Energy Update: Week of November 4

Friends,

The World Series games were amazing…and not just because I was in DC.  Holy Cow!!!! (as Cubs announcer Harry Carey used to say)  The visitors won every game in a seven game series for the first time ever.  Totally unbelievable.  So, fresh off a recent Stanley Cup celebration and last month’s WNBA championship, the Nationals victory celebration/rally/parade was one for the ages.  Even my friend Sean Spicer would admit that was a massive crowd on the mall.  And yes, while we were partying over the weekend, it is important to note that tomorrow is ELECTION DAY for several places including Virginia, where a bunch of state legislative offices are up with very close margins in the State House and State Senate.  Good luck to our friend, Matt Letourneau at the Chamber, who is battling for a third term as a Loudoun County Supervisor. Remember to get out and vote….

The house is out this week, but the Senate has stayed to work on budget issues. November 21^st, the last expected day of session, is when the current CR expires.  Lot’s to do including hopefully a suite of tax extenders. 

EPA announced today it was rewriting Obama’s 2015 rules for coal ash.  Happy to help you find resources on this topic, but start with Utility Solid Waste Activities Group (USWAG) Executive Director Jim Roewer (jroewer@eei.org) and American Coal Ash Assn’s John Ward (wardo@wardo.com).  We also expect we might see some action from EPA on reforming the Environmental Appeals Board. And the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Maui case on Wednesday.

The Senate Energy Committee does hold an important nomination hearing tomorrow on the nominations of James Danly to join FERC and Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy at Interior.  Other hearings include Senate Energy legislative markups Wednesday and Thursday, as well as a Senate Environment hearing on NSR reform featuring my colleague and former EPA Air Office head Jeff Holmstead and NRDC expert John Walke.  Finally, a Senate agriculture panel examines implementation of farm bill’s rural development and energy programs on Thursday.

Speaking of innovation and analysis, the Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT), the Energy Innovation Reform Project, the Nuclear Energy Institute and Exelon will host a discussion on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn looking at a new, original MIT research on deep decarbonization of the electricity sector by MIT Professor John Reilly.  You must attend this important event on Wednesday.

Out of town, the Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition (FCS&EE) will be held tomorrow to Thursday in Long Beach and features DOE's Dan Simmons.  It will also likely have a big announcement or two on hydrogen issues. The Business Council for Sustainable Energy is cosponsor of the event, so stayed tuned for some key announcements later in the week.  There is also an Energy Storage Conference in San Diego and an Oil & Gas Forum in Houston featuring members of Congress.

Finally, this is an important week as Hannah likely plays here last college field hockey games for Wellesley.  What a ride it has been over four years, topped off by a great senior season with 12 goals.  She will likely get All-NEWMAC honors and will play in the Division III Senior game in a couple of weeks. 

That’s all for today, call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

"Because other nations are already forging ahead on the HFC phase-down, it is important for the United States to maintain its leadership in the development of climate-friendlier alternatives and for American industry to seize the global economic opportunity in the market for alternative chemicals and products.  Your bill is a critical step in that direction."

David Doniger, Senior Strategic Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council on the HFC Legislation introduced by Sens. Kennedy and Carper.

ON THE PODCAST

Columbia Podcast Focused on State of Shale Gas Revolution – On this week's Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Jason Bordoff is joined Bobby Tudor, Co-Head of the Advisory business of Perella Weinberg Partners and Chairman of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co, a leading energy investment and merchant bank. Prior to joining TPH, Bobby was a partner with Goldman Sachs & Co. and a leader of its worldwide energy practice, and over his 30-year career in investment banking, has worked on many of the defining transactions of the period. In his volunteer work, Bobby is a patron of the arts and a passionate supporter of higher education, having served until recently as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Rice University. Tudor discusses the recent decline in the Permian and what's next for the U.S. shale revolution, peak oil demand, the energy transition and more.

FUN OPINIONS

Higher Biofuel Mandates Would Hit Refining Communities Hardest– In an op-ed piece in the Detroit News just prior to EPA's hearing in Michigan, AFPM CEO Chet Thompson argues that costly and unworkable federal biofuel blending mandates have burdened refineries in Michigan, the Midwest and across the nation for more than a decade. As the administration now considers forcing biofuel requirements even higher, the objections of refining communities and American drivers who would be hardest hit by this misconceived proposal must be heard. As the sector fueling American manufacturing and the economy, the U.S. refining industry continues to play a key role in the ongoing prosperity of our nation. We would be well-served to advance policies that keep this important sector strong and protect the millions of well-paying jobs it supports.

