Energy Update: Week of November 9

Friends,

It has been a bizarre week since we last talked on November 2^nd – the day before this historic election.  While polls showed a wide lead for former Vice President Biden, the Tuesday voting (and all the pre/mail-in voting) resulted in a much closer race, interestingly once again centered around the “Blue Wall” States of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. With Biden carrying all three this time by slim margins, potentially even Georgia where Biden has a razor-thin lead, he becomes the 46^th President.

There will be lots of time for takes on what happened in the Presidential race and how it ended up so close, but the bottom line is Biden did better with white voters and suburban voters, while surprisingly, President Trump held his own in some interesting and unexpected ways, which was more than enough for his GOP ticket-mates, who ran ahead of him by an average of 2.6 points across the map. At the end of the day, the additional 3-4 points by which Trump was able to over-perform his polling blunted any talk of a Blue Wave and instead led to a conspicuously split decision in spite of the clear, but narrow Biden win.

While there is still the prospect of legal challenges and recounts ahead of us, recounts rarely lead to major changes (that could impact the differences in AZ, NV, WI, PA or MI) and legal challenges appear to be very uphill battles that run contrary to the typical presumption of election law in favor of counting ballots.

There is lot of coverage of the election and its impacts on the energy/environment/climate including a great piece by Amy Harder on the climate election results, an excellent analysis by Vox’s Dave Roberts and, of course, the full Bracewell Post-Election materials and webinar (you can replay the full event here) are available.  Our friends at POLITICO have a series of stories on transition as does Bloomberg, E&E and many others. We expect the transition issues to really pick up steam and we are in “continuous-monitoring” mode.  The Biden-Harris transition team launched its website over the weekend, reiterating its four top priorities: COVID19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change. Feel free to reach out should you have questions or need experts. 

Finally, Election 2020 is not done.  We have two Georgia Runoffs to go which will actually determine control of the US Senate.  My colleague Liam Donovan has a full Georgia Runoff takeaway here.  Bottomline: While Republicans will begin as the favorites in these races, there is reason to think that this will not be typical of runoff races as Biden is poised to barely win the Peach State outright giving Dems symbolic (if not real) momentum and the race will flooded with cash and media/political attention.

So, as we watch transition this week and Trump reax to his loss, we starting to talk about the lame duck Congress.  While originally I thought a sweeping victory would have limited interest in a lame duck, the result from Tuesday have changed that landscape some.  We expect there may be some movement on several items in the lame duck session beyond the typical required budget items.  But we likely have a few weeks to still sort that out.

With Congress only in limited session because of Veteran’s Day on Wednesday (PLEASE remember to honor/thank our veterans every day, BUT ESPECIALLY Wednesday), there still are some good events headlined by tomorrow’s National Hydropower Association Election review, Thursday’s Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Clean Energy Business Network and CRES Forum on the 2020 election results and impacts for the Clean Energy Economy and Friday’s RFF event on the future of Direct Air Capture focusing on climate change mitigation.

Finally, no matter your views a on her and her stance on climate, you have to love the spunk in Greta Thunberg’s recent tweet trolling President Trump after Tuesday election results.  I honestly don’t take much policy advice from her but her post using Trump’s own words back against him totally made me crack up.  The Masters… YES I said it… The Masters starts in Augusta on Thursday.  No Par 3 this year on Wednesday, but we will finally get it done.  Can’t wait.  BTW, Won some great cash on the 9-8 exacta box Saturday as Authentic roared to the Breeder’s Cup title wire-to-wire outpacing Improbable at Keeneland in Lexington.

Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy. 

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“I don’t want to sugarcoat it. We didn’t win every state. We won the most important one.”

Gene Karpinski, LCV president, on a call with reporters last week. Out of 21 races across the Senate and House LCV invested in, it looks likely they will have won six and lost 15

“The more climate change was on the agenda, the more it drove up votes in blue states, but it worked against Democrats in purple states, in battleground states. The fear that a lot of House members have is that going forward, Republicans will use this issue in trying to take back the House in 2022.”

A former Obama administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity given tense intra-party divisions on climate issues.

“We’re seeing that Joe Biden has a climate mandate and we expect him to do everything in his power to act on climate change.”

Varshini Prakash, head of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, in a somewhat optimistic look at Tuesday election results.

