Energy Update: Week of November 16

Friends,

Dustin Johnson ran away with the green jacket at the 2020 Masters, mixing power and consistency in a dominant performance fitting of the world’s #1-ranked player. Johnson finished at 20-under par, breaking the Masters scoring record and tying the major championship record. And even the greatest players showed a human side when defending champ Tiger Woods did what all of us have done before, carding a “10” on the par-3 155-yard 12^th hole at Amen Corner.  Woods put three balls into Rae’s Creek.  In last year's Masters, it was his rivals Francesco Molinari, Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter and Tony Finau who all found the water in front of the green helping secure his victory.

The Biden Transition is picking up stream, especially on energy and environment issues with the transition teams and the Climate21 Project efforts.  And Amy Harder has a good hot take in her column this week on Biden’s climate approach and how quickly it may come together. 

We expect votes this week in the Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday to approve FERC Commissioners Allison Clements and Mark Christie, while tomorrow the House Resources Committee holds a hearing on ocean pollution issues related to climate change. Speaking of Congressional action for next year, the German Embassy and the Energy Innovation Reform Project are holding a briefing on energy and climate bipartisanship in the next Congress on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. with Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) Chief of Staff Mike Hamilton and Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) Deputy Chief of Staff Chris Huckleberry.  Please let me know if you want to attend. 

In webinar world, the MIT Energy Initiative will host a conversation with Daniel Yergin tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.  Tomorrow and Wednesday, ACORE holds a virtual Grid Forum while the Global CCS Institute and USEA hold a forum to explore opportunities to deploy CCUS projects in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast featuring Gulf Coast Sequestration official Ben Heard (who recently applied for an EPA permit for what could be the largest ever US project).  On Wednesday, FP and ClearPath are hosting a conversation about driving innovation in the U.S. clean energy market at 11:00 a.m. featuring US Senator Kevin Cramer while Plug In America and the Electrification Coalition hold a webinar at 3:00 p.m. on the post-election outlook for transportation electrification.  On Thursday, RFF will host an event to explore the Paris Agreement and the future of US leadership in climate policymaking.  Finally Friday, Washington Post Live holds a webinar at 11:00 a.m. on ending energy poverty as part of the Future Reset series featuring former Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz and UN Under Secretary- General Vera Songwe.

Finally, I talk a lot about my kids sports and our officiating, but today I want to offer kudos to my brother Art Maisano in Michigan who took over as interim coach (given the COVID uncertainty) of 3-8 football team from last year where he teaches, Madison Heights Lamphere, and reeled off eight straight victories and ran the school to the regional finals before being ousted last Friday by powerhouse Detroit Country Day, 20-10.  It was a great season and he deserves props for pulling everybody together and creating a culture of success for those kids. 

Finally, next week is Thanksgiving so won’t have an update unless something urgent happens.  Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy over Thanksgiving with your family.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“I don’t think we want the biggest climate battles to happen in the next six to 18 months. We're more likely to be successful once we are through the trauma and fear of the public health and economic crises.”

Jason Grumet, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist think tank.

ON THE PODCAST

Talking Climate, Energy with Press Pool’s Julie Mason – Last Wednesday, I visited with Sirius XM Press Pool’s Julie Mason.  We quickly highlighted a number of key issues facing the Biden Climate transition and what may be first on the agenda.  Julie and I also discussed the potential areas for partnership with Republicans.  

FUN OPINIONS

WSJ op-ed on California: Love it AND Leave It – Venture Capitalist Joe Lonsdale writes in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal that bad policy has made California unlivable, so he moved his family and venture-capital firm to Texas.  Lonsdale says as a Fremont-native, Stanford grad and San Francisco resident for most of his adult life says he loved California, but had to move because “the harsh truth is that California has fallen into disrepair. Bad policies discourage business and innovation, stifle opportunity and make life in major cities ugly and unpleasant.”  Lonsdale highlights public safety, electricity issues, responsiveness to business concerns, affordable housing and intolerant politics as reasons for his move.  “In 2000 or 2010, it made sense to build in San Francisco. That’s where all the talent was, but not anymore. Except for a few concentrated parts of advanced biotech and software infrastructure technology, talented people are building top technology firms all over the country. This disaggregation of talent will spread prosperity across the U.S. Some of my most prolific entrepreneurial friends from California have moved with us here to Texas. Others have left for Miami, Nashville, Las Vegas and other great American cities.”

