Energy Update: Week of November 1st

Friends,               

Welcome to NOVEMBER!!!  I hope everyone had a great Halloween last night.  My wife Stacey headed for Israel for a lades birth right trip and I headed for the DC Entertainment & Sports Arena for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 45^th Anniversary Spectacular Tour that featured the original Brad Majors - BARRY BOSTWICK - for a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation. Outstanding…and fortunately - no pictures!

First off, let’s start with Friday when President Biden headed for Rome for the G-20 (where they made another toothless climate proclamation) and the Supreme Court decided to review the decision of a federal appeals court that struck down one of the Trump administration’s ACE Rule.  Most experts, including my colleague Jeff Holmstead, think the decision to review the ruling in the case will probably make it harder for the Biden administration to move forward with a new EPA rules to regulate carbon emissions from the power sector. And it most certainly creates a lane for legislation like some combo of McKinley-Schrader or Pallone as the most viable way to address climate issues. And more in the climate irony area after last week’s hearing with Oil CEOs: Biden said on Sunday it was "not inconsistent" for him to push energy-producing nations to increase output of fossil fuels while also urging countries to commit to an energy transition.

Speaking of climate, the moment has come: the Super Bowl of climate change, the Olympics of decarbonization, the Met Gala of non-binding emission-reduction promises (h/t to Canary’s Jeff St. John).  The event will start with a big splash today, but look for things to settle in as negotiators start to talk details.  Reminder that you have to read through the rhetoric here because there will be a lot of hot air and commitments that will never be followed.

The President started today by rolling out a new plan to reach his goal of cutting domestic greenhouse gas pollution in half this decade and neutralizing its planet-heating emissions by 2050.  He and other leaders are also speaking throughout the day.  Biden spoke about 11:00 a.m. which was a little rough (maybe it was the jet lag). Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping won’t be attending the U.N. climate conference in person.  Xi issued a written statement while Putin is one of the few world leaders not making a statement.

There are a number of great COP previews:  POLITICO; Associated Press; Washington Post; BBC; Axios Podcast; New York Times; Canary Media and the Wall Street Journal.  And tomorrow, reporters from E&E News and POLITICO hold a live preview event as the Conference gets underway. The panels with focus on the current strength of U.S. power in negotiations, how G-20 talks will impact COP26, financial logistics for countries, the U.K. and EU push to achieve 1.5 degrees Celsius and EU legislative efforts to reach climate goals.  Our friends Jean Chemnick, Sara Schonhardt, Lorraine Woellert, Nick Sobczak, Karl Mathiesen, Zack Colman and Matt Choi all join in. 

If you want to stay close to the action, I am getting regular reports, other live updates from WaPo HERE and the NY Times HERE and you can also sign in the WaPo’s Climate 202, which is reporting regularly. The Biden administration also plans to launch the U.S. Center at COP26 on Monday, a physical space in the conference venue where the U.S. will host events and panels. The Washington Post, Bloomberg Green, the New York Times are all hosting events during the two-week COP.  As well, the Business Council on Sustainable Energy will have a number of events during the meetings and both ClearPath, Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy (Ali Zaidi Wednesday & Gina McCarthy on Thursday) and CRES are also holding events.  And next Tuesday, EPA’s Michael Regan will hold an HFC event in Scotland with Kevin Fay of the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy.  On Thursday at 10:30 a.m. ET, Frans Timmermans and climate leaders from around the world join Washington Post Live to assess the goals for the summit, how to accelerate the transition to clean power and the stakes for future generations.  Finally, the Global CCS institute holds a COP26 side event webinar at 12:30 today to look at carbon removal technologies.