FROG BLOG

New Report from Cato Says Ethanol Unions, Refiners: RFS Advocates Wrong on SRE Legal Status, Transparency – A new blog and report from the Cato Institute says research on the RFS is nearly unanimous that its corn ethanol mandate degrades the environment.  Cato argues that the RFS was initially sold as a dual path to energy independence and a cleaner environment when it was adopted as part of the 2005 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Cato's report says the policy's consequences extend to a wide variety of ongoing environmental problems, including water pollution and water scarcity, habitat degradation, and air pollution.  EPA will soon have an opportunity to adjust ethanol mandate volumes under the RFS. Unfortunately, recent reporting suggests that the agency may treat the RFS as if it were a part of the Farm Bill, not the Clean Air Act, which would mean more mandated ethanol, not less. As the EPA considers altering the RFS, it should give special attention to the unintended harmful environmental consequences that the ethanol mandate creates.

IN THE NEWS

Kennedy, Carper Introduce Bipartisan HFC Legislation – U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Tom Carper (D-DE) late last week introduced a bill, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, to provide much-needed certainty for businesses in Louisiana and other states on the worldwide transition towards next generation coolants.  The legislation represents a bipartisan effort that brings together the manufacturing industry and environmental groups to preserve jobs in Geismar, St. Gabriel and the rest of the nation.  Action is needed to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive as businesses embrace new innovations.  At issue are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) that are used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners.  The hydrofluorocarbon industry employs 593,000 workers in the U.S. and generates annual sales of $206 billion.  Because of changing global policy, countries are moving away from using hydrofluorocarbons.  The legislation will ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to ensure a smooth phasedown of the manufacturing of hydrofluorocarbons in the U.S. in order to support the next generation technologies.

Bipartisan Group of Cosponsors – The initial group of co-sponsors, which is expected to grow significantly includes John Kennedy (R-LA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Todd Young (R-IN).

AHRI Says Good Start – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) expressed its strong support for bipartisan legislation designed to boost American manufacturing and capture a larger share of the rapidly growing global markets for refrigeration and air conditioning products and equipment. "Globally, markets are already starting to move away from HFCs," said AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek. "A federal HFC phase down keeps U.S. manufacturers in the driver's seat during this transition, creating jobs here at home, expanding market share abroad, and stimulating significant investment in the U.S. economy. Our industry has invested billions of dollars in the research necessary to develop the next generation of refrigerant technologies, which we've performed in concert with partners such as ASHRAE, the Department of Energy, and the California Air Resources Board," said Yurek. "This legislation makes good on that investment, creating regulatory certainty for manufacturers and helping those companies that are bringing to market the next generation of refrigerants that are vital to the health, safety, comfort, and productivity of the American people."

CEOs Say It’s About Jobs – The bill's introduction came after an October 8 letter to House and Senate Committee leadership from the CEOs of 32 HVACR and water heating manufacturers urged support for such a phase down.  "Federal legislation phasing-down HFCs represents a chance to put America first, and to keep American workers at the forefront of this important global industry," the letter stated, noting that, "A recent industry economic study showed that a new federal standard for the phase-down of HFCs would create 33,000 new U.S. manufacturing jobs, add $12.5 billion per year to the U.S. economy, and expand U.S. exports in this sector by 25 percent. Failure to do so will cost U.S. businesses and jobs."

EIA: Gulf Output Increased Dramatically – Energy Information Administration data from August shows a 30% jump in output from the US Gulf of Mexico helped the US set a new oil production record of 12.4 million barrels per day in the month.  The output is an increase of nearly 600,000 bpd from the previous month. Gross natural gas output in the contiguous US also reached a fresh high of 104.2 billion cubic feet per day during the month.

