Energy Update: Week of May 20

Friends,

What an exciting sports weekend. With the Preakness in Baltimore and the PGA’s US Open in New York, there was a lot to watch.  I did not do as well as Brooks Koepka who won his second straight US Open major.  While both Improbable and Bourbon War came up short at the Preakness, I will say I was glad to see War of Will and Owendale finish as well as I predicted.  BTW, WoW and jockey Tyler Gaffalione was riding to victory with the 811 “dig” logo on.  And in the Preakness if you had Bodexpress you might have watched the horse run the whole race without a jockey.  Besides great NHL and NBA playoff action, there was some great NCAA lacrosse games on both the men's and women's side to lock up the final four for next weekend.  Men's (UVa, Duke, top-ranked Penn State and defending champ Yale) in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, while the women (UMd, UNC, Northwestern, BC) go to Baltimore at Johns Hopkins. 

While Congress is here this week, we do start the run up to Memorial Day, the traditional start of summer. I am most excited to break out the summer clothes, which I will begin wearing this week. Got to love the seersucker suits and Summer DC Beach Weekends in Delaware and Ocean City, MD.

Congress continues the focus on budget and appropriations bills, hoping to have 8 of 12 completed in committee. They also have a bunch of hearings tomorrow and Wednesday.  Tomorrow, Senate Energy votes on Interior nominees and then looks at energy efficiency with DOE’s Dan Simmons, while House Energy Oversight looks at the EPA mercury plan.  A House Science panel looks at transportation and climate while Senate Ag features former USDA Sect Vilsack to discuss climate and the Ag sector. 

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Bernhardt returns to Senate Approps for budget while Chamber GEI head Christopher Guith headlines the witnesses at a House Energy & Commerce hearing on infrastructure. Senate Environment looks at PFAS issues, and in the afternoon, a House Transpo panel looks at disaster preparedness with a focus on last year’s DRRA implementation. Our friend Jeremy Gregory at MIT is a great expert here as hurricane season is just around the corner. 

Finally, while many may starting heading for the Memorial Day exits on Thursday, the House Select Climate Crisis Committee holds a hearing focused on creating a climate resilient America.  Again, MIT’s Gregory et al can help here. 

Not a lot of other action in Washington but tomorrow the Atlantic Council has a very important nuclear report that will launch. It is Infrastructure Week, but it seems like we've had that many times without much results.  Tomorrow EEI and NEMA are hosting a grid Innovation conference in Rayburn and on Thursday, the U.S. Energy Association holds its annual meeting at the Press Club featuring FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Sen. Joe Manchin and EPA’s Andrew Wheeler.

Most importantly, the entire wind industry gathers in Houston starting today through Thursday for the AWEA's annual WINDPOWER event.  Finally, President Trump heads to PA for a rally today which highlights the importance of the state to the 2020 election and the shaping battle over who is a stronger defender of east coast refining resources. 

Finally, if you are salty about Game of Thrones ending, you should probably check out the recent announcement from the CLC looking at another group of corporations who are calling for carbon taxes or fees.  This issue is in re-runs for the third or fourth time, but the policy/media debate always seems to treat it as fresh news.  Always happy to discuss the background, historical perspective, details and policy/political prospects for this issue. 

Probably no update next because of Memorial Day – unless something Important happens.  Call with questions,

Best,

 

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Joe Biden has called climate change an ‘existential threat,’ and as Vice President was instrumental in orchestrating the Paris Climate Accord.”

Former Maisano PR student at George Washington University and current Biden 2020 Press Secretary TJ Ducklo recently to Reuters when asked about Biden’s Climate change plans.

ON THE PODCAST

Bracewell Podcast Hosts WaPo Data Team Head – The latest episode of Bracewell’s The Lobby Shop is live on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play Music. David Byler, Data Analyst and Political Columnist at the Washington Post, came by the studio this week to discuss the trends, twists, and turns coming from the latest political surveys. He covers Democratic Presidential hopefuls, state voting trends, how recent events have impacted (or not) perception of the President, and much more.

The Strategerist Podcast Sits Down with 43 – Our friend Dana Perino highlighted The Strategerist podcast as 21 great minutes with 43.  In the podcast, Bush 43 tells the story of who really came up with 'strategery' in podcast as well as many other items about how not to take yourself too seriously in Washington and politics.

