Energy Update: Week of May 24

Energy Update - May 24, 2021

Friends,               

I have to start with the amazing play of Phil Mickelson this weekend at Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Mickelson won his second PGA Championship at age 50 yrs, 11 mons and 7 days, becoming golf's oldest major champion.  Just wow!!!  Amazing pictures/scene last night as Mickelson closed the deal with fans packed around the 18th hole.

Congress will be round for the first half of the week with a lot of back and forth on infrastructure and tax policy.  My colleague Liam Donovan is all over it should you need background on the infrastructure moves, the Biden tax policy and budget – all starting to shake out.  

On the Hill, there is a clean energy hearing in House Resources today at 1pm, House Energy tees up a series of drinking water safety/affordability measures tomorrow and Senate EPW marks up a bipartisan $304B Senate surface transportation draft for highways.  Finally on Thursday at 1pm, Secretary Granholm visits with House Science to look at DOE’s science and research priorities (and stay tuned Friday for something similar maybe).

ARPA-E also holds its virtual innovation summit this week.  Jennifer Granholm opens the program today, Vistra CEO Curt Morgan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg keynote tomorrow, Senate Energy Chair Manchin and Bill Gates speak Wednesday and former Senate Energy Chair Lisa Murkowski keynotes on Thursday.  Lots more speakers here.

Cool stories you should check out:

  • An interview on Axios on HBO with White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy.  McCarthy addresses issues and calls for a practical rather than idealistic approach to getting Americans to change their routines to save the planet.
  • Lisa Friedman talks about a clean energy standard in a NYT story over the weekend, but it interesting focuses on the Budget process which most suggest is near impossible rather than potential legislative solutions like House Energy Chairs Pallone/Tonko and the bipartisan version from David McKinley and Kurt Schrader.
  • Vox’s Umair Irfan has a really interesting follow-up on Ford’s F-150 Electric pickup roll out last week saying while it has tremendous promise and an impressive list of specs, it has a long road ahead and to truly change the game and reach the mass market, electric vehicles need to be much cheaper.

Finally, with transmission and renewable coming up a lot lately (especially in last Thursday’s contentious FERC Meeting), I thought you might find this Interesting:  Tenaska’s Clear Creek wind project filed a complaint with FERC on Southwest Power Tool’s (SPP) allocation of network upgrade costs for the project in Missouri.  Nearly two years after SPP provided Tenaska Clear Creek with a final study – and after the project was financed, fully constructed and operating – SPP is now trying to get $66 million more from the project.  See the complaint and details below.

It is Memorial Day week so I hope you get a chance to enjoy the unofficial beginning of summer.  It also means NCAA Mens’ and Women’s Lacrosse Championships.  Hope you stay safe & healthy and get those vaccine shots if you can.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“When you take away the incentives, I just think you could really harm those that are on the fence. If we eliminate (incentive) programs now, that could ripple across the U.S. and really harm the market. Let’s be real. We’re not even close to meeting our goals.  We’ve got to get to a new set of consumers.”

Eileen Tutt, executive director of the California Electric Transportation Coalition, a group of companies supporting electric cars in an interview with Axios.

"Now is not the time to sit them down and say: 'Let's talk about climate. How can you sacrifice?' ... [I]t's never going to be a winning strategy. Right now, it's ridiculous."

           White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy on Axios on HBO.

ON THE PODCAST

EPSA Podcast Talks to Chamber, API on Climate – In the episode of EPSA’s Energy Solutions podcast, EPSA CEO Todd Snitchler talk with officials from the American Petroleum Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to explore what’s driving their growing climate focus, market-based solutions such as carbon pricing that encourage innovation, and the possibilities ahead. API’s Aaron Padilla and the Global Energy Institute’s Marty Durbin discuss their organization’s respective climate policy platforms, saying market-based solutions will drive emissions reductions while allowing for innovation, economic growth, and reliable, affordable energy.

