follow the two speaker presentations.  Brookings’ Molly Reynolds and Third Way’s Zach Moller speak.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum Looks at So Africa Climate action – Next Monday at 8:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute and key stakeholders to discuss the economic recovery in South Africa, and how the implementation of greener and more sustainable measures can help to boost the economy while supporting a just transition towards net-zero emissions. The panel will take questions from the audience after the presentations.

GreenBiz Holds the VERGE Electrify Conference – Next Tuesday and Wednesday, Green Biz hosts the VERGE Electrify conference. The event focuses on how markets, technology and policy must work together to electrify everything - including transportation, buildings and industry - and clean the electric grid. VERGE Electrify convenes more than 5,000 stakeholders from industry, sustainability and policy required for swift and mass electrification.

SEIA Holds Veterans Hiring Event – SEIA will hold a solar industry veterans hiring webinar on Tuesday May 25^th at 1:00 p.m. to discuss its Solar Ready Vets Fellowship, a unique program that offers solar companies the opportunity to host mid-to-senior level transitioning service members for 12 weeks of on-the-job experience in professional/management roles. The event will feature first-hand solar companies that hosted and hired Solar Ready Vets Fellows. 

Forum Looks at Nat Gas Benefits in Western States – Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies and Western States and Tribal Nations (WSTN) holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday May 26^th at 9:00 a.m. that will focus on US natural gas exports and global liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets. WSTN, a state, county and tribal government-led initiative, is focused on creating rural economic development, advancing tribal self-determination and reducing global emissions through the export of clean natural gas from western North American basins to international markets. At this event, experts will consider a new WSTN report supported by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration that extends analysis of emissions reductions benefits associated with U.S. natural gas exports to Pacific basin customers. This conversation will be set within the greater context of overall U.S. and North American natural gas resources and global LNG trade.

Forum Looks at Net-Zero Pledges – On Wednesday May 26^th at 11:00 a.m., the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy for this webinar assessing Net Zero Targets. In March, The Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit and Oxford’s Net Zero Program released a report, entitled “TAKING STOCK: A global assessment of net zero targets.” The report surveyed the climate pledges of 4000 major emitting entities, including nations, state, regional, and local governments, and all companies in the Forbes 2000 list, concluding that 19% of these entities already have net zero pledges in place. This webinar will bring together several of the authors of this report to discuss the systemic problems with most net zero pledges, including in the context of carbon offsets (including those associated with greenhouse gas removal approaches) and their recommendations to expand, clarify and upgrade such pledges.

CEI Looks at Oil/Gas Activity – The Competitive Enterprise Institute holds a forum on Wednesday May 26^th at Noon to discuss restrictions on federal oil and gas activity.  Speakers include Garrett Golding of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Kathleen Sgamma of the Western Energy Alliance, and CEI Senior Fellow Ben Lieberman.

Forum Looks at Scaling Up Renewables – USAID’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) program will hosts a forum on Thursday May 27^th at 9:00 a.m. to explore strategic energy planning approaches to resource adequacy, the interconnected approaches and tools for renewable energy development, and methodologies for introducing the locational dimension of renewable energy and zones. 

Web Event to Focus on NatGas Transition – On Thursday May 27^th at Noon, NYU Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity and Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law will bring together officials from some of the states leading the way in a transition away From natural gas and ask them to share their distinct perspectives and insights about the path forward.  Speakers include Nevada Assemblywoman Lesley E. Cohen, Washington State's Utilities and Transportation Commission Chair David Danner, former NY PSC Chair John Rhodes and Rebecca Tepper, Energy & Environment Bureau Chief for the Massachusetts Attorney General.  Our friend, Niina Farah of E&E will moderate.

DOE Forum Looks at Biofuel Advances – DOE EERE’s Biofuels program holds a webinar on Thursday May 27^th at 2:00 p.m. looking at advances in engine design coupled with performance-enhancing biofuel blends that could lower LD vehicle ownership costs while offering environmental benefits. This webinar discusses Co-Optima findings that characterize the cost and environmental effects of performance-enhancing bioblend stocks, their potential benefits for fuel producers, their potential for production at commercial scale, and associated societal benefits. NREL’s Avantika Singh will present.

Plug’s Marsh to Address Forum – On May 28^th at 11:30 a.m., the Security and Sustainability Forum's Leadership in Our Time webinar series, co-hosted with George Washington University will host Sixty Minutes with Plug Power CEO, Andy Marsh, looking at the Is the hydrogen revolution and implications the future of fuel cells.

ANS Holds Annual Meeting – The 2021 American Nuclear Society will holds its Virtual Annual Meeting on June 14-16. Among the Speakers are NEI Maria Korsnick, X-energy CEO Clay Sell, form DOE Nuclear Office Head Rita Baranwal and NRC Chair Christopher Hanson.

ACORE Finance Forum Set – The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), hosts the ACORE Finance Forum on June 15^th and 16^th where they will examine how the renewable energy transaction landscape will evolve to meet this growing demand. The event brings together experts from across the renewable energy marketplace, including the sector’s largest and most influential investors, developers, utilities, manufacturers, advisors, and buyers to provide you with insights on the next stage of renewable energy finance and investment.

Washington Oil, Gas Policy Forum Set – US Energy Stream holds IN-PERSON its 6^th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2021 on June 16 & 17 at the Cosmos Club of Washington, DC. The Forum is an annual market intelligence platform that brings together powerful U.S. Congressmen, Senators, government leaders, top energy executives, and investors. The main topic of this year’s Forum is the dual challenge of meeting the world’s oil and gas demand while addressing emissions and climate change.  Speakers include FERC Chair Rich Glick, Sens. Ted Cruz, Bill Cassidy Steve Daines and Roy Blunt as well as Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR of McKinley-Schrader) Scott Peters, Bruce Westerman, Lizzie Fletcher, Mike McCaul, Sheila Jackson Lee, Michael Burgess, John Curtis, Vicente Gonzalez, Kelly Armstrong, Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge and many more.