Energy Update: Week of May 4

Energy Update - May 04, 2020

Friends,

As you know, I regularly pay attention to the horses, so it is with sadness that I remind you that Saturday was supposed to be the Run for the Roses in Louisville, Kentucky.  While I would have had a Kentucky Derby preview last week if they were going to run the race, I did want to tell you on Saturday they ran a virtual Triple Crown Showdown race of all past TC winners for charity.  And the winner – as many experts guessed – was superhorse Secretariat, who charged down the stretch past Seattle Slew and Citation to win.  And in case you need a good laugh, check out this call of another COVID-themed horse race!!!

Well, it is May so today is Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you) and tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. We maxxed out this weekend on the trio of Star Wars trilogies and then carried out from Uncle Julio’s yesterday so we could celebrate Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.

The House does not return this week, but the Senate is back in session where they'll vote today to confirm Nuclear Regulatory Commission IG nominee Robert Feitel.  While there are a few other items on the agenda, Wednesday’s Senate Environment Committee meeting to address water infrastructure legislation is the most significant.  Tomorrow, House Resources Democrats will hold another “roundtable” this time on the Administration’s fossil fuel favoritism (which is a relatively partisan approach since nothing they have done singles out or specifically favors them).  The forums have become a major point of contention with the Committee’s ranking Republican Rob Bishop raising the issue in a complaint saying the events "indicate an attempt to substitute official Committee business seemingly mimicking hearings to include inviting executive branch witnesses while not inviting Republican participation." 

Another key event is a Wednesday forum featuring a major, new COVID, Get America Moving Again recovery report from SAFE that will be rolled out in a Zoom call at 2:30 p.m.  The report addresses a broad range of issues including energy security, competition with China, transportation, EVs, 5G, micromobility, autonomous vehicles, grid security and rare earths/strategic minerals.  Former Obama Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair and former Carnival CEO Adam Goldstein will speak. 

Finally, last Friday, the White House issued an executive order aimed at securing the bulk-power system against exploitation and attacks by foreign threats.   To that end, my colleague Josh Zive has done some detailed review of the EO.   As well, there is a webinar at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow hosted by the US Energy Association and the Edison Electric Institute focused on utility cybersecurity in the time of COVID-19 which I am sure will address the topic.  Also Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., OurEnergyPolicy hosts Wes Clark for a webinar to discuss protecting our critical energy infrastructure from terrorism and cyber-attacks.

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

“When we move to another form of energy, that’s fine by me, I support that. But in the meantime, you cannot put the black farmers on hold until that day comes.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson in supporting a natural gas pipeline in Pembroke IL.

ON THE PODCAST

CapCrude Reviews Brunswick Research on Energy – On this week’s Capitol Crude, our friend and former Wall Street Journal reporter Steve Power discusses a recent survey by his Brunswick Group colleagues research examining what Americans think about granting federal aid to the oil and gas industry and what actions would make them more supportive of proposals to help the industry.

FUN OPINIONS

Harder: Jackson Pushes for NatGas Pipeline – In her Axios column, Amy Harder details Rev. Jesse Jackson call to build a natural gas pipeline to serve an impoverished community near Chicago, a noticeable break from other progressives. She writes it is example of the complex tug of war between energy affordability and tackling climate change. Jackson says the largely black community is being unfairly cut off from affordable energy.

FROG BLOG

Heritage Hammers Enviro Push to Ban NatGas Appliances – Heritage environmental policy expert Nick Loris writes in a new blog that the push to ban natural gas from homes and commercial buildings is extremely misguided both economically and environmentally. For Californians and the rest of the 177 million Americans who use natural gas to heat their homes and cook their food, the costs would be substantial and harm families.  Loris says electrification would be extremely costly and cumbersome for families and businesses. It would restrict the ability of consumers to purchase the appliances they want and would be fraught with unintended consequences.  It’s no surprise these proposals are incredibly unpopular, even in a state like California. People like gas appliances because they’re reliable, affordable, and clean. Governments shouldn’t take that choice away.