Harder talks Electric Cars on C-Span – In this edition of C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, our friend Amy Harder, now at Breakthrough Energy, talks about the future of electric vehicles saying most drivers of electric cars are wealthy, and most electric cars are luxury. ”To effectively combat climate change, the opposite needs to happen: electric cars need to become affordable and broadly appealing so the masses can and want to buy them. Only with mass adoption will heat-trapping emissions steeply decline in America’s most polluting sector.”

FUN OPINIONS

KS Senator: Refinery Jobs Important to Kansas, Too – In an op-ed in the Wichita Eagle, Kansas State Senator and former El Dorado Mayor Michael Fagg writes that while many outsiders view Kansas as a proud agricultural state, they don’t recognize that we have three refineries supporting nearly 37,000 jobs in Kansas and an economic output of nearly $15 billion each year. No state is better positioned to recognize that both industrial and agricultural activities make critical contributions to our nation’s economy—and we need them both for our nation to prosper.  Fagg says that is why he is asking EPA and President Biden to help protect our refinery workers by granting much needed relief from burdensome renewable fuel standards.

Former EPA Science Board Chair Pushes Back on Regan Purge – In an op-ed in the Washington Times, former EPA Science Advisory Board Chair John Graham writes that Regan's action undermines balanced expertise, which is crucial to proper review of the new policy priorities that President Biden has set for EPA.  As he explained to new EPA administrator Michael Regan, it could have been accomplished without the political purge and without the dangerous precedent that has now been set. A key pillar in SAB’s independence is the staggered three-year term, where no more than one third of the scientists on SAB are replaced each year.  Members willing to serve a second 3-year term are normally reappointed.  This has made it impossible for new EPA administrators to do precisely what the Biden EPA is likely to do:  stack the SAB with their policy allies in the science community.  The Biden EPA says they will allow all 42 purged scientists to “recompete” for their positions, but the final decisions on those members will also be made by the same Biden appointee.

FROG BLOG

Hergott: We need to Improve Permitting in US – In a blog post in The Hill, Alex Hergott of The Permitting Institute wrote that in order for America to “build back better,” we first must be able to build. Before any substantial infrastructure package passes, Congress must first fix our antiquated permitting process which delays projects and adds unnecessary financial strain to construction. “Finding bipartisan compromise on the size and scope of an infrastructure bill will be hard enough. But policymakers are ignoring perhaps the most essential issue — permitting, which has become a maze of process obstacles that only Congress can address.”

FUN FACTS

Hydrogen in Use: There are something like 40,000 to 50,000 forklifts in operation in the Americas that are using hydrogen as the transportation fuel.  (Climatewire Q&A with David Edwards of Air Liquide on hydrogen) 

Nuclear Clearing the Air: In the U.S. alone, nuclear power prevented more than 476 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere in 2019. That’s the equivalent of removing 100 million cars from the roads. (C3’s Drew Bond: The Left’s Top 10 Climate Denials)

IN THE NEWS

Tenaska Clear Creek Wind Project Files SPP Allocation Complaint with FERC – Tenaska Clear Creek on Friday filed a complaint with FERC on Southwest Power Tool’s (SPP) allocation of network upgrade costs for the company’s Clear Creek wind project in Missouri.  Nearly two years after SPP provided Tenaska Clear Creek with a final study – and after the project was financed, fully constructed and operating – SPP issued a restudy report proposing to assign Tenaska Clear Creek approximately $66 million in additional costs.  These costs were associated with the construction of upgrades to resolve pre-existing reliability issues that appear to be driven by higher queued generation resources.  Nick Borman, senior vice president, Engineering & Construction, stated: “It is with reluctance that we have filed a complaint with FERC, but the filing brings an important problem related to the SPP affected system study process and, more broadly, the question of the appropriate method of allocating interconnection upgrade costs, to FERC’s attention. If renewable, or for that matter any, generation projects are to be added to the country’s generation base, certainty around interconnection costs is critical. Tenaska Clear Creek is faced with a $66 million increase in such costs after financing and construction, which is untenable. We hope FERC will realize that other, more equitable solutions, are readily available that will provide the certainty needed for such investments to continue to be made.”