FROG BLOG

Roberts: Geothermal; Can Make a Difference – Geothermal energy has major potential for not just carbon-free electricity but also for heating buildings if done cost effectively, writes David Roberts of Vox. Roberts says there is plenty of room for innovation around geothermal heat — in technology, but especially in policy and financing. But the US will need to get serious about the investments, policies, and regulations necessary to scale it up to the necessary size.  (This is a topic Bracewell has promoted for years with the Geothermal Exchange Council.)

HARDER: Biden climate agenda faces urgency, political limits – In her column today in Axios, Amy Harder says President-elect Joe Biden will face constraints of both politics and time when it comes to pursuing his aggressive climate-change agenda. Biden is poised to leverage every inch of the federal government to act on climate change, but he’s still unlikely to achieve his biggest goals without major new laws passed by Congress. While she adds major moves on a “Green New Deal” or carbon tax seems unlikely, Harder says “one relatively ambitious policy that some Washington insiders believe is possible is a clean energy standard for electricity, which would help achieve Biden’s 2035 carbon-free power goal,” pointing to a bipartisan version that already exists in the House from Reps. McKinley and Schrader.  Amy also adds that Republicans in both chambers have increasingly acknowledged the government should do something about climate change.  Finally, Harder says don’t hold your breath for now as a substantive debate on climate policy is unlikely to occur out of the gate given the twin health and economic crises.

IN THE NEWS

Utility Dive Survey Out – Utility Dive’s 2021 State of Electric Utility survey is now up and they are working to get as many survey participants as possible to get the best pulse on what's happening in the sector.  Please feel free to check it out here.  I will do a bigger write on this next week, but it is open now so fill it out.

Hydrogen is New Big Agenda Item – Law360 reports that hydrogen's potential for widespread use as a zero-carbon energy resource has led several BigLaw firms to launch practice groups focused on the still-nascent technology and the tough policy and financial concerns that accompany such projects. Bracewell experts were featured in the article including policy expert Christine Wyman, Tax expert Tim Urban and finance guru Alan Rafte.  Advocates tout the roles hydrogen could play in decarbonizing the economy and addressing climate change, such as powering fuel cells in vehicles, heating homes and office buildings, and harnessing increasing amounts of renewable energy to heat and power energy-intensive industrial facilities. "That cross-sector use of hydrogen is important," said Wyman, who works extensively on hydrogen issues. "It's a vector across different sectors." Urban said Hydrogen has been shoehorned into a format for different technologies.  "Instead of there being one, one-size-fits-all [credit] that would incentivize hydrogen development, hydrogen companies and tax lawyers have to sift through all of these niche incentives and figure out which [hydrogen] application fits." Goldberg reports 5 main question areas about hydrogen including blue/green hydrogen, tax incentives, carbon tax potential, current use of infrastructure and intellectual Property issues with new technologies.

Recent National Survey Unveils Strong Consumer Confidence in Business Cleanliness – The findings from a survey conducted for American Cleaning Institute (ACI) by Ipsos underscore shoppers’ confidence in not only the cleaning products and recommended protocols, but also their confidence in businesses to implement these protocols effectively within their workplace. The survey analyzed consumer perceptions of cleaning measures following an unprecedented decline in sales for many small businesses and retailers due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Ahead of the holiday shopping season, these survey results come at an important time for businesses and retailers as many consumers are deciding on doing their shopping in-store or online. To help business across the country navigate a successful re-opening, the American Cleaning Institute rolled out new resources through ACI’s Healthy Returns program. Adapted from public health recommendations, the free online toolkit provides guidance and checklists containing easy to understand reminders on hygiene and cleaning that are crucial to keeping the workplace healthy and safe.

MI Blocks Line 5 Easement – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer moved to revoke the 67-year-old easement that allows Enbridge to operate the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac.  Enbridge can still pursue an underground tunnel for the pipeline, though experts say shutting down Line 5 during a lengthy legal and permitting process could jeopardize the project. Enbridge says the notice and report from Michigan's Department of Natural Resources "are a distraction from the fundamental facts. Line 5 remains safe, as envisioned by the 1953 Easement, and as recently validated by our federal safety regulator."

