Energy Update: Week of November 30

Energy Update - November 30, 2020

Friends,

Hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving week.  Despite the unusual COVID impacts, I hope you were all able to enjoy some family time.  We, of course, were at a COVID-friendly field hockey tourney in Richmond where Hannah and I were umpiring and Olivia’s team blasted through the top pool undefeated. No one even scored on them in five games.  Liv had two great goals, both right in front of a couple of college coaches that are her final choices.  Just waiting on scholarship offers before she finalizes a decision. 

Today is the day when EPA is required to issue next year's biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard.  News reports and our insights tell us they will not be meeting that deadline.  This will drive the Ethanol/Refiner twitter-sphere crazy so stay tuned (or not) for that. Rumors are that it may be left for the Biden Administration to decide in early next year.  And tomorrow, OPEC countries meet even though they have yet to agree on whether or not to increase oil output.  Let me know if you have any questions on either.

Speaking of the Biden Administration, we have seen some staffing moves with John Kerry playing a key role on climate and national security, Janet Yellen for Treasury, Center for American Progress CEO Neera Tanden as top choice for OMB and rumors that Brian Deese will be director of the National Economic Council in the White House.  Expect Tanden to draw the ire of Republican Senators while the Deese pick is going drive some progressive activists insane.  Former EPA enviro Justice office head Mustafa Santiago Ali was mentioned by Bloomberg as a leading candidate for CEQ and CAL EPA’s Mary Nichols seems to be telling everyone she can (including the media) that she would take the EPA job “if they offered it.”  We are following closely and expect it all to play out in the next two weeks.

Congress rocks back into town this week to address a number of issues, expecting votes mid-week with a back-end deadline of December 11th, which is the date that government funding will expire.  This seems like a narrowing of the timeline for any action in a lame duck session beyond what is really necessary.  We will have to see how this plays out for things like HFC/Energy and defense authorization legislation. Speaking of energy legislation, there will be a Senate Environment business meeting on Wednesday to advance the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020.

Today at 2:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council holds a webinar on the Future of 45Q Carbon Capture policy in the Biden-Harris Administration featuring ClearPath’s Rich Powell. Other events include a Resources For the Future (RFF) forum on green procurement programs (GPP) for natural gas, cement, and iron and steel to encourage industry participation and lower carbon footprints and launch of a Global CCS Institute report that highlight CCS technologies’ role in reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050 with speakers from Air Liquide, Equinor and LafargeHolcim. 

On Wednesday, the Alliance to Save Energy holds a virtual event to launch the Alliance’s inaugural Active Efficiency Forum report and USEA hosts its 30th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum.  The Bipartisan Policy Council holds an on-line event Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on hurricane season 2020 and adaptation lessons learned.  On Friday at Noon, the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program will host a discussion of the BloombergNEF’s New Energy Outlook (NEO2020) report while our friend Juliet Eilperin moderates an NYU Law School Institute for Policy Integrity conversation with UVA Law's Michael Livermore and NYU Law's Richard Revesz on rationality and Federal regulatory policy.

Finally, CONGRATS to my former GW Student and DOE EERE Dep Asst Sect Alex Fitzsimmons who is leaving EERE to head to ClearPath.  Way to go, Alex!!!  Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

"I know Brian to be both able and decent, and because I know he in fact does care about climate, it felt like I had to say something."

350.org Founder Bill McKibben who took to Twitter to defend potential Biden NEC pick Brian Deese from attacks from the some of the newer progressive activists. It is a long thread but worth reading.

ON THE PODCAST

UK Official Talks Paris, Next Steps – on the most recent CSIS Theories of Change energy podcast, UK Lead Climate Negotiator Archie Young discusses the future of climate negotiations in light of this year’s delayed COP meetings and the five-year anniversary of the Paris agreement. Archie looks at the COP leadership role that the UK takes on this year amid the COVID-19 challenges and next steps to meet the Paris targets. The podcast is moderated by Sarah Ladislaw of CSIS.

Landrieu Talk Energy with RFF – Resources for the Future (RFF) is releasing the second episode in its new Policy Leadership Series Podcast, which highlights conversations with leading decisionmakers on environmental and energy issues at RFF’s flagship Policy Leadership Series events. RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell and the Honorable Mary Landrieu discuss lessons Landrieu learned over her nearly two decades serving in the Senate, her passion for restoring the coastline and protecting energy jobs in her home state of Louisiana, and the detrimental impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on dealmaking in the new Congress.

