Energy Update: Week of May 18

Friends,

Hope you are all well and safe.  It was nice to see some live sports on TV Sunday with the Taylor Made Golf Challenge.  We run up to Memorial Day this weekend, the tradition start of summer, but it just seems as if the regular race to beach this year is muted.  Sad to miss the Indy 500 this weekend but also glad to see Preakness is set for October. 

A busy week is ahead – most importantly, EPA chief Andrew Wheeler’s visit to Senate Environment for a Wednesday morning oversight hearing.  Always lots of interesting questions on climate, PFAS, RFS waivers, COVID response, regulations, pipeline permits, etc.  Not to be outdone, Senate Energy hosts DOE #2 nominee Mark Menezes on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.  Both will make Wednesday a busy day.  Speaking of EPA, on Wednesday and Thursday, it will host a two-day virtual hearing reviewing the NAAQS for Particulate Matter.

On Thursday, NOAA holds a conference call briefing at 11:00 a.m. to announce the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season outlook.  Most are expecting this year to be an active season.  Remember, the experts at MIT are a great resource to discuss the challenges communities face with COVID/Hurricane season and how we can better prepare through resilient building.  Also Thursday, DOE’s National Energy Technology Lab (NETL) holds a webinar on energy employment.

Other events include a Farm doc Daily webinar from the University of Illinois tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on COVID and the RFS; a Wednesday Business Council for Sustainable Energy/E2 webinar at 2:00 p.m. that will feature expert analysis about long-term trends across the energy sector; and a SAFE Zoom Webinar on Thursday with Kia Motors on its Get America Moving Again (GAMA) plan to rescue and recover our energy sector and transportation system from COVID-19. 

I have added the results of the Friday’s Vote on the HEROES Act in the House which just snuck through after 14 Democrats voted against the bill, but to see our FULL COVID update today, check here to get a full download on what is next.  And with oil price hitting June Futures Contract day, we have seen prices increasing, perhaps as overall demand increases and production slows through market cuts.  But as this Bloomberg article shows, Chinese oil demand is almost back to pre-virus crisis levels.

Finally, I thought you might be interested in this McKinsey report that just went live today. It has implications for oil and gas nationally as a well as across industry subsectors including downstream, midstream and many others.

That’s all for today, call with questions, stay safe & healthy and review our COVID-19 updates. 

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Last year we unveiled a plan for a 21^st century energy system that focuses on affordable solutions to achieving the state’s climate goals,” “Today we take the next step towards delivering on that plan by adding Jonathan to our team.  He will play an instrumental role in helping SoCalGas achieve its vision to be the cleanest gas utility in North America.”

SoCalGas president Maryam Brown after they hired EDF natural gas expert Jonathan Peress

 
"A number of key states and NRDC filing lawsuits is emblematic of the pervasive lack of regulatory certainty regarding HFCs, with the U.S. HVACR industry and the millions of American jobs it represents caught in the crossfire. American innovation has outpaced existing regulatory standards, and swift enactment of federal HFC legislation is needed to put the United States on a clear pathway toward an orderly transition to next generation refrigerant technologies."

Samantha Slater, AHRI Sr. VP of Government Affairs, responding to lawsuits from States AGs and the NRDC challenging EPA’s HFC policy.

ON THE PODCAST

Book Visits With CapCrude – On this week’s Platts’ CapitolCrude, Meghan Gordon is joined by Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners.  Books discusses how Republicans and Democrats might find energy-sector tradeoffs to include in a future compromise stimulus package.  He also spoke about the fate of the administration's efforts to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and look at who came out ahead in the 2015 tradeoff that opened the door for US crude exports. And Kevin talks about how the November election is looming over these negotiations in Washington.

FUN OPINIONS

Expert: Banning NatGas Appliances in Misguided – In a column in the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Heritage Foundation environmental economist Nick Loris writes economically and environmentally, the push to ban natural gas from homes and commercial buildings is extremely misguided. Loris: “electrification would be extremely costly and annoying for families and businesses. It would restrict the ability of consumers to purchase the appliances they want.  Like many misguided environmental policies, banning natural gas appliances is less about achieving a healthier, cleaner environment and more an unfounded attack on a particular fuel source.