HyDeal LA Launched to Bring Hydrogen to SoCal – The Green Hydrogen Coalition in conjunction with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), SoCal Gas and other key partners, launched HyDeal LA, an initiative to achieve at-scale green hydrogen procurement at $1.50/kilogram in the Los Angeles Basin by 2030. HyDeal LA is a collaboration of developers, green hydrogen off-takers, integrators, equipment manufacturers, investors, and advisors coalescing to overcome the biggest barrier to the green hydrogen economy — its high cost — by launching a commercial green hydrogen cluster at scale.  Green hydrogen is an abundant, carbon-free, and safe energy carrier that can be produced from renewable electricity and water or organic waste.  It can be used as a carbon-free fuel and can provide long-duration seasonal energy storage.  When used as an alternative to fossil fuels, green hydrogen can enable deep decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, enable the repurposing of valuable existing infrastructure and an affordable, responsible energy transition.  Benefits to the economy include stable pricing, energy diversity, and increased economic development by reducing our need to import fossil fuels. Green hydrogen can be used to power anything from a power plant, to a steel mill, to a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.

EPA Letter Urges Former EPA, Current DTE Energy Exec for Region 5 Position – Following a broad show of support from many Midwestern Democrats and the local union,  POLITICO is reporting that a group of Midwestern EPA workers of color last week urged Administrator Michael Regan to pick Micah Ragland as the Region 5 administrator.  The letter says Ragland, now a PR exec at DTE Energy, “worked side by side with us to protect the people of Flint, Michigan during the drinking water crisis, and will continue to work with all people, to protect human health and all land, water and air of the Great Lakes states.”

Chamber Forum: GE Renewables CEO Talks Energy Transition – In case you missed it last week at the US Chamber Global Forum, GE Renewable Energy CEO Jérôme Pécresse told a virtual summit panel moderated by Chamber Global Energy Institute CEO Marty Durbin that GE Renewable Energy is working with utilities and energy developers to help drive the coming energy transition.   

  • GE Renewables is currently operating 400+ GW of wind globally
  • The newly approved offshore wind project at Vineyard Wind is using GE’s new Haliade-X offshore turbines
  • 90% of world’s utilities are using GE grid technologies to improve transmission capacity for clean energy

Pécresse said GE Renewable Energy is focused on building, servicing and maintaining a global fleet of renewable energy assets, as well as reducing costs through innovation in manufacturing technologies and design.  He said it is their goal to make renewable energy resources function more like traditional, ‘baseload’ power generation sources.  Finally, Pécresse said the company is focused on ensuring grid resiliency and efficiency, while also maintaining reliable grid operations, as more variable renewable energy is brought online. See a summary of Pécresse’s full remarks here.  See a replay of the Chamber Global Forum Panel here.

Expert Weights in on Critical Minerals for House Armed Services – Last week, there was a ton of activity on electric vehicles with President Biden visiting Ford and driving the new electric pick up.  In the Dearborn speech, President Biden again mentioned the priority of securing supply chains for battery metals.  At the same time the federal government is doing its 100 day review pursuant to his Executive Order, it is important to remember that the House Armed Services Committee has a bipartisan task force also doing a 100 day review.  Former USS Cole Commander and natural security commentator Kirk Lippold wrote comments to the Committee saying critical metals that present the greatest challenges - nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese - lie unattached on the floor of the eastern Pacific Ocean in relative proximity to the United States and commercial vessels stationed in the Port of San Diego. As our nation develops a green energy future, the United States must take this vast sea floor resource into account as it attempts to make a sensible and effective strategic plan for obtaining these much-needed critical minerals. 

ACORE Report Shows Benefits of ITC – Last week, a new report from ACORE outlined the benefits of a transmission Investment Tax Credit (ITC). According to the analysis, a transmission ITC would create upwards of 650,000 good-paying jobs, enable an additional 30,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity, spur more than $15 billion in private capital investment in the near term, and provide $2.3 billion in energy cost savings for the lower 80% of income brackets.  Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) joined ACORE for a webinar to unveil the report and advocate for a transmission ITC. The webinar also included a discussion of the report's findings featuring diverse supporters of this important and timely initiative.