Solar Foundation, IREC Merging – The nonprofit Solar Foundation said last week it is joining the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), merging two groups with a common vision for an increasingly clean-powered grid. IREC and the Solar Foundation both cited a similar vision for their merger, which will focus on amplifying their work where it overlaps, particularly in workforce development and training on local codes and standards for renewable installations.  The financial merger of the two groups is expected to be complete by June 2021, said IREC CEO Larry Sherwood, who will head the new organization. This move is the latest in a series of moves by renewable energy groups to unite.

Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday – Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) will recognize the fifth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday, November 18. Utility Scam Awareness Day is part of the week-long International Scam Awareness Week, an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers and exposing the tactics used by scammers. UUAS, a consortium of more than 145 U.S. and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utilities and their respective trade associations, continues to create customer awareness of common scams and new scam tactics being used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has succeeded in taking nearly 9,500 toll-free numbers used by scammers against utility customers out of operation. Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud or who feel threatened during contact with a scammer should contact their local utility company or law enforcement authorities. The Federal Trade Commission’s website also provides additional information about protecting personal information and other information regarding impostor scams. Visit www.utilitiesunited.org for more information and tips on how customers can protect themselves from impostor utility scams

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

Hydrogen Event Set – The Green Hydrogen Coalition, in collaboration with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB), is hosting its 2^nd annual Green Hydrogen Visions Conference tomorrow and Wednesday.  The event brings together policymakers, industry leaders, utilities, and non-governmental organizations to accelerate progress for green hydrogen market and infrastructure development in the Western United States and beyond.  Speakers will include DOE’s Dan Simmons and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Chamber Foundation Hosts Sustainability Awards – The US Chamber Foundation holds its 2020 Sustainability Awards in a virtual ceremony tomorrow to Thursday.  From advancing youth employment, to setting ambitious sustainability goals, to combating hunger in communities hit hard by the pandemic, this year's Citizens Awards finalists show how business-led solutions are expanding opportunity and driving progress in every aspect of society.

SE Renewables Forum Set –Tomorrow to Thursday, the 5^th annual Southeast Renewable Energy Summit will be held to investigate the future buildout of renewables in the Southeast.  Speakers include Dominion’s Katharine Bond, TVA’s Chris Hansen and Duke’s Laurel Meeks.

ACORE Holds Grid Forum – The American Council on Renewable Energy holds a virtual Grid Forum tomorrow and Wednesday to maximizing renewables integration through grid modernization. The 2020 ACORE Virtual Grid Forum will explore the business opportunities, policy and regulatory issues, and technology challenges associated with integrating increasingly high penetrations of renewable electricity on the grid. Uniting dealmakers, policymakers and systems experts, the Forum will advance efforts to build a modernized grid that values flexibility, reliability and resilience.

Forum to Look at Oserian Project – The U.S. Energy Association (USEA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) tomorrow holds its fourth installment of the Geothermal Industrial Park webinar series presented by the U.S. - East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP) looking at Oserian Two Lakes Geothermal Industrial Park Case Study.  In this webinar, Neil Hellings of Oserian will present a case study of Two Lakes Industrial Park, covering topics such as direct use geothermal, obstacles for establishing industrial parks, and solutions to create economically viable industrial parks.

MIT Forum Features Yergin – The MIT Energy Initiative will host a conversation with Daniel Yergin tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Yergin, the vice chairman of IHS Markit and Pulitzer Prize winner, will present a keynote and fireside chat on his new book The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations. In this keynote, Yergin will discuss the new map of energy and geopolitics, illuminating the great issues in our era of rising political turbulence and pointing to the profound challenges that lie ahead.

Forum Looks at IAEA Future – The Nuclear Threat Initiative holds a webinar tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. on new report the future of International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.  The new joint report, The Future of IAEA Safeguards: Rebuilding the Vienna Spirit through Russian-U.S. Expert Dialogue, is the result of this project. It offers important findings and recommendations for the safeguards community, diplomats, and the public to bolster cooperation in this space.