FROG BLOG

Demand Rebound? A Glimmer of Light – With demand recovery starting to re-emerge, API’s Dean Foreman writes in a blog that API’s latest Monthly Statistical Report (MSR) has positive news; it just takes a close look to find it. One example: Weekly petroleum demand data (MSR and U.S. Energy Information Administration), as measured by total domestic petroleum deliveries, indicates that the worst impacts on our industry from COVID-19 and measures to contain it may be behind us, occurring in mid-April. We won’t know for sure until we see data for May in next month’s MSR. But EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR), shows that demand rebounded by 3.0 million barrels per day (mb/d) as of May 8, from the low point in the week of April 10 (lowest demand for April since 1970). With more than 30 states in various stages of re-opening, demand could be expected to increase along with rising economic activity. 

IN THE NEWS

AGs Urge RFS Waiver – Attorneys General from seven states urged EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to support recent Governors’ request to waive the renewable fuels standard.  The AGs wrote "waiving these requirements in times of severe market distress, especially those brought about by a global pandemic, is clearly justified by law and circumstance." AGs signing the letter include Louisiana’s Jeff Landry, Utah’s Sean Reyes, Arkansas’ Leslie Rutledge, WV’s Patrick Morrisey, Oklahoma’s Mike Hunter, Wyoming’s Bridget Hill and Texas AG Ken Paxton.  

States Joining HFC suit against EPA – As you may have noticed, several states filed a suit similar to one filed by NRDC to sue EPA over its recent hydrofluorocarbon rule.  New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, the District of Columbia, and New York City are all part of the suit. After a longstanding losing Court battle by EPA, these suits just offer another reason to make sure widely-supported, bipartisan legislation being pushed in the Senate and the House is finally passed.  This is the same legislation that blocked consideration of recent energy legislation and was the subject of a Senate EPW public hearing process.

• Here is info on the Senate Legislation introduced by Sens. Kennedy and Carper. 
• Here is Info on similar House Legislation introduced by Rep. Tonko and Olsen. 
• Here is Testimony from the recent Senate Environment Public Hearing on HFC legislation:

Enviro NatGas Expert to Join SoCalGas as Regulatory Policy Head – You may have seen that today SoCalGas is announcing that Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) natural gas policy expert Jonathan Peress will join the company as Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs.  Peress was EDF’s senior director of Energy Markets and Utility Regulation. During that time, he worked closely with federal agencies and state public utility commissions on issues related to wholesale and retail energy regulation.  In that role he focused particularly on natural gas and electric system coordination issues. Peress will be responsible for managing regulatory matters at the California Public Utilities Commission as SoCalGas seeks to decarbonize its gas system. This includes the push for a statewide renewable fuel standard, advances in fuel cell technology for clean back-up power generation and the development of green hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel source for California. Peress will begin his role effective May 18 and will support Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Dan Skopec.  You also can connect with my friend Jon Coifman at EDF (jcoifman@edf.org or 917-575-1885) should you need additional comments from EDF.  

House Members to EPA: “Act Swiftly” on RFS Waiver Requests – In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, 24 House members from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming urged EPA to quickly review requests made by their respective state governors to reduce the renewable volume obligation (RVO) under the renewable fuel standard (RFS).  The Congressional letter comes on the heels of a new RFS waiver request made by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf just last week. In the letter, the Members urge EPA to respond and grant waiver requests when RFS requirements would severely harm the economy of a state.  Suppressed worldwide demand for motor fuels has placed the refining sector in a precarious economic situation that is exacerbated by biofuels mandates under the RFS.

“This is not time for the agency to sit idly by as refineries face economic duress that can cost the nation hundreds of thousands of jobs and undermine the very energy security that the RFS was established to protect,” they wrote.

Members signing the letter include WY Rep. Liz Cheney; TX Reps. Chip Roy, Kevin Brady, Brian Babin, Michael Burgess, Louie Gohmert, Pete Olson, Will Hurd, Michael McCall, Dan Crenshaw, Van Taylor, Michael Cloud, Lance Gooden, Roger Williams, Ron Wright, Jodey Arrington and Randy Weber; OK Reps. Tom Cole, Markwayne Mullin, Kevin Hern; UT Reps. John Curtis, Rob Bishop; LA Reps. Clay Higgins, Garrett Graves.