FUN OPINIONS

Former Vox Political Columnists Calls Out Sunrise Activists– in a recent thread on Twitter, high-profile former Vox political columnist Matthew Yglesias, (who now runs a substack newsletter) called out the Sunrise Movement activists for “doing enormous damage to the cause of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and have been for a while.”  Yglesias says to make climate progress you need either: (a) Ideas that will generate progress on climate change that Republicans will vote for OR (b) To help candidates with normal Dems climate views win GOP-held Senate seats.  “Picking endless intra-party fights ain't it” referring to the battle over Brian Deese and other Biden appointments. Finally, he adds “it's all simultaneously detached from actual policy analysis AND political reality in an absurd way.”  (If you want to get a read on how detached these activists really are, read the comments/responses to Yglesias’ initial posts if have a minute.  They are vicious)

O’Sullivan: Net-Zero Policies Need Details, Costs – In a recent column, John O'Sullivan (editor-at-large of National Review) writes that while there will be assumptions that international progress towards a global consensus on reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 to restrain the rise in world temperature is about to be resumed after a four-year interruption.  But don’t hold your breath.  O’Sullivan offers a detailed account of potential problems with the expected “Consensus” and eventually concludes things just don’t add up.   He adds it is hard to estimate the consequences of net-zero because governments constantly evade answering the prior question of what will be the costs of going net-zero in terms of higher taxes, higher energy prices, and a lower standard of living.  When New Zealand did, it was 16% of their GDP.

FROG BLOG

Hopper: The Solar+ Decade Ahead Starts Now – In a new blog, SEIA head and our friend Abby Hopper outlines the solar industry’s plan for the next decade writing Solar is a job-creating engine with bipartisan support and helps to bring clean, affordable electricity to millions. That’s why big businesses like Walmart and Amazon are investing in solar and why 90% of Americans, regardless of political beliefs, support solar.  The industry’s plan for this decade, called the Solar+ Decade, calls for solar to represent 20% of all U.S. electricity generation by 2030, up from about 3% today. “Like many other industries, we would be in a much better place had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the policy and regulatory hurdles we’ve faced over the last four years. The policies we enact in the next Congress and administration will determine the pace of clean energy adoption, and either accelerate or decelerate our growth. This vision is absolutely achievable under a closely divided government. Every facet of this agenda enjoys bipartisan support, and now is the time to take action to generate economic opportunities for Americans in a way that promotes competition and tackles the climate crisis.”

IN THE NEWS

New UCLA Study Underscores Challenges to NatGas Bans – A new study from UCLA’s Institute for Environment Sustainability says electrification programs will increase energy costs for consumers while providing limited impact on greenhouse gas emissions if they are not planned appropriately.  The study identifies a list of impacts of electrification programs, such as the fact that they increase daily peak electricity demand, raise household expenditures on energy and probably have a limited impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Using detailed residential billing data, the researchers analyzed gas consumption patterns among 17,072 households in a low-income area served by Southern California Gas Company. (The area, approximately 17 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, included parts of the city of South El Monte and unincorporated Avocado Heights and Bassett.) They compared those patterns to average consumption models for residential customers of Southern California Edison, which supplies electric power to the region.  The study found that throughout the day, the timing of household gas use and electricity use is similar: Both peak during mornings and evenings when gas is needed for hot showers, cooking and laundry. And although gas is still used more during the winter to power heating systems, it is also used during summer months to fuel other appliances such as such as stoves and ovens, washing machines and water heaters.  But the study also found that daily peaks in gas use don’t coincide with the times that renewable energy sources are producing the most energy. Wind power capacity, for example, varies based on weather; solar is most productive when the sun is high in the sky, not during evening and early morning hours. Another factor that could complicate the transition is cost: In Southern California, gas is four to six times cheaper than electricity. Modern electric appliances and well-insulated homes can recoup a portion of the price difference because they use energy more efficiently, but most low-income households cannot afford to retrofit and update appliances.