Still a few events this week here in DC.  Tomorrow, the Bipartisan Policy Center is hosts an event on the possibility of enacting a border carbon adjustment, while Wednesday RFF looks at the same carbon border policy.  Also, ACORE holds its annual Grid Forum Wednesday and Thursday with a great panel on enviro justice featuring Sol System’s Yuri Horwitz, NRDC’s Yvonne McIntyre and Bloom Energy’s Carlos Garcia. Other speakers include House Climate Select Chair Kathy Castor, FERC Commissioner Mark Christie, DOE’s Kelly Speakes-Backman and our friend Rob Gramlich.  Also on Wednesday and Thursday, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation holds Auto Innovators Summit featuring Reps Debbie Dingell, Energy Sect Granholm and our friends Robbie Diamond of SAFE and IHS’ Dan Yergin. 

Tomorrow is the Virginia election as well as one in New Jersey.  Depending on who wins, it could change the political winds in DC, setting the table for the 2022 mid-terms. Stay Safe and healthy.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Clean fuels, including green hydrogen, have an important role to play as California transforms to a carbon neutral economy over the next 20 years," "As this analysis shows, a clean fuels network that carries decarbonized gas provides important features of lower cost, massive and long-duration storage, and resiliency that Californians demand."

Jack Brouwer, director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center and Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine during the announcement of a new economy-wide technical analysis that says clean fuels will play an important role making California carbon neutral. 

"Carbon neutrality goals, whether local, regional or national, cannot be achieved without accounting for ways to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors of the economy," "This analysis shows there is a way to achieve these goals, utilizing California's vast, existing, natural gas infrastructure."

Erin Blanton, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs on the same California Report.

ON THE PODCAST

EPRI Joins S&P Global Podcast – On this week’s S&P Global Capitol Crude Podcast, Senior editor Jasmin Melvin spoke with Neva Espinoza, EPRI's vice president of energy supply and low-carbon resources, about the organization's work on deep decarbonization and progress towards deployment of low-carbon fuels of the future. In the US, groups like the Electric Power Research Institute are working on climate solutions and advancing energy technologies to meet increasingly ambitious decarbonization goals set by companies and governments. As part of that effort, EPRI, along with its natural gas counterpart, launched the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative, an international R&D collaborative aimed at finding an energy carrier suitable for a decarbonized, sustainable future. 

FUN OPINIONS

Curtis Talks Climate on Face The Nation – Rep. John Curtis, Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, on Sunday said on the CBS’ Sunday show Face the Nation” said declared that Republicans are turned off by the extremist rhetoric on the environment, but Republicans do care deeply about it. Curtis, David McKinley (R-Utah), along with a delegation of Republicans, will attend the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, which began Sunday. As the founder of the recently created Conservative Climate Caucus, he wants Republicans to have a seat at the table in the climate talks and show that they “want to do what's best” for the planet. Curtis also wants to chart a Republican path to a green future — one that doesn’t include the “Green New Deal” or demonize fossil fuels.  “If we follow the Republican path, we don't need to kill U.S. jobs, we don't need to export our jobs overseas and subject ourselves to our enemies,” Curtis told host Margaret Brennan. “We have ideas that improve the U.S. economy, that rely on U.S. technology and U.S. innovation, such as new nuclear.”

FROG BLOG

Drury: A California Climate Vision – In an op-ed in CalMatters, SoCal Gas CEO Scott Drury wrote California can accelerate a more equitable and affordable energy transition by adopting several important policy changes to accelerate the deployment of fuels that produce fewer greenhouse-gas emissions. He pointed to a new analysis that examines the complexity of reaching zero-emission energy sources by 2045. This analysis builds on existing climate models used in studies commissioned by state agencies, and the modeling work and results were independently verified by scientists at leading California research institutions. For California policymakers and advocates, the implications are clear.

FUN FACTS

Jet Setting:  Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' £48M Gulf Stream has led a 400-strong parade of private jets into COP26 including Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince Charles and scores of others. The extraordinary traffic jam forced empty planes to fly 30 miles to find space to park.

RECONCILIATION REPORT

Please find the latest addition of the Policy Resolution Group’s FY2022 Budget Reconciliation & Infrastructure Update.  This update is a particularly worth your time given the all the back and forth on the status of the budget reconciliation process now and tomorrow’s VA election.