PA Gov Urges Wheeler to Waive RFS, Act on Previous PA Petition – Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) wrote EPA Admin Wheeler today to reiterate his November 2, 2018 request that Wheeler exercise the waiver authority to reduce the RFS volume mandates to provide relief to refiners in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that are struggling to remain operational given the current and proposed volume requirements.  Wolf notes that the statutory deadline for a response to his petition passed almost fourteen months ago.  In addition, he also adds a recent decision of the United States 10^th Circuit Court of Appeals has placed the EPA’s small refinery waivers program – which has been crucial in recent years in keeping a semblance of control on RINs prices – in jeopardy.

“As explained in my waiver petition, the ever-increasing volume levels set by EPA are severely harming the economies of both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the entire East Coast region. Merchant refiners such as those in Pennsylvania are struggling to maintain viability under current volume requirements. These refineries face RFS compliance costs that exceed their payroll costs, and, as a result, refiners have laid off employees, reduced benefits, and delayed capital projects. The economic burdens imposed by the RFS volume requirements are unsustainable for refiners operating on tight margins.

“The EPA must immediately act to avoid the precise severe economic harm this waiver provision is designed to address. Currently, significant harm to the energy economy is expected to result from depressed demand for transportation fuel. But the 2020 RFS compliance obligations, in their current form, risk transforming the current severe economic harm to existential harm for some of the refineries in our states.”

AHRI Files Motion to Intervene in Support of DOE Process Rule – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), joined by the Consumer Technology Association and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, filed a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9^th Circuit to intervene on the side of the Department of Energy (DOE) in a lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council against a rule issued earlier this year governing the Department’s rulemaking procedures.   The Procedures for Use in New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment rule, more commonly known as the Process Rule, outlines rules that DOE must follow when it develops new or updated energy conservation standards.  AHRI has been consistent in its support for an updated Process Rule, as the current version was created in 1996 as non-binding guidance, which resulted in its being inconsistently followed by DOE.

Vogtle Hits Another Key Milestone – Georgia Power’s Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant near Waynesboro, Georgia hit a major milestone last week setting the Integrated Head Package (IHP) atop the reactor vessel. Vogtle is the nation's first new nuclear unit in more than 30 years.  This milestone brings the unit another step closer to loading nuclear fuel inside the reactor. With more than 7,000 workers on site, and more than 800 permanent jobs available once the units begin operating, Vogtle 3 & 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia. Follow the progress being made at the site with the Plant Vogtle 3 & 4 Online Photo Gallery and Georgia Power YouTube channel.

 

COVID UPDATE

Today’s note provides an update on the House Democrats’ final votes on Friday.  You can see the latest updates here later today where there will be a detailed analysis of Friday’s vote and what is next.

• HEROES Act passage. The House passed H.R. 6800, the HEROES Act in a 208-199 vote late Friday.
  • Defections.
    • GOP. A SALT-district revolt failed to materialize as only one Republican lawmaker, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), broke ranks and voted for the relief bill.
    • Democrats. On the Democratic side, more than a dozen Representatives demurred, including Cindy Axne (D-IA), Joe Cunningham (D-SC), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Abby Finkenauer (D-IA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Kendra Horn (D-OK), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Conor Lamb (D-PA), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Ben McAdams (D-UT), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM), and Susan Wild (D-PA).
      • With the notable exception of Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Jayapal, most Democratic opposition came from the center, concentrated among vulnerable freshmen representing Trump districts and/or formerly GOP-held seats secured in the mid-term wave.
        • Four other targeted Democrats—Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Collin Peterson (D-MN), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)—joined the entire GOP conference in support of the motion to recommit, a procedural move that would have stripped language allowing undocumented immigrants to receive economic impact payments while effectively throwing a wrench into the bill. That measure failed, 209-198, with independent Justin Amash (I-MI) supporting.
        • If you’re interested in establishing the House battleground for 2020, this self-selective list is a good place to start.

 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

NRC to Look at Carolina Nuke Plants –Today at 2:00 p.m., NRC hosts a virtual forum to discuss the 2019 safety performance of the Catawba, McGuire, and Oconee nuclear power plants. The two-unit Catawba and three-unit Oconee plants are located in South Carolina and the two-unit McGuire plant is located in North Carolina. The three plants are operated by Duke Energy.

WRI Look s at Science Targets for Climate – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the, the World Resources Institute hosts a webinar that will share a summary of feedback on the Science Based Targets initiative’s  (SBTi) draft target validation criteria, a central component of the framework that creates a framework for financial institutions to set science-based climate targets in line with the ambition of the Paris Agreement. The SBTi collected feedback through a multi-stakeholder process, including consultation with an Expert Advisory Group, a series of in-person workshops in Europe and Asia and a public consultation period.