NatGas Increasing Too – The EIA also highlighted that monthly gross natural gas production in the lower 48 states rose to an all-time high of 104.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in August from the prior record of 101.6 bcfd in July.  The 2.6-bcfd rise in Lower 48 gas production was the third biggest on record behind increases of 5.0 bcfd in October 2008 and 2.8 bcfd in November 2005. In Pennsylvania, the second-biggest gas-producing state behind Texas, output rose 0.6% to a record 19.2 bcfd in August surpassing the prior all-time high of 19.1 bcfd in July.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Forum Looks at Candidates Energy Policy – The Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center today gathered leading energy policy experts from across the political spectrum to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of various Democratic climate and energy plans, their political feasibility, and likely outcomes if implemented. Among the panelists will be CRES Director of Policy and Advocacy Charles Hernick.

Forum to Look at Resilience –DOE’s Resilience Week 2019 Symposium is being held today through Thursday in San Antonio to discuss how private and public partners can work together to ensure a secure and reliable flow of energy across the nation. Large disasters may ripple across cities, regions or even nationally through interconnected critical infrastructure systems.  Right now, many of those connections are invisible, making it very difficult to put effective mitigation strategies in place. Critical links are often uncovered too late, causing greater impacts to infrastructure and challenging recovery efforts on the ground.

Chamber GEI Climate Expert Eule to Speak at Risk Event – Today at 4:00 p.m., the Institute of World Politics hosts a discussion on measuring energy security risk in a global energy market with our friend Stephen Eule, Vice President for climate and technology at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Energy Institute.  Energy security has been a perennial concern since the early 1970s. But what exactly do we mean by energy security, and how do we know if it's getting better or worse? This presentation discusses different dimensions of U.S. energy security and how they can be measured in an index. The presentation also will look at how the U.S. performs compared to other large energy-using countries.

Oil, Gas Forum Features TX, LA, AR Members – The 2^nd Houston Gas & LNG Forum 2019 will be held today and tomorrow at the Petroleum Club of Houston. The forum will focus on the role of American and Texan gas and LNG in fueling global economic growth while addressing the critical questions facing the gas and LNG industry in the new environment of Energy Abundance. Sen Ted Cruz and will headline with other speakers including Reps. Randy Weber, Kevin Brady, Bruce Westerman, Lizzie Fletcher, Brian Babin and Garrett Graves.

Danly, MacGregor Hearing Set for Senate Energy – The Senate Energy Committee holds a hearing tomorrow on the nominations of James Danly to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 2023; and Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

POSTPONED – Forum to Look at Ukraine, Energy – The Atlantic Council and the Razumkov Centre event tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. on the state of Ukraine's energy sector has been POSTPONED.   At this event, the Atlantic Council will host Razumkov Centre experts to present a publication on the role of Ukraine's energy sector in the global energy landscape. This will be followed by panel discussions which will explore the current state of energy in Ukraine, immediate and long-term strategies for reform and development, and Ukraine's place in the global energy sector.

DOE's Simmons, SoCal Gas Address Fuel Cell Conference – The Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition (FCS&EE) will be held on Wednesday to Friday in Long Beach.  The Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association and Business Council for Sustainable Energy event brings together hundreds of international manufacturers, fuel providers, customers, policy makers, supply chain, integrators, academics, investors, media, and other key stakeholders.  Speakers will include Reps. Ken Calvert and Mike Levin, DOE's Daniel Simmons (EERE) and Sunita Satyapal (Fuel Cell Tech office), NASEO's David Terry and a speaker from Southern Cal Gas.

Energy Storage Conference Set for San Diego – The Energy Storage North America conference will be held in San Diego tomorrow through Thursday.  The event features officials from Enel, Ford Motor Co., GE Renewable Energy, the California Energy Commission, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

SCOTUS to Hear Water Case – The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Maui case on Wednesday.

Senate Enviro to Look at NSR Reform – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on the Growing American Innovation Now Act on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.  The legislation focused on reform of the New Source Review Program.  Witnesses include former EPA Air Administrator Jeff Holmstead and NRDC air expert John Walke.

Senate Energy Tackles Legislation – The Senate Energy Committee holds legislative hearings on Wednesday and Thursday where they will take up a bunch of energy legislation including ARPA-E Reauthorization on Wednesday.  They will also look at legislation on revenue sharing with states on and renewable energy on public lands on Thursday.