IN THE NEWS

SCOTUS to Look at GHG Case – Late Friday, the Supreme Court decided to review the decision of a federal appeals court that struck down one of the Trump administration’s ACE Rule.  Most experts, including my colleague Jeff Holmstead think the decision to review the ruling in the case will probably make it harder for the Biden administration to move forward with a new EPA rules to regulate carbon emissions from the power sector.  Holmstead said it's the first time the Supreme Court has taken a case like this one, where a lower court has struck down an EPA rule and EPA itself, under a new administration, does not want to appeal that decision. 

"It's another surprise in the long-running saga of EPA's efforts to regulate carbon emissions from the power sector -- starting with the DC Circuit's decision to have the full court hear the initial challenges to the Obama Administration's Clean Power Plan and then the completely unprecedented decision by the Supreme Court to put the Clean Power Plan on hold until it could decide whether it was lawful.” 

He adds as a practical matter, this will almost certainly prevent the Biden Administration from moving forward with a new rule to regulate carbon emissions from the power sector. They'll have to wait to see what the Supreme Court says about how (and whether) they can regulate carbon emissions from the power sector under current law. And it underscores the need for Congress to come up with legislation that is actually designed to deal with carbon emissions and climate change."  

Morrisey Filed Appeal to Decision – WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed the appeal, leading a 19-state coalition in urging the Supreme Court to take the case in April.  They argued the appeals court had ignored the February 2016 stay, which should have hinted that the high court viewed existing law as limiting EPA’s authority – not expanding it. The AG coalition has argued the lower court erred in using a small provision of federal law to grant EPA broad authority – without congressional input – to unilaterally decarbonize virtually any sector of the economy, including factories and power plants, as well as the millions of homes and small businesses that use natural gas for heat. Without the Supreme Court’s intervention, the coalition had argued the appeals court ruling could set a devastating standard and lead to decisions of great economic consequence based upon unlawful EPA regulations, not the rule of law. The coalition’s petition, filed April 29, argued a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit violates the constitutional separation of powers. It contends the lower court inappropriately interpreted Section 111 of the Clean Air Act as authorizing EPA to sidestep Congress to exercise broad regulatory power that would radically transform the nation’s energy grid and force states to fundamentally shift their energy portfolios away from coal-fired generation. West Virginia led the April 29 petition with support from attorneys general in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and the governor of Mississippi.
 
EU-US Cut Trade Deal on Tariffs – The US-EU forged an agreement to end the existing Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs for a certain amount of imported steel over the weekend. The Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU) said the deal is good news for U.S. manufacturers who continue to experience the highest prices in the world and long delivery delays. However, it is disappointing that the agreement will not completely terminate these unnecessary trade restrictions on our allies. CAMMU is concerned that replacing the tariffs with a tariff rate quota (TRQ) will hurt its members because the threat of tariff reinstatement looms with the surge in steel and aluminum demand expected when the bipartisan infrastructure bill passes. This type of government restriction on raw materials and intervention lead to market manipulations and allow for gaming of the system that could put this country’s smallest manufacturers at an even further disadvantage.

“The U.S. domestic steel sector does not need protection from competition and the US should immediately begin negotiations to lift these damaging tariffs on our other close allies and trading partners. U.S. steel- and aluminum-using manufacturers cannot secure the raw materials that they need and at competitive prices, and are losing business to competitors in other countries who are paying far lower prices for steel and aluminum. When these American manufacturers who use steel and aluminum lose business, they buy less of those products, which will lead to the domestic steel and aluminum industry also losing business.”