Wilson, USAID Look at Biodiversity – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program and the US Agency for International Development's Biodiversity Results and Integrated Development Gains Enhanced Project hold a webcast discussion tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. on cross-sectoral approaches to biodiversity conservation.  The forum will look at collaborating for stronger conservation and development outcomes.

Forum to Look at COVID, Oil, Iran – The Wilson Center hosts a panel tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on COVID19 and Oil challenges in Iran.  The panel will cover the intersection of crises for the Islamic Republic, which was one of the original epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus coincided with economic and political challenges that have created a perfect storm for Tehran. Economically, the price of oil has plummeted this year due to a global glut.

UIllinois Webinar to Look at Ethanol Impacts – Farmdoc Daily hosts a webinar from the University of Illinois tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on the outlook for the ethanol industry going forward.  The purpose of this webinar is to examine the financial damage done to the industry and the outlook for recovery through the end of 2020.   Scott Irwin and Todd Hubbs of the farmdoc team will be joined by Eric Moseby, General Manager of Lincolnland Agri-Energy in Palestine, Illinois to discuss these issues.

Bracewell to Host Environment Seminar – Bracewell hosts a virtual environmental webinars on Tuesdays in May.  Tomorrow, we feature a discussion on dealing with project opposition.  Next week on May 26: Water, Air, NEPA Rulemaking.

Resources Dems to Look at Wildlife-borne Diseases – The House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva holds another roundtable tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on limiting the spread of wildlife-borne diseases to humans.

Execs to Discuss COVID, Energy Transition – S&P Global Platts hosts an executive-level panel tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to discuss their perspectives on energy transition enablement, and how the trajectory will change amid COVID-19. The event will cover utilities of the future, competitive threats, pathways to decarbonization, energy efficiency measures, smart technology, policy frameworks, and more.  Speakers include DOE’s Paul Dabbar, Southern’s Jeff Burleson, Quantum New Energy’s Patricia Vega and AEE’s Nat Kreamer.

Senate Enviro Hosts TVA Nominees – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. on the nominations of Beth Harwell and Brian Noland to be members of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors and Katherine Crytzer to be inspector general of the TVA.

GW Looks at Kirkuk, Oil – The George Washington University’s Institute for Middle East Studies hosts a virtual fireside chat tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. looking at Oil and the making of modern Kirkuk.  Kirkuk is Iraq's most multilingual city, for millennia home to a diverse population and where it struck oil in 1927.  Over the following decades, Kirkuk became the heart of Iraq's booming petroleum industry. City of Black Gold tells a story of oil, urbanization, and colonialism in Kirkuk - and how these factors shaped the identities of Kirkuk's citizens, forming the foundation of an ethnic conflict.  Experts discuss its past and future. 

EPA to Host PM Hearing – On Wednesday and Thursday, EPA holds its virtual hearing that will review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter.  EPA is proposing to retain both the primary and secondary PM standards, without revision.

Paper to Focus on Ocean Management Planning – On Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., WRI hosts a Zoom Call to release a paper on integrated ocean management.  The paper’s authors and other experts will demonstrate how Integrated Ocean Management can deliver both ocean health and ocean wealth by highlighting experiences from five diverse regions that have all adopted this approach: Norway, the United States, China, the Coral Triangle and the Seychelles.

WRI to Host Forum on Sustainable Dev Methods – The World Resources Institute holds a webinar on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to learn more about two ICAT methodologies. The ICAT Sustainable Development Methodology helps policymakers and other users systematically assess multiple environmental, social and economic impacts of policies and actions. A representative from Costa Rica will also share the country's experience with assessing sustainable development and transformational change impacts of their climate policies and measures. 

Senate to Look at EPA Actions – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to provide oversight of EPA.  Andrew Wheeler testifies.

Forum To Feature Global CCUS Perspective – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York and Dynamo Energy Hub are hosting a panel discussion on the role of CCUS in building a clean energy future.   Our friend Amy Harder moderates a panel of global CCUS leaders that will share their perspectives.  DOE’s Amishi Kumar and IAE’s Mechthild Wörsdörfer are among the panelists. The panel of experts will discuss the essential CCUS technologies that are required for the success of the Paris Agreement, give an update on current projects around the world, and explore what role CCUS could play in the economic recovery in light of COVID-19.