IN THE NEWS

Toledo Area Mayors Urge EPA to Waive Ethanol Requirement – In letters to EPA, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and Oregon Mayor Michael Seferian have asked the Trump administration to ease up on biofuel requirements for Toledo-area refineries — especially the ethanol mandate. The Toledo Blade reports the two mayors implored EPA for the because of the coronavirus pandemic’s imposed financial hardship on the refining industry.  Easing up on the requirements, they said, would lower the industry’s production costs and protect jobs.

AAPCA Publishes 2020 State Air Trends, Successes – The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies (AAPCA) has released the 2020 edition of State Air Trends & Successes: The StATS Report. Published annually, The StATS Report catalogues the tremendous progress that has been made improving air quality in the United States and details the core role of state and local air agencies under the federal Clean Air Act.  A few national trends that are highlighted in the 2020 edition of The StATS Report include:

  • From 1970 to 2018, a 74-percent reduction in the aggregate emissions of the six criteria air pollutants under the national ambient air quality standards, or NAAQS, program.
  • Comparing 1980 to 2018, at least a 31-percent reduction in the ambient levels of ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead.
  • From 2000 to 2017, an 11-percent decrease in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, while total energy production in the United States increased by 23 percent.

Some key statistics from AAPCA’s 23 state members in the 2020 report:

  • From 1990 through 2017, a combined decrease in criteria air pollutant emissions of 53-percent while experiencing a 281-percent increase in Gross Domestic Product, a 68-percent rise in vehicle miles traveled, a 45-percent growth in population, and a 32-percent increase in energy production.
  • In the electricity sector, an average reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions of 75 percent and sulfur dioxide emissions of nearly 80 percent from 1990 to 2018.
  • From 2008 to 2018, more than 60 percent of the 573-million-pound national reduction in air releases of toxic chemicals.
  • In 2019, an average of 317 full compliance evaluations per state, compared to the national per-state average of 271.

Harris Urges Review of PM-COVID Ties – Speaking of disagreements over air quality, Rep. Andy Harris, one of Congress’ few doctors, sent a letter Friday to HHS Secretary Azar and EPA Administrator Wheeler urging they undertake an assessment of recent claims by a pre-publication study by Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health related to the relationship between Particulate Matter levels and COVID-19 mortality.  I have seen a copy and could forward it if you are interested.

Duke to Double Renewable Capacity in 5 Years – Duke Energy last week released its 2020 Climate Report saying it will add 8,000 MW of wind, solar and biomass by 2025, which would bring its total renewables portfolio to 16,000 MW. The utility currently owns or purchases around 57,000 MW of total energy capacity, which puts it at about 14% renewables. Duke is aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company cut carbon emissions an additional 8% in 2019 from 2005 levels, for a total reduction of 39%.  In addition to renewable energy, to make its carbon reduction goals, Duke said they will continue to retire coal-fired plants and rely on existing nuclear and natural gas generation to maintain reliability and affordability. Duke also highlighted in its Sustainability Report actions to help customers manage their energy use is one of the company’s long-standing programs. Smart meters have been installed for more than 80% of the company’s customers, about 2 million meters in 2019. The meters provide real-time information so customers can make better decisions about how they use energy.  Duke also unveiled other programs to engage customers, including an interactive outage map for restoration information, and a mobile app to pay bills, check outage status and start, stop or transfer service on the go.

Clean Energy Job Losses Mount as COVID-19's Economic Toll Continues – An analysis of unemployment data released earlier this month by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), E2, E4TheFuture and BW Research Partnership shows the clean energy sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 106,000 U.S. clean energy workers losing their jobs in March. Renewable energy lost 16,500 jobs, and filings are expected to increase substantially in the coming weeks as solar and wind energy companies struggle with supply chain disruptions, shelter-in-place orders and other pandemic-related issues that are resulting in canceled and delayed projects. 
ACORE President and CEO Gregory Wetstone said the analysis “quantifies in stark terms the damage COVID-19 is already doing to the renewable energy workforce, and the devastating trajectory we’re facing absent help from Congress.”