Coons Introduces Hydrogen Legislation – Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced their bipartisan Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative, a package of three bills to support the adoption of hydrogen in energy intensive sectors. The bills are also cosponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.). Hydrogen is a high-energy fuel source that does not emit greenhouse gases at the point of use, properties that allow it to be used in intense and long duration applications. These traits make it an attractive fuel source, especially for hard-to-abate sectors like shipping and industry.  As recent reports from Clean Air Task Force, Resources for the Future, and Energy Futures Initiative have made clear, hydrogen is a sound solution for reducing emissions in sectors such as marine shipping, iron and steel, and industrial process heating.  The legislation included in the Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative would:

• Promote hydrogen- and ammonia-fueled equipment at ports and in shipping applications.
• Support commercial scale demonstration projects for end-use industrial applications of hydrogen, including in the production of steel, cement, glass, and chemicals.
• Create a pilot Hydrogen Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (HIFIA) program to provide grants and flexible, low-interest loans for retrofitted or new hydrogen transport infrastructure projects. This bill also includes a study to address outstanding questions related to technical requirements for transporting and storing hydrogen as well as an assessment of jurisdiction over siting, construction, safety, and regulation for hydrogen transport infrastructure.

The package is endorsed by Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Action, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), Chemours, Linde, Lanzatech, Clean Air Task Force, RMI, Third Way, Clean Hydrogen Future Coalition, ClearPath, Air Liquide, Industrial Innovation Initiative (I3), and Cummins.

Joe Fawell, Vice President for Government Affairs at Air Liquide said “by leveraging hydrogen’s versatility, the Hydrogen Infrastructure Initiative will encourage the adoption of hydrogen technologies in those sectors where hydrogen offers an efficient and effective path to decarbonization, including ports and industrial sectors. As a leader in the hydrogen market for over 50 years, this Initiative will also advance Air Liquide’s ability to develop key hydrogen technologies, help create high paying jobs, and lower the CO2 emissions across many sectors.”

DOE Looks at Hydro Permitting Challenges – A new DOE report, “An Examination of the Hydropower Licensing and Federal Authorization Process,” examines which factors have the greatest impact on the hydropower licensing process. The report provides both quantitative and qualitative analyses, shares perspectives from both hydropower developers and regulators, addresses previous studies on hydropower licensing timelines and costs, and compares the U.S. hydropower licensing process to that of other top hydropower-producing countries. While this report does not propose any specific recommendations to alter the current hydropower process, the findings could help decision makers identify opportunities for reform and modernization. Policymakers and regulators—including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, federal land management agencies, federal and state resource agencies, and American Indian tribes—can also use the analysis to engage in informed discussions with hydropower industry stakeholders like utility managers, project developers, consultants, trade associations, and nongovernmental organizations.

The Report – The report’s key findings are:

• Greater environmental complexity can lead to longer licensing timelines, especially for relicensing. Evaluating how to mitigate the impacts of a hydropower project on cultural or natural resources, endangered wildlife species, critical habitats, or recreational opportunities can prolong the licensing process. It takes an average of 5 years to obtain an original license, while relicensing takes an average of 7.6 years. Drivers that increase the time to license include compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act as well as turnover and limited staffing at state and federal agencies.
• Licensing costs often disproportionately impact new and/or smaller projects. Smaller projects often have shorter licensing timelines but proportionally higher costs than larger projects, which can absorb costs through economies of scale. In addition, because existing projects seeking relicensing can continue to generate electricity and revenue throughout the process, their licensing costs are less burdensome than those of new projects.
• Disagreements in negotiations over environmental studies can prolong licensing timelines. Developers and regulators often disagree over whether existing environmental studies are adequate to address potential impacts on local ecosystems or if a fresh study, specific to the project site, is needed. If regulators determine a new study is necessary, developers must commission one, which can add both time and cost to the licensing process.
• Incomplete and/or inadequate information can result in longer licensing timelines and disagreements. A statistical analysis of over 100 FERC license proceedings showed that 17% of state water quality certifications took longer than 2 years (1 year is typical) and Endangered Species Act certifications took months to years longer due to incomplete data. These delays were caused, in part, because license applicants sometimes disagree on what information is essential.
• The Integrated Licensing Process has the shortest and least variable timeline. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission offers three licensing processes. Because the Integrated Licensing Process holds developers and regulators to a strict timeline, it’s often more predictable than other processes and saves developers an average of about 1 year to license their projects.
• The hydropower permitting process differs between countries and with other national energy or water infrastructure processes. Compared to the other national energy and water infrastructure licensing processes assessed, the U.S. hydropower licensing process provides more opportunities for federal and state agencies to weigh in. In the United States, hydropower licensing requires participation of up to 11 federal and state agencies (depending on the plant’s location) and provides additional opportunities for tribal and public input; in other countries assessed, the process often involves about 5-6 agencies and requires fewer opportunities for external input.
• The U.S. hydropower licensing process can improve environmental coexistence with hydroelectric plants. This includes expanding fish passage across dams in a watershed, increasing protections for wildlife species of concern, or improving recreational facilities.

