Energy Update: Week of November 18

Friends,

Wow… My son Adam ripped through Richmond on Saturday morning, running the VCUHealth Richmond Marathon in 2:46:06 in his first marathon, which qualifies him for Boston, NY and Chicago.  We suspect he will try for the Marine Corps in October 2020 and Boston in April 2021.  Huge kudos to him for putting in the time and effort to make it happen.  I missed it unfortunately because I was busy umpiring NCAA DIII field hockey playoffs on Saturday and Sunday at Johns Hopkins.  Busy times and lots of driving for us…  Finally, it was announced today that Hannah will be playing in the NCAA Senior All-Star Field Hockey game at the NCAA championships on Saturday, so we will be on the road again! (Yes, saves me from having to clean the basement for another week)

Here we go…One week of Congressional action left before Thanksgiving, and the schedule is packed – beyond the impeachment saga that is filling the news.  Budget issues look to be resolved until December 20, so focus now moves to energy, climate and tax extenders.  Tax extenders are getting a lot of attention with a pair of new reports (here and here) that highlight the significant risk the biodiesel industry faces unless the blenders tax credit is renewed.  To that end, Cap Alpha Energy analyst Jim Lucier has a new market analysis that discusses the challenges facing the industry that includes biofuels producers, co-ops and many refiners who are often at odds (but not here).  Congress is going to have to take action quickly to stop the bottom from falling out of the biodiesel market since the credit expired at the end of 2017 and is going on two years overdue.

The action starts tomorrow when the House Energy Committee moves 18 bills, Senate Energy moves nominations for DOE’s Dan Brouliette, FERC’s James Danley and Interior’s Katharine MacGregor, and Senate Environment looks at water quality legislation, while House Resources marks up bills on Wednesday. 

Several other important hearings this week include tomorrow’s afternoon House Oversight hearing on PFAS featuring actor Mark Ruffalo, as well as Wednesday hearings in House Energy approps on DOE and Climate (featuring our friend Rich Powell of ClearPath and former DOE Sect Moniz), House Energy on impacted frontline communities, House Select Climate looking at climate resilience and costs, House Armed Services on Climate and strategic competitiveness and finally, House Science on US weather modeling and predictions.

The House Select Climate Committee has Friday as its deadline for Stakeholders to submit information and recommendations to the Committee as it drafts recommendations…  Get your home work in!!!

Finally, look at this cool package on biznews site/channel Cheddar looking at the new MIT Carbin App that tracks the road's quality while you drive –will eventually offer GPS navigation that points the way to not simply fastest route, but also options for the smoothest, cheapest and, most of all, greenest way to get there.

That’s all for today, call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

"Most of the time people think that fuel consumption comes from how big the vehicle is, the type of engine that you have, and the way you drive. And it's true, the majority comes from that. But a lot of it also comes from road quality, from something that drivers don't even think about: Once you're on the road, you just take the road that's fastest. If we are able to identify roads where you have lower fuel consumption, we're going to be able to reduce carbon emissions."

MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub PhD student and Carbin app development team leader Jacob Roxon

“The biodiesel industry faces a brutal winter quarter, which makes the disconnect between tax policy and trade policy all the more striking.”

Energy Analyst Jim Lucier in a paper saying the biodiesel industry is potentially facing a mass extinction unless the biodiesel blenders tax credit is renewed.

ON THE PODCAST

UVA Politics Expert on Bracewell Podcast – On the latest episode of Bracewell’s The Lobby Shop podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play Music.  This week, the team caught up with J. Miles Coleman, the Associate Editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a comprehensive, nonpartisan political analysis and handicapping newsletter run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Miles chats with us about last week's Virginia election results and what they mean for the impending ramp up of the presidential election.

FUN OPINIONS

HARDER: Hottest Climate Battle is in Court – A new column in Axios by our friend Amy Harder says forget the campaign trail and Congressional debate on climate change, the real debate is happening in court.  Harder says with federal policy gridlocked, advocates are pushing an ever-growing list of long-shot lawsuits blaming big oil companies and the government for the planet’s changing climate.