This is the Second UCLA Study – If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is the second UCLA IoES study to make similar findings about natgas bans.  Earlier this year, UCLA’s California Center for Sustainable Communities found that affluent L.A. neighborhoods use more energy and reap greater benefits from government incentive programs.  In the Los Angeles area, California's renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicle programs are disproportionately rewarding wealthy ratepayers, whose high energy use is being "subsidized" by other ratepayers in the area, researchers at UCLA's found. Analyzing electricity and gas billing data in Los Angeles County from 2006 to 2017, the study reported that residents living in "disadvantaged communities" — or predominantly low-income areas that bear the brunt of environmental pollution — in Los Angeles consume an average of 55% as much electricity and 60% as much natural gas as those living in higher-income communities.  The study also shows that public programs intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy — including rebates for energy-efficient appliances and vehicles, solar installations, and building retrofit programs — are primarily being taken advantage of by affluent residents. This is due in part to the fact that many programs require participants to make up-front payments for energy-efficiency upgrades, as well as to own the property on which they live. 

Barrasso to Take Energy Chair – Sen. John Barrasso announced he will move to the Chairmanship of the Senate Energy Committee should the Republicans hold the majority in the next Congress. Current chair Lisa Murkowski is term-limited. Barrasso is also the No. 3 GOP leader, chairing the Senate Republican Conference. Barrasso’s move opens up the top slot on the Environment and Public Works panel for Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, who is next in line. In addition to environmental matters, that committee also helps write the highway portion of transportation bills.

NYT: Truck Operator Modifications Caused More Pollution – Our friend Coral Davenport has a really great article in the New York Times over the weekend that says over the course of the last decade, the owners and operators of more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks have installed – in some cases unknowingly – illegal devices that disable their vehicles' emissions control technology and will result in excess emissions of more than 570,000 tons of nitrogen dioxide.  The info come from a report from EPA’s Office of Civil Enforcement. The scale of the problem is hard to determine, though Drew Kodjak of the International Council on Clean Transportation said the pollution impact is "far more alarming and widespread" than a previous high-profile scandal involving Volkswagen AG's diesel cars.

EIA: Renewables Still Have Strong Growth – The latest issue of EIA's "Electric Power Monthly" (with data through September 30, 2020) reveals that solar and wind both showed continued, strong growth, expanding faster than all other energy sources during the first three-quarters of 2020.  For the period January - September, solar-generated electricity – including distributed solar - expanded by 22.1% (compared to the same period in 2019) and provided more than 3.4% of the nation’s total. Wind grew by 12.2% and accounted for 7.9% of total generation. Combined, net electrical generation by wind and solar was 15.0% greater than a year ago. Moreover, renewables' share of U.S. electrical generation has eclipsed that of nuclear power (19.4%) and coal (18.6%). NatGas remains the dominant fuel (40.6%) and grew by 3.8% during the first nine months of 2020,

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

Forum to Focus on Future of 45Q CCS Tax Incentive – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar today at 2:00 p.m. on the Future of 45Q Carbon Capture policy tax credit in the Biden-Harris Administration. A distinguished panel of experts will discuss how the federal government can drive essential progress in CCUS development in the United States. Speakers include our friend Rich Powell of ClearPath as well as Baker Hughes’ Allyson Anderson Book, Center for Houston’s Future CEO Brett Perlman and Erin Burns of Carbon180. 

Event to Look at Zero Emission Steel – The Climate Group SteelZero holds a webinar tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. on net zero steel. The event will feature business leaders and experts in the field on the role that organizations can play in driving demand for responsible materials, and explore why decarbonizing steelmaking is not only possible, but critical for getting the world on track to net zero.

Web Event Releases IRENA Report on Energy Transition – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) hosts a forum on scenarios for an energy transition. This webinar will present IRENA’s new report “Scenarios for the Energy Transition: Global experience and best practices”, which showcases efforts from governments and technical institutions worldwide to improve the use and development of long-term energy scenarios to guide national policy-making towards the clean energy transition. The webinar will also introduce IRENA’s Long-Term Energy Scenarios (LTES) Network, a global platform for energy planners to share their experience and good practices in the use and development of LTES. The LTES Network is open to all IRENA member states with established planning processes.”

Forum to Look at Geothermal Resources – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a public discussion with U.S. and Icelandic experts on the future of geothermal energy in the United States. The event will highlight lessons learned from Iceland, the world’s geothermal industry leader, and will focus on the current potential for US geothermal development; the challenges to geothermal growth and scale; as well as the role of fossil energy companies, Enhanced Geothermal Systems technologies, and government policy in geothermal development. And on the heels of the US election, panelists will explore how the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress can support geothermal growth as part of coronavirus recovery and the energy transition.  Keynote remarks will be from Iceland Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Innovation Thórdís Kolbrún Gylfadóttir.  Other speakers include DOE EERE head Dan Simmons, NREL’s Katherine Young, Alexander Richter of the Iceland Renewable Energy Cluster and GeothermEx President Ann Robertson-Tait.