New Report Highlights Essential Role of Clean Fuels in Climate Goals – A new economy-wide technical analysis released by SoCalGas underscores the essential role that clean fuels like hydrogen and renewable natural gas (RNG) will play in a carbon-neutral California. SoCalGas' The Role of Clean Fuels and Gas Infrastructure in Achieving California's Net Zero Climate Goal examines the complexity of reaching 100% net zero emissions in California by 2045, and for the first time offers detailed solutions that include the clean fuels¹ infrastructure needed to support and accelerate decarbonization efforts. The analysis also offers solutions for the hard-to-abate transportation and industrial sectors and supports existing state climate and energy policies, including resilient and reliable electrification.

Key Findings and Analysis – The analysis highlights that a clean fuels network made, in part, by leveraging existing gas infrastructure to deliver clean fuels and to manage carbon can allow California to achieve its net zero goals more affordably and with less risk than pursuing other pathways. Key takeaways from the new technical analysis include:

• Electrification combined with clean fuels, carbon management, and technologies like fuel cells deliver the most affordable, resilient, and technologically proven path to full carbon neutrality.
• California, by leveraging the gas system to deliver clean fuels and to manage carbon, can reach 100% net zero goals more affordably, more equitably, and with less risk of power disruptions, customer conversion barriers, and technological limitations.
• Rapidly scaling up clean fuels initiatives today is vital to putting a clean fuels network in place in time to help California meet its climate goals. The faster stakeholders can collaboratively act to expand and accelerate clean fuels initiatives, the quicker California can decarbonize.

IER Report Details China's Energy Threat to Indo-Pacific – The Institute for Energy Research has released a new report examining China's aggressive pursuit of resources in the South China Sea. As the United States has engaged in unilateral energy disarmament, China has established a concerted policy to develop offshore oil and natural gas. China’s oil and gas appetite grows each year, including in 2020 when it was virtually the only country to increase its oil consumption, despite the covid-19 pandemic. In order to secure resources, the PRC has directed national oil companies to increase production. A major component of this plan is to develop oil and natural gas resources in the South China Sea. Despite international rulings against its behavior in the region, China’s expansionary pursuits have only intensified in recent years, jeopardizing the shared global interest of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

COP 26 Launches in Glasgow – The UN Climate Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 launched on Sunday through November 10^th in Glasgow, Scotland.

ELECTION DAY – In Virginia and New Jersey, tomorrow is Election Day.

Senate Energy Moves Nominations – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a business meeting at 10:00 a.m. on pending nominations. 

Forum Looks at Sustain Air Travel – POLITICO holds a deep-dive conversation tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. on the virtual sidelines of COP26 to explore the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel, better performance aircraft, and breakthroughs in technologies for reducing an aircraft's grounding time as various means for airlines to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet broader sustainability goals. Speakers include Rep. Garret Graves, Rachael Everard of Rolls-Royce, Boeing’s Chris Raymond and Tim Reuter of the World Economic Forum.

USEA to Look at Advanced Batteries – The US Energy Assn holds a CEO forum tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. looking at advanced battery technologies. In this CEO Webinar, our guest speakers will discuss new battery advancements and capabilities. They will also delve into the importance of expanding the clean energy Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) in the budget reconciliation bill that can help advance the domestic deployment of the advanced battery technologies that will enable full decarbonization of the grid and broader net-zero emissions goals.