FUN OPINIONS

Rep Estes in The Hill: Climate Answers Lie in Innovation – Kansas Congressman Ron Estes argues in a new op-ed in The Hill that the answer to climate change lies in the innovation of advancements in technology, scientific breakthroughs and important research.  He adds economically crippling U.S. companies in the global marketplace will only serve to halt the advancements we need to solve this crisis.  He closes by adding if climate change is an existential threat, Democrats should be “clamoring to find common ground and practical solutions.” See more here.

IN THE NEWS

Court Denies Biofuel Lobby Challenge to Small Refinery Exemption – The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request from Advanced Biofuels Association to block EPA from letting small refiners avoid their biofuel blending requirements.  Refiners said the ruling follows clear precedent in granting small refinery exemptions under the renewable fuel program. Under standards applied by the Court, it seems as though the biofuels lobby couldn’t prove they were significantly harmed or that they were likely to succeed on the merits or both.  “This denial can now be added to the clear direction given by the judiciary and Congress to EPA establishing that SREs must be granted upon demonstration of disproportionate economic hardship for small refineries, the test in the Clean Air Act.” 

EIA Offers Access to State Energy Information in One Place – EIA launched its new State Energy Portal last week. Designed to deliver timely state-specific energy information in one place, the new portal has customizable visualizations that automatically populate each time a user returns to the page. The portal provides answers to questions about key energy issues for the 50 states (and the District of Columbia), 5 territories, and regions of interest. Users with energy questions will find this portal to be a valuable, time-saving tool in finding specific information with minimal effort.  Users can select data points and time periods of interest for topics such as

• Regional trends in net electricity generation by renewable resources
• Coal production and employment trends in Kentucky, and coal use in neighboring states
• Motor gasoline prices in retail and spot markets versus stocks and consumption
• Nuclear power plant outages in Florida plotted against peak regional electricity load
• Ethanol plant production across the Midwest
• Electricity generation estimates for small-scale solar production by state

Each custom dashboard draws from more than 1,700 state- and regional-level data series, which pull from more than 50 data sources, including sources outside of EIA. Users can filter much of the data in the charts and tables by data frequency, time period, geographic location, energy source, and sector. In addition, users can download their custom charts and graphs on-demand, making it easier to incorporate them into reports, or they can embed dynamic charts on their websites. Raw data sets are also available for download through several formats.

Utilities’ Letter Address Spectrum Issues – A new letter signed by CEOs and senior leadership of five electric and water trade associations to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai details industry concerns about the Commission’s controversial proposal to open up a band of heavily used spectrum to unlicensed use.  The senior leadership signing the letter are: Sue Kelly, CEO of the American Public Power Association; G. Tracy Meehan III, Executive Director, Government Affairs of the American Water Works Association; Tom Kuhn, President of the Edison Electric Institute; Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association; and Joy Ditto, President and CEO of the Utilities Technology Council. The signatories to this letter represent just about every electric utility in the U.S., along with thousands of water/wastewater utilities as well. The electric/water industries are not always this united on many issues; this is one of them in which we are.  The letter is available here.  

Pro Carbon Tax Coalition Adds BP, Shell – The industry coalition lead by the Climate Leadership Council – Americans for Carbon Dividends – will add BP and Shell to its membership rolls. BP and Shell join industry competitors ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil, which previously donated to Americans for Carbon Dividends. Shell and BP are joining a coalition of nearly 100 companies for two days of lobbying on Capitol Hill this week geared toward generating support for a carbon tax.

Biden Mentions Climate Change in Speech – Previewing its importance to Democratic voters, former VP Joe Biden mentioned climate change in his big speech in Philadelphia yesterday.  While that sent environmental trade press into a frenzy, it clearly was a cursory mention and focused only on defeating Trump rather than any substance.  Given the electoral interest, my guess is eventually, that is when it will remain.  Meanwhile, rivals and a group of progressive environmental organizations continue to attack him as being weak on climate change.  To that end, Biden added policy heavy-hitters Heather Zichal and pollster/advisor Anita Dunn to his team.  

Australian Voters Rejected More Climate Focus – Australian voters turned against center-left candidates pushing aggressive strategies to combat climate change when they re-elected Australia's conservative government in the country's national elections on Saturday.  According to media election accounts from the WaPo, NYT, Axios and the Australian Broadcasting Company, climate change and how to deal with it was a big part of the election which makes the results relevant.  The results may suggest what we have experienced many times in US elections already: that voters don't care as much about the issue compared to others or they would rather focus on measures like new technologies and innovation that are less costly and won’t hurt the economy and jobs. 