ACEEE Forum Tackles Appliance Standards – The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy holds a webinar tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on how Biden can cut carbon emissions with appliance standards. This briefing will present the findings of a major new report from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy that examines how much can be accomplished for the climate and for consumers' pocketbooks with appliance, equipment, and lighting standards adopted by DOE within the next four years.

House Resources Looks at Ocean Climate Issues – The House Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at Noon on ocean climate issues and solutions to climate change. Witnesses include former NOAA head Jane Lubchenco, Kelsey Leonard of the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean, UWashington’s Ray Hilborn and New England Aquarium Director of Ocean Policy Kelly Kryc.

Forum Look at Ports – The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) holds a forum tomorrow at Noon looking at U.S. ports, which are critical infrastructure for international trade and local economies, are vulnerable to sea level rise, erosion, storm surge, and flooding exacerbated by climate change. This briefing will feature two port systems that are leading the way to adapt to climate impacts while reducing port greenhouse gas emissions. Joshua Berger, Governor Inslee’s Maritime Sector Lead and the chair and founder of Washington Maritime Blue, will discuss Washington State’s collaborative effort to build a sustainable blue economy. The Maryland Port Administration's Jill Lemke and Kristen Keene will discuss specific adaptation and resilience projects at the Port of Baltimore—including projects that have already been tested by extreme weather impacts.

Forum Looks at Climate Resilience – The Atlantic Council holds a forum tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding with resilience. During this event, speakers will focus on the need to carry out ambitious actions on building resilience and identify what can be done to set up a decade of action. This high level event will bring together the outcomes of the Regional Resilience Dialogues and Race to Zero resilience-focused dialogues and highlight how to advance the action of non-state actors and initiatives to deliver outcomes at COP26 and beyond.

Forum to Look at CCS in SW Louisiana – Tomorrow at 1:00 pm through Wednesday, the Global CCS Institute and USEA, with the support of the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, holds a forum to explore opportunities to deploy CCUS projects in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.  Among the speakers will be Gulf Coast Sequestration’s Ben Heard (who recently filed for an EPA permit) and many others speak.

WRI Talks to Mayors – The World Resources Institute and Climate Mayors hold a webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on climate mayors national dialogue on a green and equitable recovery. Participants include Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh; New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell; Dan Lashof, Director of World Resources Institute for the United States; and other climate leaders will join moderator Justin Worland, TIME Magazine’s energy and environment reporter, to discuss how a federal government committed to enacting climate-forward policies can work in tandem with cities across the country to amplify and accelerate existing efforts.

Forum Looks at Insurance – Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) hold a dynamic conversation tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. featuring some of industry’s front-line leaders to discuss emerging insurance products, the Natural Catastrophe insurance market & the need for a smarter and more innovative approach among all stake-holders to adequately protect our projects, while enabling a faster & more profitable renewable energy transition.  

Forum Targets Climate Engagement – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center is hosting a virtual event on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. that will identify avenues for renewed US climate cooperation in the lead up to COP26 and beyond. The event will feature an expert panel discussion with Claire Healy, director of E3G’s Climate Diplomacy, Risk and Security Program, Ana Unruh Cohen, staff director for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Katarina Kertysova, policy fellow at the European Leadership Network, and Alden Meyer, US country lead for the International Climate and Politics Hub.

Forum to Address Energy Sector Cyber Threats – The US Energy Assn holds a forum on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on energy sector cyber security in a webinar that is part of series to educate utilities on cyber standards, trends, and best practices. An industry panel on Energy Sector Cyber Threats, Intrusion Detection & Testing will provide an opportunity for leading U.S. companies to share the latest information on their products and services, aimed to increase power utilities’ awareness and strengthen their preparedness for cyber threats.

Senate Energy to Move FERC Noms – The Senate Energy Committee will hold a business meeting on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to consider FERC nominees Allison Clements and Mark Christie.  Then at 2:30 p.m., the Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining will hold a legislative hearing featuring a number of bills including the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act.  See the full list here.

Forum Looks at Battery Manufacturing – On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation holds a transatlantic discussion of EV battery policy and how cooperation and competition might best be balanced for this “industry of the future” that’s already here.