Coalition: Support for CCUS Projects Essential – The Carbon Capture Coalition sent a letter to Congressional leaders outlining targeted measures aimed at providing immediate support for current carbon capture projects at risk of delay or cancellation due to the COVID-19 crisis and to increase the number of projects in the near-term development pipeline.  The recommendations were drawn from a broader federal policy blueprint agreed to by all Coalition participants last year and prioritized in the COVID-19 context to spur economic activity and protect and create high-wage jobs. The letter is signed by Coalition Director Brad Crabtree on behalf of the more than 75 Participants and Observers in the Coalition. It is supplemented by a list of on-the-record quotations from a cross-section of Coalition members and detailed background information on the policies highlighted in the letter. 

IRS IG Raises Questions about Old 45Q Qualifications – The CCC also addressed an IRS Inspector General Report from last week regarding tax credit claims under the old 45Q tax credit program.  The Carbon Capture Coalition welcomed the report and said they have long supported robust transparency and accountability in monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of secure geologic storage to claim the 45Q tax credit. Brad Crabtree: “It is of paramount importance for achieving the environmental objectives of the 45Q program and maintaining public confidence and bipartisan support in Congress.’  Crabtree said the group wrote a letter in March to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Rettig urging them to safeguard the integrity of the 45Q tax credit in the IRS’ forthcoming proposed rule.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

Stanford to Host Brazil Utility Head – The Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy hosts a seminar today at 4:30 p.m. ET featuring Pedro Luiz de Oliveira Jatobá, the chief generation officer at Eletrobras, the largest power generation company in Brazil.

USEA, EEI Host Cyber Webinar – The US Energy Association and the Edison Electric Institute holds a webinar at 9:00 a.m. focused on utility cybersecurity in the time of COVID-19. Cyber security executives from America’s leading utilities discuss COVID-19 related threats and actions they are taking to protect America’s electric grid. Speakers include US AID’s Brock Bierman, EEI’s Scott Aaronson and David Balz, Avangrid’s and Peter Grandgeorge of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, among others

Webinar to Look at Energy Shocks –Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies hosts an on-line event exploring historical cases of energy shocks, from the 1973 oil crisis to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, to understand how governments respond and when they are likely to succeed in mitigating the crisis. Drawing on these lessons, Speaker Michael Aklin will discuss the long-term impacts of the coronavirus response and strategies for a more sustainable and resilient future.

WRI Webinar Looks at 1.5 Target – The World Resources Institute holds a webinar tomorrow at Noon on limiting temperature rise to 1.5 Degrees and the roles for investors, companies and policymakers. In this session, participants will explore how major asset owners decided to commit to net-zero portfolios, compare corporate strategies to set and meet ambitious carbon reduction goals and evaluate the critical role of policymakers in enabling deep carbon emissions reductions.

Webinar to Look at Climate Justice, COVID – Grist hosts a webinar tomorrow at Noon looking at COVID-19, Climate Justice and Communities of Color. Grist senior writer Yvette Cabrera moderates a panel with our friend Talia Buford of ProPublica among the speakers.  

Webinar to Look at Corporate Risk of Climate – CERES hosts a webinar tomorrow at Noon on systemic risks if global temperatures rise above 1.5℃, investors, companies and policymakers have begun making commitments to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  In this session, participants will explore how major asset owners decided to commit to net-zero portfolios, compare corporate strategies to set and meet ambitious carbon reduction goals and evaluate the critical role of policymakers in enabling deep carbon emissions reductions.  Speakers include WRI’s Cynthia Cummis, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Jeff Hanratty of General Mills. 

Bracewell to Host Environment Seminar – Bracewell hosts a virtual environmental webinars on Tuesdays in May.  The first is tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. and features EPA Region 6 Administrator Ken McQueen.  Other topics include May 12: PFAs and Energy Tax Outlook, May 19: Dealing with Project Opposition, May 26: Water, Air, NEPA Rulemaking.