RFF to Roll Out Global Energy Outlook – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., Resources for the Future (RFF) will host “The Global Energy Outlook 2020: What Has Changed Due to COVID-19?” This webinar will coincide with the release of the 2020 Global Energy Outlook—RFF’s annual report that synthesizes global energy market projections and analysis from leading energy organizations and corporations—and an accompanying interactive web tool. The only such report of its kind, RFF’s 2020 Global Energy Outlook harmonizes analyses from other organizations to allow for a clear understanding and easy comparison of potential future energy markets, energy security scenarios, climate trajectories, and policy options at global, regional, and national levels.  Our friend Amy Harder moderates a panel of experts including Rice U. Baker Institute’s Mark Finley, Harvard’s Meghan O’Sullivan, RFF’s Dan Raimi and Richard Newell, former EIA head.

Experts Release Report on Energy Tech – On Wednesday at Noon, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation holds a webinar to release a new report about how the United States can build a robust energy technology demonstration portfolio. A panel of experts will assess leading proposals to better manage it.  Speakers include BPC’s Sydney Bopp and MIT’s John Deutch.

Forum to Look at Energy Investing – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Wednesday at Noon looking at COVID-19 and the future of investing in energy. The event features Musabbeh Al Kaabi, CEO of Mubadala Investment Company’s Petroleum & Petrochemicals platform, who will discuss the changing global energy outlook in the wake of COVID-19, the growing role of ESG in the energy sector, and the importance of diversification in oil-producing countries, particularly during periods of low oil prices.

Forum to Look at Climate, Coronavirus – On Wednesday at Noon, ConservAmerica holds a webinar on climate policy in the aftermath of Coronavirus.  Yale’s Dan Esty and former White House official Dave Banks now with the House Climate Committee will speak.  

Forum to Look at Grid Report – The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) holds a Zoom Call forum on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to focus on its most recent report on grid modernization.  The publication by IREC and GridLab, “A Playbook for Modernizing the Distribution Grid” (aka the “GridMod Playbook”) gives regulators and clean energy advocates a powerful tool to cut through the jargon and make sense of grid modernization proposals and related documents.

BCSE, E2 Look at Clean Energy – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) hosts a webinar on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. that will feature expert analysis about long-term trends across the energy sector along with the latest insights on how the COVID-19 crisis has affected clean energy industries in the first quarter of 2020. Learn about the long-term trends that have taken place across the energy sector along with the latest insights on how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted clean energy in the first quarter of 2020.  Speakers include Lisa Jacobson, BNEF’s Ethan Zindler, E2’s Bob Keefe and BW Research Phil Jordan.

Forum to Look at Utilities, COVID – Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) Economists Peter Evangelakis and Chris Judson are hosting a webinar on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. that will explore the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on electric and natural gas utilities.  COVID-19 has accelerated demand trends and created new hurdles for electric and natural gas utilities.  This presentation evaluates several simulations associated with changes in demand by various sectors for electric and natural gas utilities, financing debt, delayed fuel substitution, and considerations for future scenarios.

Senate Energy Hosts DOE Nom Menezes – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. on the nomination of Mark Wesley Menezes to be deputy Energy secretary.

AC Forum to Look at SMRs – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a Zoom call on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. to speak with Dr. Jose Reyes, chief technology officer and co-founder of NuScale Power, about the latest advancements in small modular reactor (SMR) design, commercialization, and deployment. Dr. Reyes is the co-designer of the NuScale passively-cooled small nuclear reactor.  Dr. Reyes will describe how this groundbreaking SMR design can generate 60 megawatts of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. In this presentation, Dr. Reyes will explain the basic technology behind SMRs, address the current status of SMR commercialization, and detail how the technology can be deployed to provide clean energy solutions.

JHU Looks at Nuclear – The Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University SAIS will host a discussion on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. focused on the geopolitics of nuclear energy.  This panel discussion will focus on the broader issues of geopolitics in the nuclear energy industry, examine the case study of the Russian-built Astravets nuclear power plant in Belarus, and discuss what the United States, together with its friends and allies, could do to mitigate the growing dominance of Russian and Chinese nuclear energy exports.  Panel Speakers include Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Albinas Zananavičius and AEI’s Giselle Donnelly.