ACE Rule Set for June – The EPA plans to finalize its Affordable Clean Energy rule — its replacement for the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan — in June, the agency revealed in a court filing.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Houston Hosts Wind Industry’s Biggest Conference – AWEA returns to Houston today to Thursday for the WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition, the Western Hemisphere’s largest gathering of the people and technology driving wind power trends. WINDPOWER is where the vision and business deals that will drive the future of the wind industry happen.  More on this as we get closer.

USEA to Look at Energy Poverty – The US Energy Assn will host a forum today at 2:00 p.m. focused on addressing energy poverty in the US.  The forum will look at a Federal/State/Utility collaboration approach.  This session will bring together experts from the federal, state and utility sectors to discuss how this patchwork of services attempts to address energy poverty in the U.S. and the ways in which it falls short. Speakers will include Mark Wolfe of the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association, Delaware State LIHEAP manager Häly Laasme-McQuilkin, AGA’s Nina Moussavi and EEI’s Jessica Franks. 

Water Companies Looking at Cyber – The National Association of Water Companies holds its inaugural 2019 NAWC Cybersecurity Symposium at the Army-Navy Club in DC.  Former FERC Commissioner Robert Powleson will speak.

Utility Contractors Hold Wash Summit – The National Utility Contractors Association holds its 2019 Washington Summit at the holiday Inn Capitol Hill tomorrow to Thursday.  Attendees will hold Hill meetings on Wednesday.  

Senate Ag to Look at Climate – The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on climate change and the agriculture sector tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.  Witnesses include former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Kansas farmer Debbie Lyons-Blythe, UC-Davis professor Frank Mitloehner and Nebraska farmer Matthew Rezac.

Senate Energy Looks at Renewables, Votes on Interior Noms – The Senate Energy Committee holds a business meeting and a hearing tomorrow to consider the nominations of Daniel Jorjani to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior and Mark Greenblatt to be Inspector General of the Department of the Interior.  The votes will be followed by a hearing that will examine opportunities to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts in the United States.  Witnesses include DOE’s Dan Simmons, NREL’s Martin Keller and several others.

House Science Looks at Climate, Transportation – The House Science Investigations Oversight Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow on the need for resilience that prepares America's transportation infrastructure for climate change.  Witnesses include NIST’s Jason Averill, Texas A&M’s Greg Winfree, NYC office of Resiliency Susanne DesRoches and Scott Reeve of Composite Advantage.

House Energy Hearing to Look at MATS – The House Energy Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow on mercury issues.  Witnesses include former EPA Air Office head Janet McCabe, UVa Prof Michael Livermore, MIT’s Noelle Eckley Selin, expert Adam Gustafson of BoydenGray and Heather McTeer Toney of Moms Clean Air task Force.

Grid Innovation Expo Set – The biennial “Grid Innovation and Infrastructure” EXPO will be held tomorrow starting at 10:00 a.m. in the Rayburn Foyer.  Leading manufacturers and electric companies from across the U.S. will be showcasing the latest innovative technologies and projects that are making our electric infrastructure smarter, more reliable, resilient, flexible, and secure. Exhibits will focus on transportation electrification, “smart” buildings, and more.  The EXPO is co-hosted by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), GridWise Alliance, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

House Approps Moves Budget Bills – The House Appropriations Committee holds a markup tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. moving the FY2020 Energy & Water Appropriations bill and the FY2020 Defense Appropriations bill.

Report to Look at Nuclear – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hosts an event tomorrow in the Senate Visitor Center at 2:00 p.m. to launch its new report, US Nuclear Energy Leadership: Innovation and the Strategic Global Challenge. Speakers include Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). 

Resources Looks at NOAA, FWS Budgets – The House Natural Resources Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on examining the NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service budgets.

Wilson Book Event Looks at Military Disaster Planning – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the Woodrow Wilson Center holds a forum with the authors of a book looking at the US military and intelligence community efforts to look at scenarios, simulations and disaster planning to anticipate environmental and security-related disasters. In their new book, "Disaster Security: Using Intelligence and Military Planning for Energy and Environmental Risks," Chad Briggs and Miriam Matejova lead readers through real-life planning scenarios and lessons learned to provide an inside view of how and why government agencies plan for environmental disasters and their potential cascading impacts on global systems. The discussion with the authors will also feature reflections by former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security, Sherri Goodman.

Tech Innovation Conference Set for WY – The CO2NNECT 2019 event is in Jackson Hole on Wednesday and Thursday.  The conference is focused on driving more research dollars to the technology that can break down barriers to its deployment. Speakers include Occidental Petroleum Corp. CEO Vicki Hollub, former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R), and Pratima Rangarajan, CEO of the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative’s investment company Climate Investments.