Webcast to Look at State Solar Plans – The Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) hosts a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. featuring panelists that will discuss states’ pollinator-friendly solar initiatives. Georgena Terry will provide an overview of a recent CESA report on this topic; Rob Davis, the Director of the Center for Pollinators in Energy at Fresh Energy, will present on his organization’s efforts to promote pollinator-friendly solar; and Rene Hypes, Benjamin Inskeep, and Dan Shaw will share information about specific state programs in this area.

House Resources Dems to Attack Fossil Fuel Help in COVID – The House Natural Resources Democrats hold a virtual roundtable discussion tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on the Administration's assistance for fossil fuel companies during the COVID pandemic.  With a hand-picked panel and Only Democrats participating, I suspect this will be totally fair.  Maybe that is why ranking member Rob Bishop raised the issue in a complaint over concerns the events "indicate an attempt to substitute official Committee business seemingly mimicking hearings to include inviting executive branch witnesses while not inviting Republican participation." 

AWEA, DOE Host Wind Webinar – Tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office hold an informational webinar highlighting key U.S. government investments and partnerships with the wind industry in driving wind energy research and innovation.  The decades-long partnership between DOE, its National Laboratories, and the wind industry underlie many of the technical advancements in scale, efficiency, reduced costs, and public acceptance that have led to the dramatic expansion of wind energy in the United States. This growth, which now positions wind as the #1 source of renewable electric power, has spurred economic and environmental benefits across all 50 states.

Web Event to Look at EV Integration – The Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy will host an on-line forum tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. electric vehicles and their potential to integrate with renewable energy. This webinar panel will focus on the current state of the electric vehicle market, including programs and policy tools to encourage EV drivers at times that are optimal for the grid. The webinar will share the perspective of charging network providers, automakers, utilities, and utility regulators.  Our friend Carrie Sisto of the Cal PUC joins the speakers with Ford’s Julie Mitchell and Erika Myers of Transportation Electrification. 

Web Forum to Look at TX Energy Policy – Tomorrow at 7:00 p.m., R Street holds a virtual conversation about energy policy in Texas, including a live Q&A. Josiah Neeley advises the R Street Institute’s Energy team, which works to advance a well-defined and limited role for government in shaping decisions about infrastructure, wholesale and retail electricity, research and development, fuel choice and diversity, and climate adaptation and mitigation. He also leads the institute’s work on legislation and issues affecting Texas.

Senate Environment to Look at water Infrastructure – The Senate Environment Committee will hold a business meeting on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on water infrastructure legislation. 

USEA to Preview Fall CCS Roadshow – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., the US Energy Assn holds a webinar through ZOOM to preview its five full-day CCUS roadshows scheduled for New Orleans, Houston, Sacramento, Chicago and New York later this year. This one-hour webinar will provide an update on how the dramatic changes in oil demand are affecting demand for CO2 and the future outlook CCUS projects. Each speaker will give their perspectives on the status of and prospects for CCUS, then the moderator will have a series of questions for the speakers to engage in a discussion. Speakers include former DOE official Charles McConnell now UH’s Carbon Management Executive Director. 

Conservatives Talk Climate at Ceres Webinar – Ceres hosts a webinar on Wednesday at Noon featuring Conservative voices discussing efforts to pass climate legislation and our political systems effectively require bipartisan cooperation to enact major policies.  In this session, participants will discuss the conservative case for clean energy and climate action, build a better understanding of the universe of conservative efforts on climate and clean energy policy advocacy and explore specific examples of conservative policy engagement.  Conservatives for Clean Energy Mark Fleming, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions head Heather Reams and Corey Schrodt, Legislative Director for Rep. Francis Rooney (FL-19) will speak. 

Emirates Nuclear Head to Discuss Projects – On Wednesday at Noon, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a virtual fireside chat with H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation. Al Hammadi, will discuss the progress being made at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the importance of a reliable and secure electricity system during a crisis.

Web Forum to Look at Climate, COVID Rebuild – The Assn of Climate Change Officers hold a web forum on Wednesday at noon featuring a discussions climate challenges in times of crisis like COVID-19. Climate Voice executive director Bill Weihl discusses reinvestment, rebuilding and shareholder value. 