ON THE PODCAST

Political Climate Podcast: Election Wrap – In this edition of Political Climate, the podcast team discuss what we know so far — from the top of the ticket down to local ballot initiatives — and what those results mean for climate and clean energy policy. Then they look at what a divided Congress would spell for a Biden presidency and the future of his ambitious climate plan. From solar tax credits, to vehicle fuel economy standards, to oil drilling permits, they discuss what's likely to advance and what doesn't stand chance with Glenn Schwartz, director of environmental and energy policy at Rapidan Energy Group.

FUN OPINIONS

WSJ: Biden’s Non-Mandate Victory – The Wall Street Journal editorial board says Joe Biden may win the White House, but his party and progressive ideas lost on Election Day.  The closer we inspect the nationwide election returns, the more the result looks like a defeat for the rest of his Democratic Party and especially for the progressive agenda. Biden would take office without a mandate beyond addressing COVID19 and not being Donald Trump. But look down the ballot, or across the country, and Mr. Biden’s potential victory looks remarkably limited and personal. Most new Presidents enter office having swept allies into Congress and statehouses as the public embraces his agenda and vision for America. Certainly this was true of Barack Obama in 2008 and to a lesser extent Trump in 2016.  Biden had no such coattails. “Biden barely mentioned the agenda his aides developed with Bernie Sanders, and the press barely asked him about it. When the former Vice President did finally admit in the last debate that he wanted to “transition” the economy from fossil fuels, his campaign had him scramble to explain it away.”

FROG BLOG

HARDER: Climate Issue had Mixed Election Results – In her column today in Axios, Amy Harder writes that climate change got more attention this election cycle than ever, but the (political) science is mixed on whether it helped or hurt candidates who ran on it. “Joe Biden campaigned on the topic more than any other presidential nominee, which climate activists say is a victory. But his wins in battleground states may have come in spite of it, not because of it, political observers say.”

Roberts on Election: Biden Yes, Green New Deal NO– A blog in Vox by columnist David Roberts says as Joe Biden become the 46^th President, the outlook for global warming has consequently been upgraded from hopeless to merely very desperate. Biden ran on an ambitious plan to address climate change and its effects. Biden will have plenty of backseat drivers on the left, convinced that if he’d just made this or that speech, endorsed this or that policy, wooed this or that lawmaker, he could have accomplished everything. But the baseline political fact, for Biden as for Obama, will be the sharp limits drawn by total GOP intransigence.

IN THE NEWS

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

Chatterjee Out as FERC Chair – In a post-election scramble, President Trump announced that he was moving James Danly to Chairmanship of FERC, moving current Chair Neil Chatterjee out of the position.  A former administration official and industry sources told POLITICO on Friday Chatterjee's demotion from the FERC chair was the result of a yearlong effort by White House officials who were angered by his moves at the energy regulator to help renewable power and allow energy markets to put a price on climate change-causing carbon dioxide emissions.  There were also reports that the surprise demotion stemmed, at least in part, from his unwillingness to go along with the Trump administration's edicts against diversity training.  In the strange bedfellows’ category, House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone came to Chatterjee’s defense blasting Trump’s move in a statement an “outrageous attack” on an independent agency at a time of transition. “While I certainly had my disagreements with Chairman Chatterjee over major policy issues, he led the Commission with distinction. His sudden removal as Chairman for merely starting a dialogue on markets and climate change, while working across the aisle to preserve state prerogatives on distributed generation, is as petty as it is wrong.” 

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

GTM to Host Energy Storage Summit – Greentech Media will host the Energy Storage Summit today to Thursday.  The event includes senior executives from ISO New England, Fluence, Eversource, NYISO, Leyline Renewable Capital, Portland General Electric as well as LS Power.  The virtual sessions will touch on the latest technology advancements for both li-ion and non-li-ion batteries, the impact of COVID-19 and supply constraints on technology prices, US state policy developments, DER aggregation strategies.

Conference on Renewables Set – The Renewable Thermal Collaborative is convening the first annual RTC Summit today and tomorrow. The premier event dedicated to renewable thermal solutions. The Summit is a unique opportunity to engage with RTC members and sponsors, and stakeholders from across the corporate, technology, finance, innovation, and policy sectors. The conference will include a variety of panels featuring top experts and virtual networking opportunities to engage with other industry leaders.

Offshore Wind Forum Set – The Business Network for Offshore Wind holds a virtual conference today to Wednesday on R&D in the offshore wind sector.  Speakers will include DOE EERE’s Dan Simmons, Danielle Merfeld of GE Wind, NREL’s Walt Musial and many more.  