Forum Target LNG Standards – On Wednesday at 10:00 p.m., USEA holds a deep-dive into API standards for the LNG Industry.  It will be part of the U.S.-Asia Gas Partnership (AGP). The webinar will review how standards play an integral role in attracting project investment, protecting workers and the environment, and reducing regulatory complexity for governments. API will first give a high-level overview of the potential market for liquefied natural gas in the Indo-Pacific region, touching on economic and emissions reductions benefits that generally result from fuel switching to natural gas. API will then provide a technical deep dive into six of its mostly widely used liquefied natural gas standards - standards that are directly relevant to the Indo-Pacific region’s burgeoning gas market.

EPIC hosts BP’s Dale on Energy Transition – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., The Energy Policy Institute at UChicago will host BP Chief Economist Spencer Dale for a conversation with The Atlantic’s Rob Meyer, EPIC’s visiting fellow in journalism. Dale will share highlights of BP’s Energy Outlook, including what a net zero world could look like.

RMI Expert Looks at Methane Emissions – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hosts Thomas Kirk, manager for oil & gas solutions, Rocky Mountain Institute. He will discuss how Climate Action Engine (CAE), an emissions data platform, enables operators, investors, regulators, and the public to take action towards reducing methane gas emissions.      

Event to Look at Clean Energy Innovation – Foreign Policy and ClearPath are hosting a conversation about driving innovation in the U.S. clean energy market to boost domestic economic growth and combat climate change on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. Speakers will include US Senator Kevin Cramer and Poland’s Secretary of State for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Naimski.

Forum to Look at Diversity in Energy Sector – The Washington DC Chapter of the Women’s Energy Network holds a virtual lunch and learn discussion on Allyship - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the energy sector on Wednesday at Noon.  During the one-hour event, Paula Glover leads a discussion of women of color’s experiences in the energy industry, what can be done to create a more inclusive environment and if there are policies either internally or externally we can support to move the ball forward. National Grid’s Tatiana Roc and California Resource Corporation’s Margita Thompson join Glover.

Forum Looks at CCS, California – Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy’s Carbon Management Research Initiative and Women in Energy program are hosting “Carbon Capture in California” on Wednesday at Noon. The panel will discuss the status of carbon removal technology world-wide and in California,  including how carbon removal technology fits into strategies to address climate change and bring global greenhouse gas emission to the equivalent of zero; how it can contribute to a more just energy transition, and how to assure safe and effective deployment of the technology. The panel will discuss recent analysis by Stanford University and the Energy Futures Initiative on carbon capture and storage, state and federal regulations, and technological advances in carbon dioxide use and removal, and efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the industrial sector.  Gov. Newsom’s policy advisor Kate Gordon keynotes.

Forum Looks at Aviation, Climate – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a forum on Wednesday at Noon invites as part of its briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series will cover ports, aviation, and public transit looking at commercial aviation and climate impact.  This briefing will examine two of these strategies—sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and aircraft technology improvements. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) will deliver opening remarks. Chris Tindal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) will address the potential of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels with life-cycle emissions substantially below conventional fossil-based jet fuel and the policy formula for scaling up the SAF industry. Barbara Esker of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program will describe NASA’s role in the development of new efficient engine and airframe technologies as well as gas-electric propulsion.

Forum to Look at EVs Growth – On Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., Plug In America and the Electrification Coalition hold a webinar on the post-election outlook for transportation electrification. The Hill’s Rachel Frazin moderates a panel featuring Plug In America’s Jay Friedland and Katherine Stainken, as well as Sue Gander, Andrew Linhardt and Ben Prochazka of the Electrification Coalition.

Forum Looks at State, Local Climate Action – The NewDEAL Forum's Climate Change Policy Group holds a briefing on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. looking at priorities for climate action in the new year and the outlook for progress from state and local leaders.

SEIA Look at Election 2020 – On Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. SEIA evaluates the Impact of the 2020 Election on the clean energy industry in a roundtable to looking at the consequences for the future of energy and climate policy in the United States. The SEIA roundtable will evaluate how the results of the 2020 election will impact the clean energy industry for the next four years and beyond.