Senators Ask CEQ for Guidance on CCUS Permitting – In a new letter, a group of bipartisan senators are asking the White House Council on Environmental Quality for an update on its implementation of legislation to help speed up the permitting of carbon capture and storage projects.  Under the USE IT Act legislation, the CEQ chair must issue a report by June 25 examining ways the federal permitting process could be made more efficient for carbon capture and storage projects, as well as the carbon dioxide pipelines supporting them. Following that report, the CEQ must develop guidance to better facilitate permitting of carbon capture projects and infrastructure.  “A key barrier limiting CCUS project deployment has been the complicated maze of permitting requirements,” reads the letter sent yesterday by more than a dozen senators, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. “Therefore, CEQ will play a pivotal role in implementing the law and removing barriers to encourage these innovative projects.”

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

APRA-E Summit Set – The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit will be held today through Thursday and is the annual conference and technology showcase that brings together experts from different technical disciplines and professional communities to think about America's energy challenges in new and innovative ways. Now in its 11th year, the Summit offers a unique, four-day program aimed at moving transformational energy technologies out of the lab and into the market.  Jennifer Granholm opens the program today, Vistra CEO Curt Morgan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg keynote tomorrow, Senate Energy Chair Manchin and Bill Gates speak Wednesday and former Senate Energy Chair Lisa Murkowski keynotes on Thursday.  Lots more speakers here.

House Resources Looks at Clean Energy – The House Natural Resources Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee holds a hearing today at 1:00 p.m. on expanding clean energy on public lands.  Witnesses include BLM’s Nada Culver, Trout Unlimited’s Kate Miller, San Bernardino County Board Supervisor Dawn Rowe, EDF Renewables Virinder Singh and Ormat’s Paul Thomsen.

GreenBiz Holds the VERGE Electrify Conference – Tomorrow 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.

Forum to Look at Climate Innovation – The World Bank holds a virtual Innovate4Climate Conference tomorrow to Thursday focusing on promoting opportunities and innovations for low-carbon, resilient development.  The three-day forum is an annual global conference on climate finance, climate investment and climate markets.

House Energy Looks at Drinking Water – The House Energy and Commerce Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. on drinking water portion of their climate legislation.

RFF Looks at Carbon Farming – Resources for the Future (RFF) and Cornell University Atkinson Center for Sustainability hold a forum tomorrow at Noon featuring a conversation on carbon farming and accurately measuring greenhouse gases stored in agricultural soils. Carbon farming involves incentivizing landowners and operators to adopt greenhouse gas–mitigating land management practices, helping engage the agriculture and forestry sectors in carbon markets while achieving climate change policy goals. This event will focus on the foundational issue of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). The panel of experts will discuss different approaches to incentive structure and MRV protocols for carbon farming, the benefits and drawbacks of such approaches, and concepts that policymakers and industry leaders can use to guide the development of effective incentive frameworks.

CSIS to Looks Supply Chains – The Center for Strategic and International Studies holds a webinar tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. on a U.S. Strategy for clean energy supply chains. The event will release a report, Reshore, Reroute, Rebalance, which argues that the United States can apply some of the mental models, tools, and institutions used for conventional energy sources to think about supply chains in clean energy—and, in doing so, grow its economy and boost its national security. Following a brief presentation of the report’s highlights by Nikos Tsafos (CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program), the event will feature a panel discussion with co-author Sarah Ladislaw (RMI) and Laszlo Varro (International Energy Agency).

House Resources to Examine Drought Conditions in West – The House Natural Resources Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on the status of drought conditions throughout the Western US.

SEIA Holds Veterans Hiring Event – SEIA will hold a solar industry veterans hiring webinar tomorrow 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 Climate Leader Issues – The Business Council for International Understanding holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. on outcomes and deliverables from the Climate Leaders Summit and how the NSC's International Energy and Environment Directorate can work with the private sector to achieve global climate goals. The event is an off-the record virtual roundtable with Melanie Nakagawa, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy and Helaina Matza, Director of Climate Diplomacy and Energy Transformation.

EIA to Hold Energy Outlook Meeting – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the U.S. Energy Information Administration holds its Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels Working Group Meeting. During this meeting, EIA we will seek feedback on AEO2021 outcomes and will discuss updates planned for the upcoming AEO2022.