BPC to Host Border Carbon Forum – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., the Bipartisan Policy Center is hosting a public event on the future of U.S. climate and trade policy, including the possibility of enacting a border carbon adjustment (BCA). There is concern that climate policies enacted in the United State could put U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage relative to countries that do not. A BCA is a trade tool that levels the field for domestic manufacturers by imposing a fee on carbon-intensive products when they reach the border. A BCA can have the additional benefit of incentivizing other countries to enact their own climate policies. Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) will discuss his FAIR Transition and Competition Act which would create a Border Carbon Adjustment in the United States. Additional speakers will discuss the U.S. carbon advantage, the domestic politics of the broader policy, and the possibility of creating a “carbon club” with other economies with similar policies.

POLITICO, E&E Reporters Weigh In on COP26 – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., reporters from E&E News and POLITICO hold a live preview event as the Conference gets underway. The panels with focus on the current strength of U.S. power in negotiations, how G-20 talks will impact COP26, financial logistics for countries, the U.K. and EU push to achieve 1.5 degrees Celsius and EU legislative efforts to reach client goals.  Our Friends Jean Chemnick, Sara Schonhardt, Lorraine Woellert, Nick Sobczak, Karl Mathiesen, Zack Colman and Matt Choi all join in. 

Forum Talks to Mayors – The Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center (Arsht-Rock) supports cities in taking immediate, scalable action to reduce the threat and deadly effects extreme heat poses to their most vulnerable communities, and tomorrow, live from COP26 in Glasgow, it will hold for a conversation with mayors taking action on heat.  The event features mayors of Freetown (Sierra Leone), Athens (Greece), Miami-Dade County (USA), and Seville (Spain), who will announce new partnerships and initiatives and discuss the urgency of undertaking extreme heat reduction strategies. These strategies include the appointment of Chief Heat Officers, Heatwave Naming and Categorizing, investments in green and blue infrastructure, and the implementation of heat-risk education campaigns and task forces. 

Senate Environment Looks at Economic Development – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday to look at programs at the Economic Development Administration.

Auto Companies Hold Innovation Summit – On Wednesday starting at 11:00 a.m., the Alliance for Automotive Innovation holds Auto Innovators Summit.  The Summit brings together the companies, innovators, policy leaders, and forward thinkers driving the future of personal mobility. Our conversations move new ideas forward, surface new technologies, and set policy goals into action.  Reps Debbie Dingell, Energy Sect Granholm and our friends SAFE’s Robbie Diamond and IHS’ Dan Yergin all speak. 

Forum to Look at Solar Grid Security – On Wednesday at Noon, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) and SEIA will discuss the critical topic of clean energy cyber and supply chain security. Solar and storage play an increasingly important role in ensuring U.S. energy independence, and now more than ever cybersecurity has become a priority for the industry as these technologies continue to penetrate the grid in record-breaking numbers. To tackle this critical topic, SEIA is collaborating with SETO, Idaho National Labs (INL) and other industry partners to work alongside our members to address lessons learned from cyber-attacks, best practices, and ongoing trends that are critical to making solar and storage the most secure fuel on the grid.

Women In Clean Energy Awards Set – On Wednesday and Thursday, the 10^th U.S. C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium & Awards will be held.  At the event, leaders will discuss the latest advances in the energy transition, this year’s U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), what lessons the United States can learn from other countries, and what U.S. successes are replicable in other countries, especially those with developing economies.

ACORE Grid Forum Set – ACORE will hold its annual Grid Forum on Wednesday and Thursday. Speakers will examine the roles of infrastructure legislation, administrative orders and actions, regional and state developments, and private sector strategies on the path to a carbon-free grid.  FERC Commissioner Mark Christie and DOE’s Kelly Speakes-Backman are keynoters, while other speakers include Sol System CEO Yuri Horwitz, FERC’s Liz Salerno, Rob Gramlich and NRDC’s Yvonne McIntyre.  House Select Climate Committee Chair Kathy Castor also sits for a fireside chat with ACORE head Greg Wetstone.