Press Club Holds 4^th Estate Gala – On Wednesday, National Press Club’s Journalism Institute celebrates some of the important journalistic work done for 2020 with its Fourth Estate Awards Gala. During our first-ever virtual gala, they will CBS News president Susan Zirinsky as the 48^th recipient of the Fourth Estate Award. The ceremony will also recognize Philippino journalist Maria Ressa with the 2020 international John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award; freelance photographer Linda Tirado, who was badly injured while covering the Minneapolis protests after George Floyd’s death, with the 2020 domestic John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award; and Ed Yong, the staff writer at The Atlantic the 2020 Neil and Susan Sheehan award for investigative journalism for his work on the coronavirus.

Forum to Look at Battery Storage – Climatelinks and CEADIR holds a joint event on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. to explore findings and recommendations to help policy makers, regulators, utilities, and clean energy developers create a fair landscape for procuring utility-scale battery energy storage systems.

Groups to Focus on Climate Action – On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks Foundation, with input from Climate Action Tracker holds a launch event for  a major report to gain insights from experts on progress being made across six key sectors (power, buildings, industry, transport, forests and agriculture) -- and, even more importantly, what we need to achieve by 2030 and 2050 to get on track for a safer, climate-resilient future. This analysis is especially timely as the world prepares to take stock of what was accomplished since the Paris Agreement was adopted five years ago. 

Forum Looks at Ocean Plastic Issues – The Woodrow Wilson Center's China Environment Forum hold a webcast on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. on the global ocean plastic debris challenge. As part of CEF’s exploration of innovation and partnerships to address ocean plastic leakage, the speakers at this meeting will dive into the challenges of safely replacing or disposing of styrofoam.

Baker Forum Looks at Energy Transition – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Baker Institute for Public Policy holds a discussion with a distinguished panel of experts engaged in academia, technology development and heavy industry to discuss the strategies and solutions that can play a meaningful role in energy transitions. Featured Speakers include GTI’s Paula Gant, Sempra’s Brian Lloyd and Yoshihiro Shiraiwa of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America.

RFF to Look at Paris – Resources for the Future (RFF) will host an event on Thursday at Noon to explore the Paris Agreement and the future of US leadership in climate policymaking. Former lead US negotiator to the UNFCCC Jonathan Pershing and Kelly Sims Gallagher, former Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy will explore the steps that the United States may take to reposition the country as an international leader on climate action. They will also consider the commitments and policy actions the United States could take while factoring in the political, economic, and social obstacles that must be overcome.  The discussion will be moderated by our friend Coral Davenport, a New York Times climate and environment reporter. 

Forum Looks at Public Transit – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a briefing on Thursday at Noon as part of its series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. Public transit systems across the country have seen major declines in ridership due to COVID-19. In spite of this and other challenges brought on by the pandemic, many transit systems have not wavered on their climate and sustainability commitments. Speakers from two major transit systems will discuss the current state of their climate mitigation and adaptation work, and look ahead to share the economic, health, equity, and community benefits of investing in transit.

NARUC Looks at Offshore Wind Issues – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) will hold a webinar to look at offshore wind.  Announcements of new offshore wind developments and state strategies for growth seem to be increasing every week. This webinar will share a snapshot of the industry and highlight motivations and approaches for encouraging growth in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Speakers, including our friend Andrew Gohn of AWEA, will also discuss key utility regulatory barriers and potential drivers for offshore wind. 

Forum to Address Incinerators – The Woodrow Wilson Center's China Environment Forum holds a webinar Thursday at 4:00 p.m., with Neil Tangri, co-founder of the Global Alliance of Incinerator Alternatives, to discuss waste and pollution solutions, as part of the Green Tea Chat series.

Fed Banks Hold Energy Conference – The Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas and Kansas City will host their fifth joint energy conference on Friday virtually. Leading energy experts will join Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan and Kansas City Fed President Esther George in conversation about the state of the energy sector, the outlook for global oil and gas markets, opportunities and risks of the global energy transition, challenges in energy finance, and the changing U.S. energy landscape.  API’s Dan Forman and Rapidan’s Bob McNally are among the speakers.