House FR hold Nomination Vote – The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote tomorrow at 2:15 p.m. on the nomination of Jose W. Fernandez to be undersecretary of State for economic growth, energy, and the environment, among others.

Forum to Look Innovation Webinar – The Global CCS Institute, in partnership with the International Finance Corporate (IFC), will hold a webinar on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. looking at funding climate technology and securing a net-zero future.  This webinar will look at the current state of CCS policy and funding support, along with the varied approaches being taken to accelerate the deployment of CCS. Bringing together policy experts from around the world – including experts from the EU Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank – this online event will highlight insights on the instrumental roll-out of CCS in the global effort to mitigate climate change.

Forum Focuses on COP26 Preview Meeting—On Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., the World Resources Institute and the UNFCCC will hold an overview of COP-26 preview meeting negotiation topics and efforts are being made to make it as fair and inclusive as possible despite the logistical challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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 at 10:00 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.

Senate Energy Tackles National Parks – The Senate Energy‘s National Parks Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the state of the National Park System.  Filmmaker Ken Burns testifies along with Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge and National Park Hospitality Association Chairman Scott Socha.

Senate Approps focused on Forest Management – The Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, Subcommittee holds a hearing on resiliency and budgeting for the future of forest management. U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen testifies.

Forum Looks at Net-Zero Pledges – On Wednesday 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.

Forum Looks at COVID-Climate Balance – FiscalNote holds a webinar Wednesday 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.

CEI Looks at Oil/Gas Activity – The Competitive Enterprise Institute holds a forum on Wednesday 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 to Look at Test Reactor – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) Program and the Nuclear Energy Institute hold a discussion about the VTR’s essential role in expanding U.S. research capabilities and supporting the next generation of nuclear power.  ClearPath Senior Program Director for Nuclear Energy Niko McMurray and EPRI’s Randy Stark speak.

House Defense Panel Looks an Enviro Projects – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee holds a hearing on defense environmental restoration.

USEA Hosts Clean Hydrogen Meeting – The US Energy Assn hosts a meeting of the Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition (CHFC) on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.  The groups was formed to support federal clean hydrogen policies that will stimulate the adoption of clean hydrogen in the U.S. and enable the country to achieve national decarbonization objectives while increasing U.S. global competitiveness. The CHFC will discuss how and why its diverse membership came together in support of these mission objectives, and what it sees as objectives going forward.

Forum Looks at Scaling Up Renewables – USAID’s Scaling Up Renewable Energy (SURE) program will hosts a forum on Thursday 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. 

Forum Addresses Antarctic Issues – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Polar Institute holds a webinar on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on the directions in Antarctic diplomacy.  France will host the annual meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties from June 14-24.  At that meeting, key countries active in the Antarctic will discuss a range of issues related to environmental protection, climate change, polar science, tourism and governance. This forum will feature a discussion with senior officials from key Antarctic Treaty states about current issues in Antarctic diplomacy and the future of the Antarctic Treaty System.  

Forum Looks at Sustainable Finance – The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) holds a forum on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on sustainable finance. Participants will discuss ongoing efforts and prospects for international policy coordination in this area, bilaterally between the European Union and United States and at the multilateral level.  German Federal Finance Ministry State Secretary Jörg Kukies and US Treasury Climate Counselor John Morton.

Chamber Looks Energy Solutions, Compromise – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce holds a virtual discussion on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. looking on opportunities for consensus, legitimate policy differences, and pathways to compromise.  The event will focus on energy and climate policy and is part of the Common Grounds series. Over a cup of coffee, U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley will moderate a discussion with Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) about opportunities for consensus, legitimate policy differences.

Web Event to Focus on NatGas Transition – On Thursday 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.