RFF Looks at Green Procurement of NatGas, Cement, Steel – Tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., Resources For the Future (RFF) holds a forum on green procurement programs (GPP) for natural gas, cement, and iron and steel to encourage industry participation and lower carbon footprints. RFF will discuss expanding GPP programs to provide incentives (either directly or indirectly) to stimulate innovation and improve sustainability best practices. Alan Krupnick, who did a recent report on GPP issues, will provide an overview of his report, and explore varying perspectives on this topic from industry, GPP program staff, and legislative staff.

CCS Report Launched – The Global CCS Institute holds a launch event tomorrow at Noon of a climate report release on the "Global Status of CCS Report 2020."  The report demonstrates the vital role of carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS) in reducing emissions to net-zero by 2050 as well as documenting the current status and important milestones for the technology over the past 12 months.  Keynote speaker Is Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tina Bru while panel speakers include Air Liquide’s Vianney de Buchet, LafargeHolcim US Cement CEO Jamie M. Gentoso and Equinor’s Torbjørg Fossum.

Reuters to Discuss Oil, Gas – Reuters will host a live panel discussion tomorrow at Noon on supporting measures and policies for oil industries.

NYT Forum Looks at Financial Systems – The New York Times Climate Hub hosts a forum tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to look at transforming the financial system for a zero-carbon future. There are trillions of dollars in so-called ‘green’ funds, and this event will look at how we can fundamentally redesign financial markets to make responsible, climate-focused investing the rule rather than the exception.

NREL Experts Highlight EE for Buildings – DOE’s EERE will hold a webinar tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. about pioneering developments that are integrating energy efficiency, waste heat, renewable energy, and grid interaction across multiple buildings. This webinar will explore best practices on achieving cost savings and carbon reductions at scale. Speakers include National Renewable Energy Laboratory experts Shanti Pless and Ben Polly, City and County of Denver expert Barb Frommell and Brad Liljequist and Nick Edney of the Catalyst Project.

Rep. Fletcher to Discuss Congressional Energy Agenda – The University of Texas at Austin Energy Institute holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. on Congressional priorities for US energy policy.  The event is part of the UT Energy Symposium and will feature a special conversation with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher about priorities for energy policy and research in the upcoming 117th Congress.

USEA Holds Cyber Forum – The USEA, USAID Cyber security forums continue on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. an industry panel with leading cybersecurity experts. The panelists will present trends in cyber-attacks to global power sector stakeholders and discuss the latest innovative tools and technologies. The second industry panel on Cyber Risk Management will provide an opportunity for leading U.S. companies to share the latest information on their products and services, aimed to measure and assess cyber risks in energy utilities.

Senate Enviro to Move Nuclear Legislation – The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a business meeting Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. to consider a substitute amendment to S. 4897 (116) , American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 and a few other GSA items. 

Energy Economists Host BP World Energy Outlook Expert – The US Assn of Energy Economists hold an in-depth Zoom discussion on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. about the evolving role that oil will play in the energy transition. BP recently released its new Energy Outlook in mid-September in line with a shift in the company’s strategy. The discussion will focus on how BP’s outlook differs from subsequent reports looking at the long term energy mix, the role of electrification and energy efficiency in oil demand profiles, and the implications for fossil fuel producers. The Speaker is Michael Cohen, chief US Economist and Head of Oil Analysis at BP.

Forum to Look at Climate Issues, Impacts – New America hosts a Future Tense forum on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. on recent reporting on climate change impacts across America. Over the past year, New America’s Resource Security team, in collaboration with ASU’s Ten Across initiative, has been talking with the people around the country, from city managers to business executives to federal officials, to gather up their stories about what works and doesn't work when it comes to climate change.   The event features ProPublica’s Abraham Lustgarten, New America 2020 11th Hour Fellow and Senior Editor, The Atlantic Vann R. Newkirk II, former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Tallahassee Director of Housing and Community Resilience Abena Ojetayo, El Paso Chief Resilience Officer Nicole Ferrini and Wellington “Duke” Reiter, Executive Director of ASU’s Ten Across initiative.

Forum to Look at Plastic Waste – Axios for a virtual event on the ongoing problem of plastic waste. We will unpack how policymakers and private sector leaders can partner to eliminate waste in the environment.  Axios Managing Editor Alison Snyder and Business Editor Dan Primack will host one-on-one conversations with Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens, Ingrid De Ryck of Anheuser-Busch and Recycling Partnership CEO Keefe Harrison.  Axios Co-founder & CEO Jim VandeHei will host a View from the Top segment with ACC CEO Chris Jahn.