RFF to Discuss Carbon Border Issues – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a forum on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. on Carbon Border Tax issues. This event will examine the extent of emissions leakage based on increasingly ambitious policy scenarios.  It will then report on the effectiveness of border measures to mitigate leakage, particularly in economically sensitive sectors. An international set of scholars present recent modeling results that explore the implications of policy proposals currently being considered in the European Union and United States on emissions leakage and climate ambition.

Wilson Forum Looks at Climate Impacts on Indigenous People – The Wilson Center holds a forum on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on the risks posed by climate change, and in particular climate’s impact on marginalized communities  the event features a discussion with leaders who are working to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into climate decision-making.

Senate Energy Focused on Civilian Nuclear Uses – The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on potential non-electric applications of civilian nuclear energy.

Forum to Look at Resilience – On Thursday at 11:15 a.m., ICF Climate Center and the International Energy Agency hold a forum at the Resilience Hub at the COP26 Pavilion.  The event will explore the climate impacts on the energy sector and steps to build climate-resilient energy systems. The event will include short presentations and questions from the moderator and audience (in person and virtual), enabling interactive discussions.

Forum Looks at State-Owned Power Companies – The Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy is organizing a panel on Thursday looking at state-owned power companies (SPCs).  In large part because of their government ownership structure, SPCs may operate under governance structures and incentives that are quite different from those facing their private investor-owned counterparts. This event will discuss how to improve the contribution of SPCs to the climate effort, and to raise the profile of how to engage these important players in the decarbonization effort. Speakers include Jason Bordoff, Hydro-Québec’s Serge Abergel and Mexican Deputy Secretary of Energy Leonardo Beltrán.

Forum Looks at Corporate Climate Issues – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., the Center for Climate and Environmental Solutions (C2ES) holds a webinar on corporate case for climate ambition in reconciliation. In this webinar, C2ES will be joined by corporate voices to explore the business case for supporting climate provisions in the budget reconciliation bill. The discussion will focus on how these climate provisions could help companies reduce their emissions, drive low-carbon investment, and enhance their global competitiveness.

Forum Looks at Farming Electrification – On Thursday at 1:15 p.m., Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability (SOS) and the Sustainability Consortium (TSC) hold a discussion of opportunities and challenges to the intelligent, electrified farm of the future. Electrification opportunities span the range of farming activities and are driven by technological advances, including real-time crop monitoring by drones, robotic milking and weeding machines, and autonomous tractors. In addition, electrification of farm equipment will aid in advancing precision agriculture since many of the protocols used in these technologies are better suited to interface with systems optimized to run on electricity versus fossil fuels.

Fed Looks at Energy – The Federal Reserve Banks of Kansas City and Dallas will host their sixth joint energy conference on Friday virtually. Leading energy experts will join Kansas City Fed President Esther George in conversation about the state of the energy sector, the outlook for global energy markets, regional and macro implications of the global energy transition, technology and advancing the energy transition, and the changing U.S. energy landscape. Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of IHS Markit and the author of The Prize and The Quest, will deliver the luncheon keynote address.

Forum Looks at Antimicrobial Resistance, Climate Challenges – The CSIS Global Food Security Program on Friday at 10:00 a.m. gathers experts on climate and AMR to discuss how health, climate, and agriculture policies are interconnected and the need for transdisciplinary integration of development practices and policies in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The discussion will look at the implications of climate change for AMR and how to develop integrated AMR initiatives in LMICs.

BU Forum Looks at Decarbonizing Commercial Buildings – On Friday at 11:00 a.m., the BU Institute for Sustainable Energy holds a webinar on how to substantially decarbonize existing commercial buildings. Academic and industry experts will delve into the technical, financial, and policy issues and opportunities — starting with technical insights. The keynote speaker will be DOE’s Building Technologies Office Director David Nemtzow, who will discuss the national roadmap for grid-interactive efficient buildings.

IN THE FUTURE

FT Hosts Ag Forum – The Financial Times holds an event on Monday November 8^th at 10:00 a.m. on propelling the shift to climate-positive agriculture.  The event will look at innovative approaches to generating income while reducing farm emissions.