Forum Looks at MIT View on Decarbonizing Power Sector – The Energy Innovation Reform Project, MIT, the Nuclear Energy Institute and Exelon will host a discussion on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn looking at a new, original MIT report on deep decarbonization of the electricity sector by MIT Professor John Reilly.  As several committees of jurisdiction in the Congress consider policies related to the decarbonization of the American economy, the power sector is central to this discussion. Professor Reilly, co-director of MIT's Joint Program on Global Change, has worked with colleagues for several years to produce an original, sophisticated analysis of decarbonization pathways for the power sector and the potential contribution of nuclear energy to a decarbonized grid. The results of the study offer essential insights into today's critical policy questions.

Forum to Look at Carbon-Neutral, Negative Technologies – On Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. in SVC 203 of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, R Street will host a forum looking at understanding carbon-neutral and carbon-negative technologies. Scientists and engineers are in the process of testing breakthrough carbon-neutral and carbon-negative technologies like geothermal source heat and carbon capture and sequestration. These technologies, if given proper regulatory relief and investment, could go a long way toward dramatically cutting global emissions.  Panelists to discuss include Cornell Dean of Engineering Lance Collins, Lee Beck of the Global CCS Institute and former ClearPath ace and current Senate Energy staffer Spencer Nelson.  R Street's William Murray moderates.

Forum to Look at Resilience in Louisiana – On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) will hold a briefing on community-centered resilience featuring an example from Louisiana which holds lessons for all regions of the country. Across the United States, communities are facing increased uncertainty from changes such as shifting agricultural growing seasons and intensifying coastal erosion. These changes hit close to home, and communities should be at the center of finding solutions to increase their resilience. Briefing panelists will discuss the process and outcomes of the LA SAFE initiative to date to provide attendees with an understanding of how this model can be applied in districts across the country.

EPIC Forum to Look at Saudi Oil Attacks – The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Pearson Institute hold a conversation at 5:30 p.m. on energy geopolitics and their economic implications  Robert McNally, the president of The Rapidan Group and a former senior director for international energy at the National Security Council; Suzanne Maloney, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution; and Harris Public Policy Professor Ryan Kellogg, an EPIC affiliated scholar who studies the economics of oil markets will all chime in. The event will be moderated by EPIC Visiting Fellow in Journalism and The Atlantic reporter Robinson Meyer.

Forum Look at CA Transpo Electrification – E2 will host a forum on Wednesday evening in Santa Monica to look at California’s transportation electrification goals.  Leading players will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing transportation electrification, including emerging technologies, policies, funding mechanisms, and partnerships. The event features California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild, EV Connect CEO Jordan Ramer, LA Metro’s s, Colin Peppard, and Southern California Edison’s Namrita Merino.

Solar Corporate Forum Aim to Increase Use – SEIA holds it Solar Goes Corporate forum on Thursday at the Eaton Hotel in DC to discuss and learn how businesses can effectively procure, deploy, and invest in clean energy technologies such as solar, battery storage, wind, and energy efficiency.

CSIS to Host Cornyn on Energy – On Thursday at 8:30 a.m., the CSIS Energy & National Security Program will host John Cornyn (R-TX) to share his views on domestic energy production in the context of U.S. energy policy and the dynamic geopolitical landscape.  The conversation will focus on the impact of recent attacks on Saudi oil facilities as well as domestic shale production policies on the U.S. position in the global energy market.

Equinor To Present Energy Perspectives – Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy will host a forum on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in NYC featuring Eirik Wærness, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at Equinor, to present Equinor’s Energy Perspectives 2019 report.  The report provides a helicopter perspective on macroeconomics and global energy markets towards 2050. The report analyses relevant trends, impact of climate policies, energy mix consequences and sectorial and regional development across three very different scenarios - Reform, Renewal and Rivalry. Following his presentation, Wærness will join Dr. Melissa C. Lott, CGEP Senior Research Scholar, for a moderated conversation.

Senate Ag Look at Rural Energy Programs – On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., a Senate agriculture panel examines implementation of farm bill’s rural development and energy programs.  USDA Witnesses Bette Brand, Bruce Lammers and Chad Rupe will testify.