Forum to Look at Carbon Removal – On Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy holds a discussion with Romany Webb, Senior Fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, on her new paper "The Law of Enhanced Weathering for Carbon Dioxide Removal."  Webb will give a brief presentation on enhanced weathering on land and in oceans and the laws that could, or should, govern it, followed by discussion and questions from the audience.

Forum Looks at Managing Difficult Climate Solution in International Negotiations – JHU’s SAIS Program holds an on-line forum on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. with Joshua Busby, an Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. He has published widely on climate change, global health, transnational advocacy movements and U.S. foreign policy for various think tanks and academic journals.  Busby will look at solutions to managing climate leaders by making the cost/benefit calculus more attractive to prospective followers. 

USEA Hosts Energy Efficiency Forum – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. USEA, the Alliance to Save Energy, and Johnson Controls holds USEA's 30th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum. A special tradition for 30 years, this special forum promotes an energy efficiency ethic through the presentation of national and worldwide views on energy efficiency and the resulting impact on the environment, national security and economic growth. The event will feature a special tribute, Hall of Fame inductions, and a celebratory reception.

ASE to Look at EE Solutions – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the Alliance to Save Energy holds a virtual event to launch the Alliance’s inaugural Active Efficiency Forum, which will celebrate the release of the Active Efficiency Collaborative’s year-one deliverables, including Guiding Principles for Next-Generation Performance-based Program Models and a report on the Grid Benefits of Beneficial Electrification. For the past year, stakeholders with the Active Efficiency Collaborative have explored trends in beneficial electrification and its grid opportunities to provide guidance for policymakers and industry partners in optimizing benefits. Those findings will be unveiled virtually at the inaugural Active Efficiency Forum during “A Discussion on Beneficial Electrification and Grid Opportunities.” Speakers include NASEO’s David Terry and NRECA’s Keith Dennis with Cal Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister leading the discussion.

C2ES Looks at Business Climate Case – The Center for Climate and Environmental Solutions (C2ES) holds a webinar on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. featuring a roundtable discussion on businesses and federal climate policy. Political Climate podcast host Julia Pyper moderates a panel with Calpine CEO Thad Hill, C2ES’s Bob Perciasepe, DSM North America’s Hugh Welsh and Total’s Francois Badoual.

Web Forum Looks at CA Blackouts, Reasons – Power Markets Today hosts a webinar (with live Q&A) on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. looking at keeping the lights on in California.  Pattern Energy Senior Manager of US Political and Regulatory Affairs Johnny Casana, Gridwell Consulting Principal Carrie Bentley, California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA) Executive Director Alex Morris and Energy/Environmental Economics (E3) Senior Partner Arne Olsono will be on the panel to answer questions and provide timely, balanced and high-level perspectives on these key learning points on summer outages, resource adequacy, CAISO moves and other Western Grid issues.

Forum to Look at European Sustainability – POLITICO Europe holds its Sustainable Future Summit on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

NAS to Look at Geo-Engineering – The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine holds a webinar Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on responding to climate change through geotechnical engineering research. This webinar will discuss how geotechnical and geological engineering research might be a crucial part of climate change mitigation and adaptation, building on themes described in 2020 paper.

WCEE Hosts Energy Transition Power Discussions – The Women’s Council for Energy and the Environment (WCEE) and the DC Energy Bar holds a forum on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. to review some of the basics of power system modeling to familiarize EBA members with key terminology, tools, how system modeling works and what it can and cannot do. Arranged as a series of mini-classes for the attorneys and other EBA professional members, these classes will provide a time-efficient education of some basics that practitioners should know to help advise and represent clients.

Vote Solar to Look at Clean Energy Progress – Vote Solar holds a discussion on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. about what this historic election will mean for clean energy policy and climate action in America.  Julia Pyper, host and producer of Political Climate moderates a panel with VS’s Adam Browning, Sara Baldwin of Energy Innovation, Urban Ingenuity CEO Bracken Hendricks and Mom’s Clean Air Force Heather McTeer Toney, who has been talked about as a potential EPA head. 

ASME Talks Clean Energy – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) holds a forum on Thursday and Friday on advanced clean energy issues.  The Keynoter is Alice Jackson, President of Xcel Energy Colorado, while our ClearPath friends Niko McMurray will talk nuclear issues and Jeremy Harrell will discuss geothermal energy.