Web Event to Look at 2020 Climate Strategy – Dynamo Energy Hub hosts a virtual fireside chat on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. with Leslie Hodge, Associate, Baker Botts and Melanie Nakagawa, Director of Climate Strategy, Princeville Capital.  2020 was always going to be critical for climate change in the United States, but now, as the focus is on managing and recovering from the coronavirus outbreak, the political will and financing needed to address the climate crisis may be at risk. Leslie and Melanie will discuss the opportunities and challenges that face the industry and ask what we have learned from previous stimulus measures that aimed to drive investments in renewable and climate friendly technologies.

Clark to Discuss Cyber Security – OurEnergyPolicy holds a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. featuring former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and Founder of Renew America Together General Wesley K. Clark.  Clark will discuss protecting our critical energy infrastructure from terrorism and cyber-attacks.

Webinar to Discuss COVID impacts – On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., our friend Jeanette Pablo, Energy Futures Initiative General Counsel, will join Asian Americans in Energy, the Environment, and Commerce for a webinar briefing on The Impacts of COVID-19 on the Energy Ecosystem. The current COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a heightened degree of uncertainty in the institutions that make up our country’s energy production and delivery system. Simultaneously, this broad impact is being felt upstream and downstream in energy economies throughout the world. An ill-timed global oil market price collapse has compounded this dramatic impact, aggravating the sense of unpredictability. Speakers will explore how this global pandemic will potentially impede recovery of oil markets, prompt behavioral changes associated with energy use, and dampen energy demand owing to the steep contraction of economic activity. They will also explore how electric utilities and their customers will grapple with questions regarding the goals of affordability, efficiency, and sustainability while addressing matters of vital public health under a “new normal”.

SAFE To Discuss COVID Recovery for Transportation – Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) hosts Zoom call on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. to unveil its Get America Moving Again, a program to recover from COVID-19.  Alongside its tragic human cost, COVID-19 has illuminated the vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain, highlighted the fragilities in our economy and demonstrated the need for policies that build a robust economic future through leadership in tomorrow’s transportation technologies—from electric and autonomous vehicles to 5G and a smarter grid.  Get America Moving Again is a multi-billion dollar initiative that would direct stimulus money to create the jobs of the future and compete with China for leadership in these industries, through a diverse set of policies that rescue, recover, stimulate and prepare the United States for this post-pandemic future. SAFE Military/National Security experts Dennis Blair, Former Director of National Intelligence and Adam Goldstein, Chairman of Cruise Lines International Association.

CA Conferences Set – EVENT TO BE RESCHEDULED TBD – The 8th Annual California Energy Summit is being held on May 6th to 8th in the LA Grand Hotel Downtown.  It will feature top regulatory officials, utility and public power leaders, and developers to discuss the state-wide implications of wildfire mitigation measures, incentives that can drive deployment of self-generation and storage to enhance resilience, near-term resource adequacy and long-term SB100 procurement needs of CCAs, public power and IOUs and the expansion of interstate energy trading and transmission buildout needs. 

Forum to Look at Low Carbon Gases – The Atlantic Council hosts a web forum on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. on low-carbon gases with ENGIE’s chief science and technology officer Michael E. Webber. Webber will discuss the new technologies necessary to optimize the production and utilization of low carbon gases across the global energy system and will detail how RNG and green hydrogen will transform the energy system and what must be done to expedite deployment. He will also explain how green gases can supplement intermittent renewable energy sources and facilitate the energy transition at the regional level by developing local resources and creating local jobs.

Forum to Look at EE, Demand Responses – The Peak Load Management Alliance Program hosts a webinar on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. on utility program on energy efficiency and demand response.  The program will focus on cost-effectiveness of testing practices and E4TheFuture’s partnership with DOE to offer guidance on how cost effectiveness testing can include the impacts of flexible load management, to include demand response and distributed energy resources.   Julie Michals will offer insights from The National Standard Practice Manual (NSPM), published in 2017 with a focus on cost-effectiveness assessment of energy efficiency, and which is actively being expanded to address a range of DERs including Demand Response. She will also share experience with the state use of the NSPM to date, and early learnings from the draft NSPM for DERs, a project co-funded by US DOE and forthcoming in summer 2020.