Forum to Look at Free Trade in Enviro Goods – Cato holds a forum next Monday at Noon on the benefits and prospects of free trade in environmental goods.  The event will address negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to create an Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) and feature a discussion featuring U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Maureen Hinman, and Cato's James Bacchus and Inu Manak.

EOP to Discuss Energy Efficiency, NatGas – OurEnergyPolicy holds a forum next Monday November 8^th at 2:00 p.m. in-person at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall featuring Alliance to Save Energy President Paula Glover to look at natural gas and energy efficiency.  The event will feature a conversation about the role of natural gas in driving residential, commercial, industrial and transportation efficiency.  This event will be part of the North American Gas Forum, which runs from November 8^th-10^th. 

Columbia Forum to Speak with Judge Griffith – On November 8^th at 4:00 p.m.., Columbia’s the Center on Global Energy Policy will hold the next episode of Columbia Energy Straight Talk, a discussion series hosted by David Hill and Cheryl LaFleur, CGEP Adjunct Senior Research Scholars. In this episode, David and Cheryl will host Judge Thomas B. Griffith, recently retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Judge Griffith will speak about some of his most important energy- and environment-related decisions while he served as a judge, what makes agencies and advocates successful–or unsuccessful–before his former court, and what this all could mean for energy and environmental law and policy in the United States.

RFF to Discuss Carbon Border Issues – Resources for the Future (RFF) holds a forum on Tuesday November 9^th at 9:00 a.m. on carbon border issues. This RFF Live event taps experts across three continents to discuss recent border measure proposals across the European Union and in the United States. Speakers include Keigo Akimoto of the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth, European University Institute’s Jos Delbeke, Carolyn Fischer of the World Bank and EDF’s Suzi Kerr.

Forum to Look at CCUS – The US Energy Assn holds a forum on Tuesday November 9^th at 11:00 a.m. on carbon management and energy transition projects, with an economic opportunity for Kansas. Interest in new carbon management applications, such as the above, is growing due to several events and trends that produce a fertile environment for new business models. Updates and further guidance to the “45Q” tax incentives have clarified the process for obtaining tax credits for utilization and sequestration.

Regan to Talk HFCs in Scotland – EPA Administrator Michael Regan will join HVACR companies on Tuesday November 9^th at 9:30 a.m. for a side event on HFCs and their climate benefits of phasing them out.  

Series to Investigate New Battery Techs – On Wednesday November 10^th, the Center on Global Energy Policy launches the Columbia Energy Technology Revolution Forum, a new webinar series hosted by former DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar.  The series will focus on frank, practical, scientific and technological discussions on the prospects of new technologies in the energy world. Each session will bring together experts to focus on a different energy technology. The Wednesday session will feature two leaders of large efforts to develop new battery chemistries that are beyond current Lithium-Ion technologies. Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Esther Takeuchi is a leader in the multidisciplinary field of energy storage technology, and holds more than 180 patents. She will be joined by Argonne National Laboratory Senior Scientist George Crabtree.  The discussion will focus on the state of new potential battery chemistries that could significantly perform better than lithium-ion, and at lower costs. The event will review specific chemistry possibilities for different applications, and discuss the Energy Storage Grand Challenge targets and policies that could accelerate a 60-80% improvement over Li-Ion performance.

Forum Looks at Sustainability – POLITICO holds a forum on Tuesday, November 16^th at 9:45 a.m. to focus on how sustainability will have to evolve from buzzword to necessity in order to create long-term change. The panel brings together leading voices from Washington, state houses, city halls, civil society, and corporate America to discuss the most viable policy and political solutions that balance economic, environmental and social interests.

Forum Looks at Renewable in SE – On November 16^th, the Southeast Renewable Energy Policy, Procurement and Program Frameworks Executive Briefing will preceding the 6^th annual Southeast Renewable Energy Summit in Charlotte, NC, which will be held on November 17^th and 18^th at the Omni Charlotte Hotel. 

FERC Open Meeting Set – FERC holds its November open meeting on November 18^th