FROG BLOG

CHEDDAR: MIT GPS Phone App Crowdsourcing Road-Quality Info Key For Improvements – Business network Cheddar interviewed MIT's Concrete Sustainability Hub PhD student and Carbin app developer Jacob Roxon on Friday to discuss the new work his team Is doing to develop an app that tracks the road's quality while you drive – and, one day, offer GPS navigation that points the way to not simply fastest route, but also options for the smoothest, cheapest and, most of all, greenest way to get there. The Carbin app (see: http://fixmyroad.us/) officially went live in February, the product of students and faculty at MIT, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the American University of Beirut, and Birzeit University in the West Bank. With data from the run-up to the launch and the months since, it's racked up more than 160,000 miles in road trips around the world, many of them around Boston. It boasts about 400-500 active users, who have submitted 3,000 recorded trips. The road from novelty to full-on success, though, still stretches a ways further: Carbin's developers estimate that they'll need to log one million miles and recruit roughly 5% of a region's drivers to consistently use the app for Carbin to start monitoring – and begin making predictions – about a road network, its traffic density, and even each user's own vehicle.

IN THE NEWS

New Analyst Report: Biodiesel Disaster Impending Unless Tax Credit Renewed – CapAlpha analyst Jim Lucier released a flash report on Friday that says a biodiesel is potentially facing a mass extinction unless the biodiesel blenders tax credit is renewed.  Already, 200 million gallons per year of capacity representing the equivalent of 20 median-sized plants (out of a total universe of 122 plants) is idle because of policy uncertainty. Also, ten plants have closed this year, and total production is down 8%, according to NBB. The combined cost of a gallon of conventional diesel was $2.65, while biodiesel production cost was $2.86. This makes biodiesel unable to compete for volume in the open market. Add this to the widely held view that biodiesel is not profitable to make without the tax credit even in the largest and most efficient plants, and one sees a true industry crisis impacting the smaller, standalone plants most seriously. It gets even worse when one considers the cold-weather properties of biodiesel. Because of viscosity, no one produces much biodiesel during the coldest months of winter, which are coming up. Reduced production as needed to fulfill the RFS mandate means not only less profitability but less cashflow for firms with weak to non-existent balance sheets.

New Report Highlights More Biodiesel Woes Unless Credit Renewed – As you know, we recently featured a new report where most of the biofuels industry and refiners will agree:  renewing the Biodiesel Blenders Tax Credit (BTC) is vital to rural America, GDP and farm revenue.  Now, there is additional urgency as another new report shows reinstatement and retroactivity of the BTC is a significant disincentive for the biodiesel industry (blenders and producers) and has constrained industry expansion. Absence of a tax credit and uncertainty is one major reason the industry is operating at only 70% of industry production capacity. The uncertainty is also potentially forcing some producers to shut down production.  These reports underscore another one of the REAL issues facing farmers, rural America and biodiesel production. Trade challenges, weather problems, ethanol overproduction and BTC are real challenges with real impacts, not small refinery exemptions which have had virtually no real impact on biofuel demand and blending.

HF getting in to Biodiesel Game – HollyFrontier said today it will build a biodiesel plant in New Mexico.  HollyFrontier plans to build the plant at its Artesia refinery to process soybean oil and other feedstocks into biodiesel, with production capacity of about 125 million gallons a year.  The $350M project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. 

Chamber, NAM Urge Support for HFC Legislation – A letter from Chamber and NAM officials to Sens. Kennedy and Carper encourage them to push forward with S.2754, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2019, to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).  There is broad support for such a measure across the business and environmental communities and bipartisan support in Congress.  Affordable replacements for HFCs already exist or are close to market.  The approach outlined would ensure that U.S. manufacturers remain the world leaders and that our foreign competitors would be subject to the same rules we are as we transition out of HFCs.