Senate Approps to Host Bernhardt -- The Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. on the proposed budget estimates and justification for FY2020 for the Interior Department.

Senate Enviro to Hold Leg Hearing on PFAS – The Senate Environment Committee will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday on current PFAS legislation.

Infrastructure Hearing Set for House Energy – The House Energy & Commerce Committee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on "LIFT America: Modernizing Our Infrastructure for the Future," focusing on H.R. 2741 (116), the "Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow's America Act.” Witnesses include Chamber Global Energy Institute Acting President Christopher Guith, BlueGreen Alliance Legislative Director Jessica Eckdish, Piscataway Township, NJ Mayor Brian Wahler and AEI’s Daniel Lyons

House Transportation Looks at Budget – The House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on policies, recommendations and impacts of the President's FY2020 Budget Request.

House Natural Resources Looks at Global Science Issues – The House Natural Resources Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on responding to the global assessment report of the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem service. Witnesses include former IPCC Science panel chief Bob Watson and Global Assessment chair

Eduardo S. Brondizio, as well as lead author Dr. Yunne Shin.   Assessment opponents Patrick Moore of the CO2 Coalition and Marc Morano of Climate Depot also chime in. 

POSTPONED – DOE Heads to Science for Budget – The House Science Committee has postponed its hearing on Wednesday to review of DOE’s FY2020 Budget Request with Secretary Perry.  No word on reschedule.

USEA Forum to Look at Energy Storage – The US Energy Assn will hold a forum on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to look at battery storage in South Africa. The Integrated Resource Plan released in August 2018 calls for a significant increase in renewable energy. To support the increase in intermittent resources, South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom has unveiled its Distributed Battery Storage Program and environmental and social management framework study (ESMF), committing to solar-plus-storage and energy storage projects totaling 1,400MWh. The plan calls for storage in all nine provinces and has two phases of development and construction.  Speaker Neli Magubane, Chairperson of Matleng Energy Solutions.  Magubane will discuss these plans and their progress to develop energy storage facilities to support renewable energy.

House Transpo Panel Looks at Resiliency, Disaster Relief – The House Transportation panel on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management holds a hearing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on disaster preparedness with a focus on DRRA Implementation and FEMA Readiness.

Forum to Focus on BioGas – The American Biogas Council (ABC) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hold a briefing on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. looking at many benefits of renewable biogas. Biogas is produced from the decomposition of organic wastes (such as agriculture residues, manure, food wastes, and sewage) in the absence of oxygen. The event will focus on potential biogas resources in their states, the economic and job opportunities they offer, and important policy drivers for this promising industry. Speakers for this forum are American Biogas Council Chairman Bernie Sheff, Charles Love of Love's Travel Stops, Caroline Henry of Greenleaf Ohio, expert Olga Brizhan and American Biogas Council head Patrick Serfass.

House Climate Panel Holds Hearing – The House Select Climate Crisis Committee holds a hearing on Thursday focused on creating a climate resilient America. 

USEA Policy Forum Set – The US Energy Assn holds its annual public policy forum on Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Reagan Building.  The event will feature a distinguished group of speakers with over 150 energy stakeholders, journalists, diplomats, and government agency officials expected to attend.  USEA will also recognize and honor recipients of the 2019 United States Energy Award and its Volunteer Awards.

Forum Looks at Fuel Cells – Carnegie Mellon University’s Wilton E Scott Institute for Energy Innovation hosts a Capitol Hill briefing on Thursday looking at how fuel cells could impact vehicles, buildings and utilities. At the event, CMU researchers will provide a detailed assessment of the current and expected future costs and performance of automotive proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and stationary solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). DOE’s Dimitrios Papageorgopoulos, ARPA-E’s Grigorii Soloveichik and Bloom Energy’s Paul Wilkins all speak. 

Puerto Rico Forum to Look at Energy Challenges – On Thursday at 11:00 a.m. in 2043 Rayburn, there will be a forum on new Puerto Rico Public Policy on Energy.  The event will discuss implementation and challenges.  Panelists will include reps from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), the Institute for a Competitive and sustainable Economy (ICSE), National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Center for the New Economy (CNE) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

Forum Tackles US-Japan Energy –The Atlantic Council's Asia Security Initiative, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, and the Global Energy Center hold a discussion on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. focused on how energy dependence on the Middle East is shaping Japan’s quest for energy security, prospects for US-Japan strategic cooperation, and the future of energy security in Asia.