Forum Slated to Look at Carbon Trade Issues – On Friday at 8:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hosts a conversation with leading experts to discuss alternatives for international policy cooperation that amply reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing the transatlantic trade relationship. A distinguished panel will examine policy harmonization alternatives to competing carbon border adjustment mechanisms. The event features Matthew Porterfield, deputy director of Georgetown University Law School’s Harrison Institute for Public Law, David Kleimann, visiting research fellow in Georgetown University Law School’s Institute of International Economic Law, and Nora Loehle, program director of the Energy and Environment Program for the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Forum to Focus on Clean Energy, Veterans – Also on Friday at the Atlantic Council at 10:00 a.m., the Global Energy Center holds a public conversation with veteran clean energy leaders. The distinguished panel members will share their insights on career paths from the military to the energy industry, the importance of the national security-advanced energy nexus, and the role of veterans in the energy transition.

Forum Checks Infrastructure – The Center for Global Development holds a webinar on Friday at 9:00 a.m. on infrastructure regulation looking at better services for more people. This event assesses the regulatory quality for preparation, procurement, and management of large infrastructure projects through both PPPs and traditional public investment – looking at PPP regulatory frameworks in 140 economies and including a pilot assessment of 40 economies for traditional public investment in infrastructure.

Forum to Look at Climate, Cities – The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program, in partnership with Blueprint, holds the first in a series of roundtables about the future of cities on Friday at Noon. The event will look at cities and how climate change might impact how cities are planned and operate and ultimately, how might the shape of our cities change to center around people and neighborhoods.

WaPo Live Looks at Energy Poverty Issues – The Washington Post Live holds a webinar Friday at 11:00 a.m. on ending energy poverty as part of the Future Reset series. The program featuring former Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz and UN Under Secretary- General Vera Songwe will consider the scope of the problem and current solutions underway: from the most pressing concerns around access to power in sub-Saharan Africa to the issue of affordability and the creation of green jobs in the United States.

Forum Looks at Future of Cities – The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program, in partnership with Blueprint, holds a forum on Friday at Noon which the first in a series of roundtables about the future of cities. The event features a conversation featuring Professor Carlos Moreno of the Sorbonne, renowned urbanist and author Richard Florida, former New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and REEF Technology’s Global Head of Public Policy, Padden Murphy for a discussion moderated by The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson.

IN THE FUTURE

USEA Looks at CCS Commercialization – The U.S. Energy Association is hosting a roundtable on commercializing CCUS across North America, Europe, and Central Asia next Monday, November 23^rd at 9:00 a.m.  Expert Panelists will examine the potential of CCS technologies, discuss ways to overcome policy and regulatory barriers and identify financing mechanisms to allow full commercialization of these technologies across regions.

Forum to Detail Green Hydrogen – The Center on Global Energy Policy and Columbia University's Santiago Global Center will host a panel of experts on Monday November 23^rd at Noon for a discussion on demystifying green hydrogen.  Green Hydrogen is made using electricity from renewable energy to electrolyze water, separating the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It's a clean alternative to fossil fuels that, unlike traditional renewables like solar and wind energy, can be stored and used at any time of day, in any weather condition. Panelists include Chilean Energy Minister Juan Carlos Jobet, former DOE official Julio Friedmann at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA and Air Products and Chemicals’ Eric Guter. 

Thanksgiving – Thursday November 26^th

NYT Forum Looks at Financial Systems – The New York Times Climate Hub hosts a forum on December 1^st at 1:30 p.m. to look at transforming the financial system for a zero-carbon future.

NARUC Looks at Corporate Renewables – On Thursday December 3^rd at 3:00 p.m., the National Assn of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) will hold a webinar to look at trends in corporate renewables procurement.

Infocast Hosts Mid-Atlantic Renewables Forum – The Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Virtual Conference will be held on December 8^th to 10^th by Infocast and will feature current insights from top regulatory officials, utility and public power leaders, and developers in the region.

Grid CONNECT Conference Set – The gridCONNECT Conference 2020 will be held on December 8^th through 10^th to explore and unleash market innovations enabling the transition to a modern 21st century grid. The event will feature former ARPA-E head and Biden Energy transition head Arun Majumdar, Houston Mayor Syl Turner, Jon Hofmeister and many others.