Navajo Generating Station Permanently Shuts Down – Operation of one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the Southwest officially ended today when Salt River Project (SRP), permanently shut down all three units of the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) located on the Navajo Nation just east of Page, AZ.  The plant went permanently offline at 12:09 p.m. after Shift Supervisor Fred Larson, a 41-year NGS employee, opened the Unit 2 breakers.  In 2017, the owners of NGS determined that it would be uneconomical to continue operating the 2,250-megawatt plant after its current lease with the Navajo Nation expires in December of this year. The owners of NGS include SRP, Arizona Public Service Co., NV Energy and Tucson Electric Power. In addition, the United States is a participant in NGS.

IEA World Energy Outlook Released – Two interesting things from the IEA’s World Energy Outlook last week:  1) Emissions Falling Short – Even under nations' announced policy ambitions, energy demand is projected to rise by roughly 1% annually until 2040 (the end of the modeled period).  Under that pathway, emissions growth slows but does not peak, instead rising roughly 100 million tons annually from 2018 and 2040. That will not meet the Paris goals, a benchmark for avoiding some of the most damaging climatic changes. 2) Oil Demand – Global oil demand will reach its peak in the mid-2020s and plateau around 2030.  Until about 2025, global oil demand will expand by about 1 percent annually, exceeding 100 million bpd and reaching 105.4 million bpd. After that growth will shrink substantially and demand will reach a plateau at less than 110 million bpd—106.4 million bpd. IEA said the demand slide will shrink oil supply and lead to an increase in prices, perhaps as high as $90 a barrel in 2030 and $103 a barrel in 2040.

Former TX Utility Exec Named Head of PJM – PJM Interconnection, the power grid operator for 13 mid-Atlantic and Rust Belt states, has named Manu Asthana as its new CEO.  Asthana previously served as an executive for Direct Energy, a Texas-based power and natural gas provider, and earlier worked in grid operations and energy trading at TXU Energy, a Texas power provider, according to PJM's announcement.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

NARUC Meetings Set – The 2019 NARUC Annual Meeting and Education Conference will convene state and national utility regulators, federal and state policymakers, industry representatives, consumer advocates, informed experts, and other engaged stakeholders today through Wednesday in San Antonio next week at the Grand Hyatt. During the four-day conference, general and parallel session panel discussions will cover a range of issues across the energy, telecommunications, water, and cybersecurity sectors.  Speakers include NRG’s Travis Kavulla, AGA’s Karen Harbert, WSJ’s Russell Gold, NEI’s Maria Korsnic, SEIA’s Katherine Gensler, AWEA’s Susan Sloan and many more.  

ANS Winter Meeting Set – The American Nuclear Society holds Its 2019 Winter Meeting in DC at the Wardman Park today through Thursday and looks at every facet of nuclear science and technology.  The theme for this meeting is “Nuclear Technology for the U.S. and the World.” In addition, the Technology Expo offers a glimpse into the applications of new technology through three days of exhibits and special events. 

AWEA Holds Clean Energy Summit – The second annual Clean Energy Executive Summit is tomorrow and Wednesday in Carlsbad, CA and features leaders from the wind industry and across renewable energy sectors. With a focus on demand-driving policy, modernized market rules, cost saving innovations, and how we must work together, this one-of-a-kind event is step one in further advancing the clean energy boom.

POLITICO/Pew Forum to Look at Flooding, Disasters – POLITICO and Pew Charities host a forum tomorrow at the Washington Court Hotel.  The event will be a deep-dive conversation on how to improve resiliency, mitigation and relief efforts around flooding disasters. Speakers include House Climate Committee Chair Kathy Castor, FEMA’s David Maurstad, DC Resilience Officer Kevin Bush and NRDC’s Anna Weber.  Our friend Zack Colman moderates.  

WaPo hosts Chemical Movie Discussion – The Washington Post holds a conversation at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow with Mark Ruffalo, Rob Bilott and Emily Donovan on the movie Dark Waters which will hit theaters soon and (mostly incorrectly given our experience) looks at the ongoing dangers of chemical contamination in areas throughout the country.  The film tells the story of an unexpected crusader Rob Bilott, a corporate defense attorney, who discovers a community has been dangerously exposed for decades to deadly chemicals after following a trail of secrets implicating one of the world’s largest corporations. Bilott will join Ruffalo and community organizer Emily Donovan to discuss the film and their campaign to spread awareness.