Wilson to Look at Clean Energy issues in China, Pakistan – The Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum holds a web event on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. on obstacles for clean energy in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This panel will discuss the roadblocks for integrating green energy into CPEC. Atika Rehman and Beth Walker (China Dialogue) will open by discussing the trends of China’s carbon-intensive energy investments in CPEC and their environmental impact. Wang Yan (an independent consultant formerly with Greenpeace) will draw on her field experience in Pakistan and discuss both the opportunities and obstacles for clean energy investment in CPEC. Michael Kugelman, the Wilson Center’s senior associate for South Asia and Asia Program deputy director, will discuss broader energy security considerations in Pakistan.

ACEEE Holds Efficiency, Climate Policy Forum – The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy holds its Efficiency and Climate Policy Forum on Thursday starting at 10:00 a.m. ACEEE research has found that energy efficiency can halve U.S. energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and the Energy Efficiency and Climate Policy Forum will discuss key steps and policies that will help the United States get on this 50% reduction pathway. The forum will feature keynote addresses by a congressional leader and an official associated with the incoming Biden administration plus four sessions focusing on Buildings improvements/electrification, industrial carbonization strategies, advanced transportation vehicles and systems and state-led planning, clean energy standard, and carbon pricing issues.

DOE Forum Highlight Building Life Cycle – DOE’s EERE will hold a webinar Thursday at Noon about the life cycle energy of buildings. This webinar will examine “Real Life” buildings striving to minimize life cycle impacts. It will discuss how the building sector is already incorporating life-cycle impacts of buildings internationally and domestically in commercial building portfolios.

Forum to Look at Biden Energy Issues – ICF experts hold a discussion on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. looking at the major national energy policy issues presented by President-elect Biden during the 2020 campaign, as well as regional and sector implications. 

Forum to Look at Low Income Impacts of Enviro Policy – The New Buildings Institute holds a forum on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on affordable multifamily buildings for low-income communities.  Studies from groups like UCLA’s Institute for Environmental Sustainability show minorities and poor are most at risk of being left behind as local jurisdictions pursue ambitious carbon reduction goals. Presenters from The Community Preservation Corporation and Association for Energy Affordability will share challenges, lessons learned, and actual cost data from successful zero energy affordable multifamily projects.  Multifamily Case studies will cover new construction, deep energy retrofits, getting to zero in a hot-humid climate zone, and more. ASHRAE will present their upcoming AEDG zero energy multifamily guide.

BPC Forum to Look at Hurricane 2020, Resilience – The Bipartisan Policy Council holds an on-line event

Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on hurricane season 2020 and adaptation lessons learned. This hurricane season has been extraordinarily active with 30 named storms, including 13 hurricanes. Despite the unique challenges the COVID-19 pandemic added to response efforts, 2020 is just the latest in a handful of recent, record-setting seasons. BPC will look back at the 2020 hurricane season and assess lessons learned to make us more prepared for a stormy future. Speakers include former FEMA official Jeff Byard, Pamela Williams of the BuildStrong Coalition. Melissa Roberts of the American Flood Coalition will moderate.

NARUC Looks at Corporate Renewables – On Thursday 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.

Forum to Look at Poland Energy Challenges – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Friday at 10:00 a.m. looking at the challenges and opportunities of Poland's energy transition with a virtual fireside chat with His Excellency Michał Kurtyka, Poland’s first Minister of Climate and Environment. This conversation will focus on the challenges and opportunities of Poland’s energy transition and the pathways towards meeting the Paris Agreement targets. The speakers will also discuss how clean energy technologies can drive the economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts to Discuss CCUS – Third Way hosts a forum on Friday at 10:30 a.m. on climate science and carbon capture.  Carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) projects have been on the rise in recent years, opening the door for new industries, good-paying jobs, and important climate solutions. But do we really need CCUS to help solve the climate crisis and whether it can be compatible with efforts to promote environmental justice will be discussed. IPCC tech lead authors Heleen de Coninck and Glen Peters will join IEA CCUS expert Sam McCulloch, NWF’s Shannon Heyck-Williams and WRI’s Jen Wilcox on a panel.  