ACCF Forum Discusses LNG – On Thursday at Noon, the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF) will host its second in a three-part series of events focused on the U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector and its barriers to growth for the US LNG Industry.  The first event looked at issues of supply and demand, the economic benefits of LNG exports, and the environmental challenges facing the industry, including methane emissions. This event will consider the barriers to continued LNG expansion, including permitting hurdles, financing challenges, and activist opposition. They will also look at “sustainable gas” efforts and how they may play a role in the LNG sector.  Speakers will include Jeff Hammad of Golden Pass LNG, Responsible Energy Solutions head Roy Hartstein, Fred Hutchison of LNG Allies and API’s Riley Smith.

Granholm Visits House Science to Discuss DOE Energy Science, Research – The House Science, Space and Technology Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. to provide an overview of the Science and Energy Research Enterprise of the U.S. Department of Energy.  The hearing will feature Secretary Granholm.

DOE Forum Looks at Biofuel Advances – DOE EERE’s Biofuels program holds a webinar on Thursday 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.

Duke Forum to Look at Enviro Justice in Trade – Duke University hold a forum on Friday at 10:00 a.m. to will bring together experts on a variety of topics that have direct or downstream effects on environmental justice, both domestically and abroad. Panelists will consider ways to improve affordability, advance sustainability and increase access to essential resources as well as provide their recommendations and policy considerations for Congress and the Biden administration.

Plug’s Marsh to Address Forum – On Friday 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.

IN THE FUTURE

MEMORIAL DAY – May 31st The unofficial Start of Summer.

Clean Energy Ministerial Set – The 12th Clean Energy Ministerial will be held in Chile (and virtually) next week.  The CEM brings together a community of the world’s largest and leading countries, companies, and international experts to achieve one mission – accelerate clean energy transitions. The CEM is an international clean energy leadership platform, a convening platform, an action platform, and an acceleration platform.

Forum to Look at Net-Zero Targets – The World Resources Institute holds a forum on Wednesday June 2nd to discuss the big questions about net-zero targets, like which countries have them, how they differ, and how they relate to NDCs and long-term strategies. The presentation will also include a live demo of tracking tools on Climate Watch.

ELI Looks at Kids Climate Case – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Wednesday June 2nd at Noon on youth climate litigation Juliana vs. United States.  The event will feature leading voices from around the country on the potential outcome for the case; the ramifications, benefits, and challenges that could emerge from this ruling; and its position on the national stage.

Forum to Look at Nuclear VTR – On Thursday June 3rd, the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hold a conversation with senior nuclear experts on the role of advanced reactors in nuclear innovation. The discussion will focus on the role of advanced nuclear energy systems for the purpose of reducing carbon from fossil fuels and supporting global clean energy growth, and the essential role of the Versatile Test Reactor in supporting innovation in nuclear energy. It will address issues related to safety and security by design, how the VTR can enhance those features in the next generation of nuclear technologies, and how advanced reactor systems can incorporate enhanced safety and safeguard features.

WRISE Event Set – On Friday June 4th at 1:00 p.m., the Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy hold the 2021 WRISE Luncheon virtually this year. 

NARUC Forum Looks at Advanced Nuclear – The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and DOE hold a forum on Friday June 4th at 2:00 p.m. focused on advanced nuclear.  ClearPath’s Niko McMurray and Idaho National Labs Christine King speak. 

POLITICO to Look at Waste, Recycling – On Tuesday, June 8 at 12:00 p.m., POLITICO hosts a high-level conversation on what it will take to build both a circular economy and a low-carbon future. We will also explore the roles of the private sector and government in building infrastructure for the circular economy. The virtual program will feature an executive conversation between POLITICO Vice President and General Manager Cally Baute and Tetra Pak Sustainability Manager for U.S. & Canada Jordan Fengel.

Colonial Head to Visit House Homeland Security – The House Homeland Security Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday June 9th looking into the ransomware attack that shut down the pipeline for several days and prompted fuel shortages all along the East Coast.  Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount will testify.

Forum to Look at Decarb, Real Estate – On June 9th, Dynamo Energy holds a forum on the role of real estate in the energy transition and decarbonization of buildings. The event will feature a conversation with Sara Neff, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Kilroy Realty and Stephanie Greene, Senior Principal and Program Lead for Carbon-Free Buildings at Rocky Mountain Institute.

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 15th and 16th 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 6th 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.