DOE to Look at Community Solar Partnerships – DOE holds a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. to provide an overview of technical assistance (TA) available to partners in its National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP). On this webinar, experts from DOE, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the National Renewable Energy Lab will provide an overview of the various TA support available to partners of the NCSP, will discuss the TA application process, will describe examples of prior TA engagements and their outcomes, and will take questions from webinar participants. We hope you can join us! Register for the webinar here. The goal of DOE’s NCSP is to expand access to affordable community solar to every American household by 2025. We plan to accomplish this goal through a network infrastructure, technical assistance, and collaboration. Through this partnership we will work to equip partners with the tools and information you need to design and implement successful community solar models.

State Look at Climate Challenges – Ceres hosts a webinar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. looking at State climate innovations and collaborations.  Speakers include VA DEQ’s Chris Bast, Julie Cerquiera of US Climate Alliances, CO Gov Jared Polis’ Energy advisor Zach Pierce and Mass DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg, Chairman of RGGI.

IN THE FUTURE

CERES Looks at Power Industry, Oil/Gas – CERES hosts two webinars both at Noon this week looking at industry decarbonization.  On Tuesday May 12th, they will discuss the electric power industry and its transition to cleaner power.  On Thursday, the webinar will look at decarbonizing the oil industry.  Both panels are a little light on real experts though as only Exelon is on the power industry panelist and there are no oil companies or gas industry groups featured on Thursday’s webinar.

Report to Look at Energy Tech Commercialization Efforts – Next Wednesday at Noon, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) holds a webinar for the presentation of a new report setting forth a vision and design for non-profit Energy Technology Commercialization Foundation (ETCF) by ITIF senior fellows Jetta Wong and David Hart. The report draws on more than 140 interviews and two full-day stakeholder workshops as well as extensive documentary research.  ETCF, authorized by Congress to work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy would help fill this gap. Building on precedents set by the diverse array of agency-related foundations that Congress has authorized since 1967, ETCF would foster collaboration between innovators inside and outside DOE as they pursue globally-scalable solutions to clean energy challenges.

Energy to Host Wind Integration Forum – DOE hosts a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. featuring an international panel of wind energy science and technology leaders for a webinar on the challenges, opportunities, and interdisciplinary collaboration necessary to drive the innovation needed for continued wind energy expansion.  A group of researchers and scientists from around the world documented the remaining grand challenges in wind energy research, highlighting the need to better understand atmospheric physics where taller turbines will operate, the materials and manufacturing constraints associated with the scale-up, and the systems approach needed for plant optimization and grid integration.  Speakers include NREL’s Paul Veers, DOE WET office director Robert Marlay, Charlie Smith of the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group, GE Renewable Energy’s Danielle Merfeld, and Julie Lundquist, University of Colorado’s Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

Aspen to Look at India Policy Sector – The Aspen Institute hosts a Virtual forum on that features a conversation on the role of innovation in India’s energy transition with Varun Sivaram, fellow at Columbia University and former CTO of ReNew Power. Sivaram has spent the past several years working in India at the country’s largest renewable energy company and will share his perspective on why India represents the world's most critical energy transition and how clean energy innovation--in India and in the United States--can help the country slash its carbon emissions. Through his extensive experience in the corporate, academic, and public sectors, he provides a unique multidisciplinary lens for the path forward on clean energy.

AEE Holds Eastern Policy Conference – Advanced Energy Economy holds its second annual Eastern Regional policy conference in Annapolis on May 21st.  The event features business leaders and policymakers exploring legislative and regulatory paths to scaling advanced energy markets in electricity and transportation, in states and nationally.  Speakers will include Alison Cassady of the House Select Climate Committee, PJM’s Susan Riley and Michigan PSC Chair Sally Talberg. 

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

DC Oil/Gas Forum Set – The 6th Washington Oil & Gas Forum 2020 is set for June 10th and 11th 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.