Coal Ash Report Released – The American Coal Ash Association will release its annual Coal Ash Production & Use Survey results at an event at the National Press Club’s Lisagor tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Conducted since the early 1960s, the survey provides the most complete data available on the volume of coal ash materials that are produced and beneficially used in a variety of applications. ACAA officials will also discuss impacts of environmental regulation and changing electric utility markets on coal ash production and use.

House Energy Marks Up Bills – The House Energy and Commerce Committee holds a markup of 18 bills tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.  The Democrat’s SAFER Pipeline Act will be among the legislation discussed.  

Senate Enviro Committee Looks at Water Quality Issues – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on  S. 1087, the "Water Quality Certification Improvement Act of 2019" and "other potential reforms to improve implementation of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act: state perspectives."

Senate Energy Finalizes Nominations, Legislation – After last Week’s hearing on Energy Secretary Nominee Dan Broulliette, the Senate Energy Committee holds a business meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to consider pending nominations and legislation.  Nominations of DOE’s Broulliette, FERC’s James Danley and Interior’s Katharine MacGregor will all get votes. The America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the ARPA-E program is among the legislation moving.

House Transpo Panel Looks at Water System Resilience – The House Transportation Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on promoting resiliency of our nation's water resources infrastructure.

Atlantic Forum to Look at Australian Mineral issues – Tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., the Atlantic Council hosts Senator the Honorable Matthew Canavan, Australia’s minister for resources and Northern Australia, discusses the security and sustainability of critical minerals, US-Australia interconnectivity across the critical mineral value chain, and diversifying and managing this value chain for global good.

House Oversight Looks at PFAS Issues – The House Oversight Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on Federal action on PFAS chemicals.  Actor Mark Ruffalo will testify. 

Curbelo Discusses Energy, Climate at Columbia – Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy hosts former Rep. Carlos Curbelo at the Princeton Club of NY at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow for a conversation on current issues in energy and climate change. From the role that such issues are playing in the presidential campaign and current bi-partisan policy proposals in Congress, to the evolving domestic political landscape and the implications of the upcoming international COP25 meeting in Madrid, this event will touch on the major stories of the day.

Forum to Look at Energy Transition – On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy & National Security Program will host Sverre Alvik to discuss DNV GL's Energy Transition Outlook 2019.  DNV GL recently issued the third edition of its Energy Transition Outlook, which provides a “best estimate forecast” indicating a rapid transition in global and regional energy systems towards a 2.5° future. Sverre Alvik will discuss the underlying assumptions of the study and the rapid transition that is predicted over the next three decades, including a particular focus on North America. More specifically, he will discuss the forecasted penetration of electric vehicles and changes in oil demand, the prospects for renewable energy and electrification, as well as the outlook for technologies like hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Forum to Look at Climate Action – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center & America’s Pledge hold a forum on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. looking at the status of sub-national climate action in the United States and across the world, featuring leading policy experts from several organizations working across multiple sectors and geographies. This discussion will feature leading policy experts from several organizations working to analyze and communicate the impact of this growing sub-national effort. Climate Central Ben Strauss will keynote. 

House Energy Approps Panel Looks at Climate – The House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee holds a hearing Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on DOE’s role in addressing climate change.  Former DOE Sect Ernest Moniz and ClearPath’s Rich Powell will be among those testifying. 

House Energy Committee Panel to Look at Communities – The House Energy and Commerce Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. on the challenges facing frontline communities on climate issues. 

House Resources Pushes Legislation – The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a markup on several bills in 1324 Longworth on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

Forum to Discuss Power Sector Policy Change – C2ES holds a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. on accelerating the U.S. power sector transition to cleaner electricity sources This webinar will explore benefits, challenges, and options for a clean energy standard in the power sector and the potential to integrate one into emission reduction programs in other segments of the U.S. economy.  Speakers include our friend Bob Perciasepe and Rep. DeGette Climate staffer Nikki Roy, among others. 