Web Forum Outlines Economic Climate Risks – The Climate Impact Lab holds a webinar on Friday at 11:00 a.m. looking at the economic risks of climate change and the implications for financial regulators. This one-day virtual conference brings together policymakers, regulators, and leading researchers on the topic of physical climate risk to the U.S. financial system. It is co-hosted by the interdisciplinary Climate Impact Lab, the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, the Kenneth C. Griffin Applied Economics Incubator and Rhodium Group. The event features keynote speakers from the Federal Reserve, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Capitol Hill, and panel discussions that will explore the macroeconomic and regional risks posed by climate change, as well as how to manage the threat.

Forum to VC Innovation Trends – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Friday at Noon that will address “Plug and Play Systems” as part of the EnergySource Innovation Stream series. These are early-state venture capital and global corporate innovation trends. Wade Bitaraf, the founder of energy & sustainability practice at Plug and Play, who will discuss how the platform supports startup development through accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and in-house venture-capital (VC).

CSIS to Host Energy Outlook – On Friday at Noon, the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program will host a discussion of the BloombergNEF’s New Energy Outlook (NEO2020) report. The report is BloombergNEF’s annual economic forecast for the future of the energy sector and will be presented by Seb Henbest, Lead Author and Chief Economist at BloombergNEF.

WaPo’s Eilperin Talks with Legal Experts – The NYU Law School’s Institute for Policy Integrity will host a conversation on Friday at 2:00 p.m. with UVA Law's Michael Livermore and NYU Law's Richard Revesz on rationality and Federal regulatory policy.  Our friend Juliet Eilperin will speak with Livermore and Revesz about federal agencies’ use of evidence, expertise, and analysis in decisionmaking and the outlook for regulatory policy in the wake of the Trump administration. The event explores the future of federal regulatory policy, following the release of Michael Livermore and Richard Revesz’s new book, Reviving Rationality: Saving Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Sake of the Environment and Our Health.

IN THE FUTURE

Bioenergy Office Holds Webinar – The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) holds a webinar next Monday at Noon on broadening participation in the bioeconomy.  BETO’s mission to help transform the Nation's renewable and abundant biomass resources into cost-competitive, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. In FY 2021, BETO is focusing on broadening participation-related topics for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunity.

EPRI Hosts Forum on EVs – The EPRI Washington Seminar, co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, will hold a webinar next Monday at 1:00 p.m. to focus on the intersection of rapid electric vehicle growth and the electric utility sector. Speakers include: EPRI’s Rob Chapman and Dan Bowermaster, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Michael Berube, NRDC’s Sheryl Carter and Katie Sloan, Director of eMobility & Building Electrification for Southern California Edison.

Experts to Discuss Hydro Role in Decarb – The National Hydropower Association holds its Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event, next Monday at 2:00 p.m. looking at the role of hydropower in a rapidly decarbonizing grid, featuring panelists from American Rivers, Stanford Woods Institute for Environment and Union of Concerned Scientists. At this virtual event, panelists will explore the increased role that hydropower can play in decarbonizing the grid, and how it can be accomplished in a way that bolsters the health and vitality of our nation’s rivers. Speakers include American Rivers Bob Irvin, Stanford’s Dan Reicher, UCS’s Steve Clemmer and NHA’s Malcolm Woolf.

Infocast Hosts Mid-Atlantic Renewables Forum – The Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Virtual Conference will be held on December 8th to 10th 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 8th through 10th 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.

USEA to Host Distributed Gen Forum – The US Energy Assn holds a forum next Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. on distributed generation technology.  DGT enables customers to generate, store, consume, and, potentially sell excess power they produce. Most often this is accomplished using increasingly inexpensive solar panels mounted on residential and commercial rooftops. Distribution system experts from the United States and Southeast Europe will discuss models for accelerating integration of distributed generation and introduce a set of policy and regulatory actions needed to do so.

FERC Hydro Course Set – Next Tuesday December 8th at 8:45 a.m., the R Street Institute will host an introduction to FERC Hydropower issues. The course will present a high-level overview of FERC’s hydropower program. It is for those who know very little or need a refresher about how FERC licenses and administers non-federal hydropower projects. Their expert instructor, Tom Russo, who spent 30 years at FERC as a Manager and Sr. Energy Industry Analyst, will explain how to decide on what licensing process to use and how other mandatory Federal and State permits and processes can shape the timing and operations of any hydropower licenses issued by FERC. The course also discusses how the Trump Administration, existing hydropower laws, and new regulations will affect hydropower development in the future. He will also discuss hydropower settlements and how to use FERC as a means of expending licensing and compliance.