Forum to Look at Carbon Capture Techs – The US Energy Association hosts a forum on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to look at active reservoir management technologies for carbon capture.  ARM has the potential to improve the commercial viability of geologic CO2 storage, and has applications to the geologic disposal of fluids associated with energy production and a broad cross section of other industries. Treatment and handling of brine or "high total dissolved solids" waters associated with energy production can be challenging and not readily or economically accomplished using conventional water treatment techniques. These fluids are typically disposed of through geologic injection.  John Hamling of the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) will speak. EERC has partnered with the DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory and Nuverra Environmental Solutions to establish a Brine Extraction and Storage Test (BEST) facility to research ways not only to improve the management of fluid injection (including produced water and CO2 storage) but also to develop technologies to treat those produced waters for beneficial use as an alternative to injecting them into a disposal well.

POSTPONED – BPC Hosts Former PGE CEO – The Bipartisan Policy Center discussion with Geisha William, former CEO and president of PG&E Corporation, as part of the Bob and Elizabeth Dole Series on Leadership on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. has been postponed because of schedule conflicts.

Stanford Forum to Feature Conversation with Top Climate Scientist – On Thursday at 3:30 p.m. PST in California, climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe will join Stanford Woods Institute Director Chris Field for a conversation on her career, atmospheric climate science, science communication, and the impacts of a changing climate for people around the world. Hayhoe is a professor in the Public Administration program at Texas Tech University and Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior's South-Central Climate Science Center.

USD Holds Climate Forum – The University of San Diego holds symposium on the future of energy in a changing climate on Friday.  Recent wildfires and power shut-off events throughout California have highlighted the challenge of operating an electric utility in a changing climate. At this year’s Symposium, regulators, utility executives, scholars, and other experts will discuss California’s Public Safety Power Shut-off policy, wildfire cost recovery, utility fire prevention programs, research on future wildfire dangers and utility long-term planning.

Forum to Look at Power Electrification for 2050 – On Friday at 9:00 a.m., Center for Strategic & International Studies hosts a forum to look at electrification pathways to 2050. The next several decades will see pivotal changes in how consumers use energy and how utilities supply electricity. The development of new technologies that could meet demand across major end use sectors - transportation, residential, commercial, and industry - will also have economic and climate change considerations for policymakers and industry. Through this high-level panel discussion, we will consider the challenges and opportunities in the electric power sector for 3 major economies: the United States, Japan, and the European Union.  EPRI's Arshad Mansoor and EEI's Lawrence Jones will speak.

Forum to Look at Community Resilience – On Friday at Noon, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and the National Association of State Energy Officials hold a luncheon discussion on ways to enhance community resilience before disaster strikes.  Reliable and secure energy systems power the U.S. economy and sustain other critical infrastructure systems including, transportation, water, waste, and the built environment. CRES will be co-hosting a luncheon briefing on Friday, November 8, along with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the National Association of State Energy Officials. CRES Executive Director Heather Reams will be one of the afternoon's panelists.

Forum to Look at Green Bank – On Friday at 1:00 p.m. in 2325 Rayburn, the Clean Energy and Technology Staff Association (CETSA) will hold a discussion on financing the clean energy transition.  The event will look at how banks and local governments are adapting their understanding of renewables and related technologies to better support the global energy transition, and gain insights into the main drivers behind green lending strategies. Speakers will discuss the many roles that green banks play, not just as a lender, but also as a source of knowledge and as policy advisers for the clean energy economy.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum to Look at Australian Energy Issues – Next Tuesday, November 12^th at 10:00 a.m., the US Energy Association holds a forum in partnership with the Energy Policy Institute of Australia with Robert Pritchard.  Prichard is the Executive Director of the Energy Policy Institute of Australia and was Founding Chairman of the Section on Energy and Resources Law of the International Bar Association. Pritchard specializes in International Energy Policy and Strategy and is a frequent speaker and author on both Australian and global energy policy issues.  He will discuss the circumstances in Australia today with relatively high domestic prices for natural gas and electricity; the issues regarding LNG exports; various exports; coal exports; the current and future circumstances on renewables and use of nuclear power.

Murkowski to Headline Minerals Forum – In partnership with National Mining Association and its Minerals Make Life initiative, RealClearPolitics will hold a forum on Wednesday November 13^th at 8:00 a.m. to dive deeply into the public policy questions surrounding the importance of minerals, and how the nation’s manufacturing sector, national defense and even green energy technologies depend on a healthy domestic minerals mining industry and improved access to domestic minerals.  Keynote Speaker will be Senate Energy Chair Lisa Murkowski.