Climate Panel Looks Resilience – The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will hold a hearing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. in 1334 Longworth on creating a climate resilient America by reducing risks and costs.  The hearing will focus on how the federal government can support the development of climate risk data, resilience standards and technical assistance tools for local communities to boost their resilience and respond to the impacts of the climate crisis. It will also focus on ways to reduce the costs associated with extreme weather events, with an emphasis on mitigating risks and protecting American families.  Former FEMA Admin Craig Fugate and CFR expert Alice Hill testify. 

Wilson to Look at Flooding – The Wilson Center will hold a presentation on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to present a study and their implications for future humanitarian assistance, economic prosperity, adaptation and resilience initiatives, and global security.

House Armed Service Looks at Climate – The House Armed Services Intelligence and Emerging Threats/Capabilities Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday looking at climate change in the era of strategic competition.  Witnesses include DoD experts John Rood and Michael Griffin, as well as Maria Langan-Riekhof, Director of the Strategic Futures Group at the National Intelligence Council in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

House Science Looks at Weather Modeling – The House Science Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on U.S. leadership in weather modeling and prediction.  Witnesses include NOAA’s Neil Jacobs, Clifford Mass of the University of Washington, Peter Neilley, of IBM’s The Weather Company and Thomas Auligné, Director of the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)

Forum to Look at Green New Deal Debate Tenor – The American Interest holds a Better Angels Debate focusing on the Green New Deal on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. The goal of a Better Angels Debate is not to “win” the argument. Rather, it is a highly structured conversation in which a group of people listen carefully and meaningfully engage with each other’s ideas on a difficult issue.

WaPo Live Hosts Fonda, Lane on Oceans, Climate – The Washington Post Live hosts actresses Jane Fonda and Diane Lane on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. for a live event examining the impact of climate change on our oceans, the dire consequences for humanity and marine life, and what solutions could turn the tide.  Fonda and Lane are adding their star power to protest climate change by calling attention to the world’s oceans crisis.

FERC OPEN Meeting – Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

RFF to Look at Carbon Pricing – Resources for the Future (RFF) recently hosted a conversation on the many federal carbon pricing bills that have been introduced in the US this year - but the US is only one of many jurisdictions where carbon pricing takes center stage in climate policy discussions.  On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., it will hold a review of the latest trends in carbon pricing worldwide, including reflections on recent developments in major economies, such as China, Germany, and Canada.  The session will open with a brief overview of the World Bank’s State and Trends of Carbon Pricing report, followed by geography-specific updates and a brief panel discussion.

Seminar to Look at CCS Liability – The Global CCS Institute holds a seminar on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. on a commercial approach to carbon capture liability.  Liability has long been raised as a significant barrier to the wide scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Ian Havercroft will share key analysis and findings of our latest Thought Leadership Report that seeks to challenge these views and make the case for a more commercially-minded view of liability.

MIT to Release Future Mobility Report – The MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) will present its Insights into Future Mobility report to members of the greater MIT community on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on campus in Cambridge. This report is the culmination of the three-year Mobility of the Future study that examined how the complex interactions between advanced drivetrain options, alternative fuels, refueling infrastructure, consumer choice, vehicle automation, and government policy may shape the future for personal mobility. Study leaders and researchers will share key findings, supported by detailed research involving advanced modeling; analysis of primary survey data; and interviews with government officials. They will provide insights into how evolving environmental policies, urban regulations, disruptive technologies, economics, and consumer behaviors and attitudes may transform mobility systems.

House Climate Committee Deadline Set for Friday – The Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will reach its deadline for policy Submissions on Friday. The Select Committee has received recommendations from young climate leaders, policy specialists, business leaders, and state and local officials at meetings and hearings held in Washington, D.C. and around the country. To supplement its ongoing work, the Select Committee is seeking additional detailed input from a broad range of stakeholders.