USEEE to Talk Broadband, Impact on Energy – The US Energy Economists host a webinar on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to look at grid modernization this FCC broadband services.  Morgan O'Brien, CEO of the wireless company Anterix, will discuss the impact of the change on the energy industry.  Recently, Midwestern utility Ameren recently signed a letter of intent to lease 900 MHz broadband from Anterix to deploy a private LTE network to carry critical services. 

NETL to Release Employment Report – DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory Regional Workforce Initiative holds a webinar briefing on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. to release its 2020 U.S. Energy & Employment Report. It will feature David Foster, distinguished associate, Energy Futures Initiative, and lead author of the 2020 USEER. Topics to be reviewed include the current state of the energy and advanced manufacturing workforce for the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia), the broader Appalachian region and the nation, as well as emerging trends such as the short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on energy and manufacturing jobs. 

NOAA to Host 2020 Hurricane Outlook – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration holds a conference call briefing on Thursday at 11:00 to announce the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season outlook. Speakers will address the anticipated activity for the 2020 hurricane season and provide information on how to be prepared for the season, which officially extends from June 1- November 30.  They include  acting NOAA administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs, Dr. Gerry Bell, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and Carlos Castillo, FEMA’s Acting Deputy Administrator for Resilience.

Stanford to Look at Resilience, Pandemic – On Thursday at 12:30 p.m., the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment hosts a discussion on building back resiliently after the pandemic. As state and federal governments provide trillions of dollars to aid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, allocating funding that helps communities to prepare for and build greater resiliency to withstand future catastrophic events would be a forward-looking investment. Stanford faculty will join the Kresge Foundation's Jalonne L. White-Newsome for a webinar exploring how policy and decision-makers can build upon this resilience, better preparing communities to face threats posed by climate change as well as other crises. In particular, the panel will focus on issues relevant to communities who disproportionately bear the burden of these impacts, but are least resourced to deal with them.

AEE Holds Eastern Policy Conference – Advanced Energy Economy has changed its second annual Eastern Regional policy conference to an online seminar featuring utility commissioners on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. The event features discussion of transitioning grids to advanced energy and electrifying transportation. Six eastern states have set ambitious offshore wind goals, eight eastern states plus DC and Puerto Rico have set 100% clean energy goals, and a whopping 24 eastern states have dockets on electric vehicles.  Speakers will include Michigan PSC Chair Sally Talberg, MD PSC Chair Jason Stanek, NJ BPU Commissioner Bob Gordon and Mass DPU Chair Matt Nelson. 

Forum to Look at Future of EVs – Utility Dive hosts a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. looking at utilities support for future electric transportation.  As investments in electric fleets grow – and zero-emission electric commercial trucks hit the roadways – the spotlight is on electric utilities and how they can evolve to support electric transportation.  Black & Veatch’s Paul Stith, Daimler’s Rustam Kocker and RMI’s Michael Roeth will speak. 

USEA Looks at CCS Issues – The US Energy Association holds a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. that looks at supporting the next generation of CCUS projects: Highlights of the USDA-DOE Collaboration."

AC forum Looks at Local Climate Resilience – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. focused on resilience in a climate and COVID-19 era.  The event will look at mobilizing local to global solutions. Speakers include Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, the Atlantic Council resilience expert Kathy Baughman McLeod and Aaron Bernstein, the interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

Kia Motors Exec to Join SAFE Webinar – On Thursday at 3:30 p.m., SAFE holds another Zoom Webinar on the its plan to rescue and recover our energy sector and transportation system as it suffers under COVID-19, as well as stimulate and prepare these sectors for what lies ahead.  The Get America Moving Again (GAMA) plan will feature a manufacturing event featuring KIA Motors Corporation’s Christopher Wenk and will focus on how the automotive sector is supporting manufacturing in the US.  Other discussion points include the successes and learnings of the 2008 Great Recession, analyzing current challenges for the automotive sector and laying out a path for the future. SAFE President Robbie Diamond joins Wenk.

Forum to Look at Local Climate Action – The Association of Climate Change Officers holds a webcast on Thursday looking at local climate action planning in the age of the Coronavirus. 