BP, Exelon CEOs Headline Climate Forum – The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum on Wednesday, November 13^th at 9:30 a.m. in the Capitol View Conference Center.  Developed in consultation with leading companies in key sectors, the agenda will outline policies to discuss the climate agenda and what is needed over the coming decade to put the US on the path to net zero emissions by 2050.  The event will feature a discussion with Exelon President and CEO Chris Crane and BP America Chairman and President Susan Dio. A panel of representatives from leading companies will follow, discussing the challenges and opportunities for U.S. businesses in achieving mid-century climate goals.

Forum to Look at Enviro, Climate Changes in PICs – The Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program will hold a forum on Thursday November 14^th at 9:30 a.m. to hear from leaders and experts on the multi-dimensional weather, water, and climate-related risks that exist in the Pacific, and how improving and coordinating predictive capabilities to support U.S. decision-making can lead to actionable and effective responses in the region.  Speakers will include former Kiribati President Anote Tong, retired Adm Paul Zukunft and NOAA’s Roger Pulwarty among others.

Forum to Look at Nuclear Fuel Storage – GWU’s Institute for International Science and Technology Policy holds a forum on Thursday, November 14^th at 10:30 a.m. in the Elliott School of International Affairs for a talk by economist Dr. Geoffrey Rothwell, formerly with the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, on the relationships between sizes and costs of wet/dry and onsite/offsite SNF storage facilities.  No event has highlighted the risks of nuclear waste storage better than the double disaster (tsunami and loss of coolant accident) at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants in Japan in March 2011. 

US Chamber Honors Citizens – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is celebrating the 20th Annual Citizens Awards on November 14^th in Washington DC.  The event is a special milestone that reflects almost two decades of some of the most strategic and innovative corporate citizenship programs from businesses, chambers, and associations of all sizes. The Chamber Foundation will be announcing the winners at the Citizens Awards gala in the evening.  Every day, the private sector serves as a powerful force for good in communities across the U.S. and in countries around the world. Since 2000, the Citizens Awards have highlighted how businesses are helping solve today's greatest challenges through innovation, expertise, efficiency, capital, and collaboration. From philanthropy to shared value to corporate social responsibility—the Citizens Awards honors the partnerships and organizations that leverage their resources, expertise, and talent to make a positive impact.  See the 8 categories and nominees here.

Forum to Feature Women in Energy – The Energy and Environmental Law Forum of the Women's Bar Association of D.C. and ELI and the D.C. Bar Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Community will host a forum on the evening of Thursday November 14^th featuring women leading innovation in climate policy.  The event features NOAA’s Monica Medina, NBC4 meteorologist Amelia Draper and C2ES’s Jennifer Huang.

Forum to Look at Growing Role of Renewables – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Clean Energy and Technology Staff Association (CETSA) will hold a briefing Friday November 15^th at 2:00 p.m. on the state of play for renewable energy and energy storage technology in the United States. Renewable energy technologies now account for a substantial portion of the U.S. energy portfolio. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy generated 17% of total energy in 2018, and projections indicate this percentage will continue to grow. This briefing will provide an overview of innovations in renewable energy and energy storage, not only in solar and wind power, but also in geothermal power and sustainable biomass. Briefing panelists will share first-hand knowledge from federal agencies and industry to provide the most up-to-date information on the role of renewable energy in the country's energy mix. ACORE's Bill Parsons.

Energy Economists’ Panel to Discuss China, Trade Issues – The US Energy Economists of the National Capital Area will hold a panel on the effect of China tariffs on U.S. energy exports on Friday November 15^th at Noon at Carmines. The trade war promised by the Trump Administration between China and the United States is well underway. Until 2018, exports of U.S. energy products to China had been rising steadily. Those quantities have declined in the last 18 months. An expert panel will discuss the near-term future of Chinese purchases of crude oil, methanol, LNG, NGLs and refined products.  Panelists include Gregory Dolan of the Methanol Institute, API economist Dean Foreman and CSIS’s Jane Nakano.  Argus Media editor Haik Gugarats moderates.  

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.

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.