Forum Look at Book on India, Energy – The Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and South Asia Center, holds a forum on Friday at 9:00 a.m. to discuss Shreerupa Mitra’s new book, Energizing India: Fueling a Billion Lives, and evaluate obstacles and opportunities to long-term energy access and security in urban and rural India.

House Science Holds Field Hearing on Carbon Capture in Houston – The House Science Committee holds field hearing on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Central in Houston on the future of advanced carbon capture research and development.

Forum to Discuss Zero Carbon Fuels – The Center on Global Policy and Columbia University’s Earth Institute holds a discussion Friday at 10:00 a.m. in NYC with David Keith of Harvard University. The presentation will focus on carbon neutral synthetic fuels. Following his presentation, Dr. Keith will join former DOE official Julio Friedmann, for a moderated conversation including solar geoengineering, CO2 removal, and approaches to rapid and profound decarbonization.

EESI to Discuss Deep Decarbonization – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hosts a briefing on Friday to look at key information and recommendations from the report, Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States. Legal Pathways is based on two reports by the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project that explain technical and policy approaches to reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050. This 80x50 target and similarly aggressive carbon abatement goals are often referred to as deep decarbonization, as they require systemic changes to the energy economy.  Briefing panelists, including editors and contributing authors to the report, will discuss how the report can be useful to Congressional offices crafting climate change policies.  The report covers a range of topics, from technological innovations and carbon pricing to modernizing the transportation and building sectors. Legal Pathways reviews all forms of renewable energy as well as energy transmission, distribution, and storage.  Columbia’s Michael Gerrard is among the speakers.

IN THE FUTURE

Thanksgiving – November 28^th

BioEnergy Conference to be in Baltimore – The 15th World Bioenergy Congress and Expo will be Held in Baltimore On December 2^nd and 3^rd focusing on renewable energy issues.

GTM Energy Storage Summit Set – On December 3^rd and 4^th, Greentech Media hosts its 5^th annual Energy Storage Summit 2019 in Denver.  The Summit will bring together utilities, system integrators, financiers, regulators, battery and software innovators, and other key storage players for two full days of data-intensive presentations, analyst-led panel sessions.  CO Gove Jared Polis and our friend, CO Co-op Holy Cross CEO Brian Hannagan will be among the speakers.

POLITICO to Look at Environmental Election Impact – On Wednesday, December 4^th at Georgetown University, POLITICO holds a deep-dive conversation on environmental issues and the 2020 presidential election. The panel will look at the path forward and key party differences and where can we come together. 

COP 25 Set for Madrid – The UN Holds its 25^th Conference of the Parties will take place at IFEMA - Feria de Madrid in Madrid, Spain from December 2^nd to 13^th. The updated overview schedule can be found on the COP 25 session website. The pre-sessional period remains as planned (25 November – 1 December), with the preparatory meetings of regional groups from November 25 – 30.  Only recently, was the forum moved from Chile to Spain. 

AGU Celebrates 100 years at Meeting in SF – The American Geophysical Union marks its Centennial in 2019 by returning to San Francisco, the home of the AGU Fall Meeting for more than 40 years on December 9-13.  A diverse community will convene at the newly renovated Moscone Center to explore and develop research.

Grid Forum Set – The GridWise Alliance and Clean Edge hold the 3^rd annual gridCONNEXT 2019 in Washington, DC on December 10-12 at The Liaison Hotel.  The event will bring together technology, policy, utility, and business leaders to explore the most important topics impacting the electric utility industry. Speakers will include former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and former FERC Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell.  The full agenda is now available online. 

RFF Forum to Look at Healthy Soils – Resources for the Future (RFF) and Cornell University’s Atkinson Center for Sustainability holds a forum on Tuesday December 17^th at 9:30 a.m. to explore the important role of soil health in finding climate solutions.  The event will open with a short primer on soil health, including an overview of the current health of US soils, what healthier soils might look like in future, and how research suggests we can foster such improvements. A panel of experts will share perspectives from various sectors—government, industry, and the conservation community—on how practices, technologies, and policies related to soil health are evolving.