Forum to Look at Iceland, Arctic Chair Priorities – The Wilson Center hosts discussion on Iceland’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council Thursday at 2:30 p.m.  Wilson’s Polar Institute and Global Risk and Resilience Program, and the Embassy of Iceland in Washington D.C. for this important foreign policy speech. Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, will present an overview of the country’s Arctic Council Chairmanship agenda, Arctic policy, national interests, and perspectives on the shared opportunities and challenges facing a region undergoing dramatic change. 

IN THE FUTURE

Nielson Honored by US-Mex Chamber – The United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce hosts its 2019 Good Neighbor Awards on May 28^th and 29^th in Washington.  Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be among those honored for their outstanding contributions to the U.S.-Mexico relationship.  The Good Neighbor Awards Gala will take place on Wednesday evening May 29^th at the Organization of American States building and will have a series of panels and briefings starting the afternoon of Tuesday the 28^th.

Clean Energy Ministerial in Vancouver – The 10^th edition of Clean Energy Ministerial will be held on Wednesday May 29^th in Vancouver, Canada. Following on the success of last year’s meetings in Malmö, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark, Canada will seek to strengthen cooperation among governments, the private sector and international organizations by promoting international efforts to accelerate progress towards a clean energy future.

Forum to Look at CCS Technologies – The Carbon Utilization Research Council (CURC), the Global CCS Institute, and the Carbon Capture Coalition for Carbon Lunches - A Carbon Capture 101 continues its briefings series on Friday May 31^st at 11:45 a.m. in SVC 200. The briefings will provide an introduction to carbon capture, use, and storage, and how this suite of technologies can deliver steep emissions reductions alongside other clean and renewable sources of energy in the transition to a zero-carbon economy, while supporting clean energy production and creating high-wage energy, industrial, and manufacturing jobs. The briefing will focus on technology applications and feature Illinois State Geological Survey Energy & Minerals Associate Director Sallie Greenberg of the University of Illinois, CATF EOR expert Deepika Nagabhushan and Third Way’s Jessie Stolark who will look at utilization technologies and direct air capture.

National Press Club Hosts EPA’s Wheeler – The National Press Club will host a luncheon speech with EPA head Andrew Wheeler on June 3^rd. 

Cruz to Headline Oil, Gas Forum – The 5^th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2019 will be held on June 5^th and 6^th at the Cosmos Club.  Sen. Ted Cruz will be Keynote Speaker.  The Washington Oil & Gas Forum has been established as the prime international industry event in Washington, DC. The Forum is a unique opportunity for American and international oil/gas senior executives to meet with Congressional and Government leaders. This year’s topic is “Critical Oil and Gas Infrastructure and the role of U.S. LNG and Pipeline Gas in the Global Markets.”  Other Speakers include Garret Graves, Eni Chair Gianni di Giovanni, State’s Frank Fannon, DOE’s Shawn Bennett and ATR’s Grover Norquist.

Forums Focus on EVs, Storage – Independent analysts, IDTechEx, will be hosting 6 specialist Business & Technology Insight Forums on June 10 - 12 in Novi, Michigan focused on electric vehicles and energy storage.  The six half-day forums provide critical business intelligence on emerging technologies covering: Technology assessment Market forecasts Key players Industry structure Case studies and application trends Value chain and opportunities.

EEI Meeting Set for Phily – Edison Electric Institute’s (EEI’s) 2019 annual convention will be held in Philadelphia from June 10^th and 11^th. Electric company executives, industry thought leaders, and senior government policymakers will discuss the transformation taking place throughout the electric power industry and the innovative solutions that America’s electric companies are developing to meet customers’ evolving needs and expectations.

House Energy to Hear from Former EPA Heads – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hear from four former EPA heads to discuss the future of the agency on June 11^th.  Lee Thomas, William Reilly, Christine Todd Whitman and Gina McCarthy have been named as witnesses for the hearing,

Clean Energy Expo Set – The 21^st Annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum is set for Thursday July 11^th to showcase renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. In every state across the country, these technologies are having a significant impact in business development and job creation in the manufacturing, transmission, power, transportation, and building sectors. The bipartisan House Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucus is the Expo's honorary co-host.

Chamber Energy Groups Sets Innovation Forum – The U.S. Chamber's Global Energy Institute hosts “EnergyInnovates: All In” on July 31^st.  The event will showcase innovators, projects, and technologies that have shaped today’s energy landscape – and are laying the groundwork for the future.  It will also feature key industry executives and employees, high-level officials, and notable energy experts.