IN THE FUTURE

CSIS to Host Climate Series – The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosts its third session in the Climate Solutions Series on Decarbonizing Global Transport on Wednesday May 27^th at 10:00 a.m. This online event will examine the various aspects of the transportation sector and issues involved in its decarbonization.  Dan Sperling (UC Davis) will provide an overview of the transportation sector and his perspective on the “three revolutions” of electrification, automation, and ridesharing. Anand Shah (Ola Electric) will follow with remarks on decarbonizing personal transport. Dan McGrath (DHL) will discuss DHL’s perspective on decarbonizing freight and maritime shipping. The session will close with a panel discussion on the policy and technological aspects of the decarbonization of global transport, moderated by Nikos Tsafos (CSIS).

Forum to Look at Climate Countries Action – The International Copper Association hosts a webinar on Wednesday May 27^th at 10:00 a.m. on the Three Percent Club.  Launched at the 2019 Climate Action Summit, the club is a coalition of countries and supporting companies and organizations that have committed to work together to put the world on a path to three percent annual energy efficiency improvement. This virtual roundtable will focus on the importance of maintaining climate and energy efficiency goals during the current public health and economic crisis. Presenters, including UNEP’s Mark Radka and IAE’s Ghislaine Kieffer, will discuss the Three Percent Club’s goals within the context of the COVID-19 crisis and how its collaborative platform can provide support to countries as they navigate the current economic and geopolitical situation and look ahead at plans for the coming recovery.

Forum to Look at EV Infrastructure – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum on Wednesday May 27^th at 1:15 p.m. to look at growing demand for public EV charging infrastructure.  Two new reports from C2ES and Atlas Public Policy highlight the stakeholders retailers should engage during the infrastructure planning process and the financial scenarios and business models retailers should consider to maximize profitability. This video webinar will present these new reports and feature a panel discussion on ways retailers can work with their utility, charging station service providers, and customers to deliver an important benefit for both businesses and EV drivers. Georgia Power’s Todd Allums and EVgo’s Jonathan Levy speak in addition to the report authors. 

Sklar to Address Solar Webinar – On Wednesday May 27^th at 2:00 p.m., the American Solar Energy Society hosts a webinar with its SOLAR 20/20 Conference Chair Scott Sklar, who will speak about the way to maximize our resources and technology in order to reach a 100% renewable energy grid. The ASES webinar will feature a presentation on maximizing all resources and technologies in order to achieve a 100% renewable energy grid given by SOLAR 20/20 Conference Chair, Scott Sklar.  This webinar is directly related to the content being shared at our annual conference, SOLAR 20/20: Renewable Energy Vision on June 24 and 25. Learn more and register now at ases.org/conference.

AWEA hosts Next Decade Discussion – On Wednesday, May 27^th at 2:30 p.m. AWEA hosts a forum discussing the next decade of wind technology and its growth. AWEA’s John Hensley leads a panel of experts in a webinar to look at the new decade and new era for wind and solar power and energy storage. There is another year to qualify for the PTC, offshore wind is expected to take-off in a big way, and hybrid projects are becoming more prevalent. Join industry-leading consultants to discuss what the decade holds for wind, solar, and storage over the next ten years.

Clean Power Conference Set – CANCELLED – The first annual AWEA CleanPower Conference will be in Denver on June 1^st to 4^th. 

DC Oil/Gas Forum Set – The 6^th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2020 is set for June 10^th and 11^th at The Cosmos Club in Washington, DC.  The US leads global oil and natural gas production. U.S. shale revolution has reshaped the energy landscape in the United States and globally. The American Energy Revolution has delivered massive economic, environmental and geopolitical benefits. Today, the United States is the world’s top oil and gas producer and a leading energy exporter. The Washington Oil & Gas Forum is the foremost innovative and exclusive force for engaging oil and gas leaders in collaborative activities to shape the American and global oil and gas agendas.  Speakers include FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee, Sen Cruz, Reps. Randy Weber, Mike McCaul and Bruce Westerman.

AEE Holds Eastern Policy Conference Part II – Advanced Energy Economy will hold the second part of its annual Eastern Regional policy conference in an online seminar on June 18^th at 2:00 p.m. featuring RTO execs.  This panel of wholesale power market leaders and visionaries will look back at how we got here and look ahead to consider how RTO markets can evolve to meet the opportunities and challenges of an advanced energy future.

Renewable Conference Set – The American Solar Energy Society hosts its SOLAR 20/20: Renewable Energy Vision on June 24 and 25 as a virtual conference.