BSCE Hosts Carbon Pricing Forum – The Business Council for Sustainable Energyholds a webinar Tuesday December 8th at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the future of carbon pricing policy, innovation and cross border solutions.  The BCSE is partnering with the Embassy of Canada, Capital Power, International Emissions Trading Association and XPrize to host this event.  The virtual round-table will include "fireside chats" with leaders from the U.S. Congress and the Canadian Cabinet on policy approaches to carbon reduction, as well as a panel discussion on the prospects for cross-border collaboration. Additional details and speakers to be announced.

Group Looks to Hydrogen – Next Tuesday December 8th at 1:00 p.m., GreenBiz will hold a webinar on hydrogen.  The event will focus on hydrogen impacts on energy transitions, investment by industry, enabled by supportive government policy, and the rollout of hydrogen technology at the scale required to deliver on its potential, but also to achieve cost reductions. Speakers include Shell’s Ajay Mehta, DOE’s Sunita Satyapal, and Green Hydrogen Coalition head Janice Lin.

Forum to Look at Sustainable Aviation Fuels – On Wednesday December 9th at 11:00 a.m., Future Fuels and European Technology and Innovation Platform (ETIP) are hosting a Roundtable Discussion on sustainable aviation fuel and bring it to market. 

Forum to Look at SLCPs – WRI will hold a will hold a roundtable on short-lived climate pollutants on Wednesday December 9th at 1:00 p.m. This event is designed to serve as an informal preparatory meeting of leaders to inform ambitious action and advocacy in the lead up to the Climate Action Summit on 12 December 2020 commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and as a stepping-stone toward COP26 in November 2021.

WCEE Book Event Looks at Power Trip – On Wednesday December 9th at 5:30 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) holds a book club event focused on Michael Weber’s “Power Trip: The Story of Energy.”

WRI Looks at Paris Agreement Issues – On Thursday December 10th at 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (two sessions), World Resources Institute and UNFCCC experts for a discussion about the climate action state of play, resources to guide NDC enhancement and a demonstration of Climate Watch’s tools to assist policymakers as they work to ramp up ambition, including Explore NDCs, Compare All Targets, LTS Explorer and more.

Groups Post DER report – The Climate Economic Analysis for Development, Investment, and Resilience (CEADIR) and Climatelinks hold a joint event on Thursday December 10th at 10:00 a.m. to explore the findings and recommendations of a new report on distributed energy resources. This will be the sixth event in a series highlighting research products from CEADIR’s final year. The report features recommendations for preparation of a DER roadmap or plan, including a three-phase process and resources for data collection and analysis. It draws on the experiences of U.S. utilities, regulatory agencies, and market operators that have participated in state or regional DER roadmaps and plans in the U.S., Colombia, Mexico, and Vietnam.

Moniz Headlines Reports on Carbon Removal Techs – On December 10, Ernest Moniz will kick off a conversation on CDR Frontiers, a new series of reports by Energy Futures Initiative on critical, yet understudied pathways for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). These understudied pathways include technologically-enhanced terrestrial CDR, oceans-based CDR, and carbon mineralization. CDR will be an indispensable part of addressing the climate crisis and achieving global net-zero emissions. CDR Frontiers identifies the opportunities, challenges, and research priorities needed to move these critical yet understudied CDR options from theory to reality. The virtual event will be held before an audience of policymakers, environmental activists, entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders in the CDR landscape.

ELI to Host Discussion about Climate, Cities – The Environmental Law Institute holds a forum on Thursday December 10th at Noon on cities and their fight against climate change.   A recent title from ELI Press, Remarkable Cities and the Fight Against Climate Change, arms local governments with a diversity of approaches to meet the climate change challenge, focusing on actions that are traditionally within local governments’ land use and development authority. The book stems out of the Sustainability Development Code (SDC) project, led by Prof. Jonathan Rosenbloom, author of the book. The SDC provides concrete ways for communities to amend development codes and adapt to new challenges as they occur, and it aims to help all local governments, regardless of size and budget, build more resilient, environmentally conscious, economically secure and socially equitable communities.

Energy Innovation Conference Set for Houston – U.S. Energy Stream’s Energy Innovation Forum 2020 will be held on December 16 & 17th at the Petroleum Club of Houston, Texas. The Energy Innovation Forum 2020 is an annual market intelligence platform that brings together Congressmen, Senators, government leaders, C-level energy executives, investors and experts. Speakers will include Reps. Randy Weber, Kelly Armstrong, Buddy Carter and Gary Palmer, as well as DOE’s Shawn Bennett and a number of company execs.