Atlantic Forum Looks at Europe Energy Bridge – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center is hosting a virtual event tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the launch of USAID’s new US-Europe Energy Bridge (the Bridge) initiative. The Bridge is the next stage of USAID’s energy sector assistance—this over $90 million initiative will connect European and Eurasian energy sector stakeholders with the financing, technological, and operational expertise necessary to address significant critical infrastructure investment and management needs. Brock Bierman, USAID assistant administrator for Europe and Eurasia will provide the keynote address, followed by a short presentation by Dr. Steven Burns, chief, energy and infrastructure for USAID’s bureau for Europe and Eurasia. Subsequent to these remarks, an expert panel will discuss USAID’s evolving role in promoting energy security in Europe and Eurasia, with a focus on the next five years of the Bridge initiative.

Event to Look at Climate Talks – Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., 2050 Pathways Platform and World Resources Institute are hosting this virtual event to present a new resource to support countries in designing and communicating robust net-zero targets. Representatives from the United Kingdom and South Africa will share their countries’ experiences in the journey toward net-zero emissions.

S&P Forum to Look at NatGas Price Index – S&P Global Platts team holds a webinar on tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the future of Natural Gas Index development.  The event will demonstrate the capabilities of Platts Trade Vision price submission platform, the future of index development in North America.

Energy Economists Talk Post Election – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., the US Energy Economists will host a discussion of the 2020 elections and their impacts on the rate of change of the future US energy mix and how fast the US moves toward a CO2 free future.  NCAC will hold a moderated discussion with Katherine Hamilton to analyze the outcome for President, Senate, and House from the viewpoint of domestic energy policy.

Forum to Look at Gas Techs – Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., the Gas Technology Institute hosts a forum with expert Terry Marker where he will discuss gas-to-liquid fuels in this presentation about creating liquid transportation fuels from CO2, natural gas or RNG. Energy resources to produce clean fuels are available in plentiful supply, and innovative technology can unlock their potential in environmentally sustainable ways. Processes that economically convert natural gas, ethane, and biogas into liquid fuels and synthesize them with captured CO2 can significantly reduce emissions.

WCEE to Hosts Science, Enviro Leader – Tomorrow at Noon, the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE) is hosting Michelle Wyman, the Executive Director at the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE). WCEE will feature a virtual discussion to hear discuss Wyman’s professional journey, during which she led efforts to address climate mitigation and adaptation challenges through science-based solutions. Wyman will also discuss how building consensus on climate and energy policy has evolved in the last 20 years, and ways we can apply lessons learned to solve today’s complex environmental challenges

SP to Look at Hydrogen – S&P Global is hosting major new conference tomorrow at Noon that focuses on the growth of hydrogen as part of the move toward decarbonization. The event will look at near-term growth potential, industry supply chain, pricing trends, and future market dynamics, and will feature presentations, panel discussions and audience Q&A with speakers.

Forum to Look at Work Bank Enviro Approach – The Georgetown University's BMW Center for German and European Studies holds a webinar tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. on the World Bank Perspective on environment, natural resources and blue economy in Europe.

Forum Looks at Renewable Diesel – The Diesel Technology Forum holds a webinar tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. on the future of diesel looking at advanced renewable biofuels and hybridization. The session features speakers from industry leaders Cummins, John Deere and renewable fuels provider Neste and will explore technology development, regulatory influences and customer demands driving the powertrains for the future.

Hydro Group Looks at Election Results – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the National Hydropower Association holds a post 2020 election seminar where experts will unpack what the 2020 election results will mean for hydropower’s legislative, regulatory and wholesale energy markets efforts going forward.  Our friends Malcolm Woolf, Scott Hennessey of Brookfield Renewables, Rob Gramlich and ELCON CEO Travis Fisher.  

GW to Host India Renewable Leader – On Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., George Washington University will hold an event addressing climate change action. This talk by Varun Sivaram will draw on firsthand experience in each of these sectors to discuss how government leaders, private executives, and academic and nonprofit thought leaders can contribute to swiftly decarbonizing the global economy to curb harmful climate change. Sivaram is the Chief Technology Officer of ReNew Power, India's largest renewable energy company.

Forum to Look at Health, Environment – The State Energy and Environmental Impact Center and the Environmental Law Institute hold an online press conference Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on resolving health and environmental crises. The press conference will feature a new book on key lessons learned from past judicial and legislative settlements of major health and environmental crises.  Speaker Scott Fulton, President of the Environmental Law Institute, and David J. Hayes, Executive Director of the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center, will address the book.

Forum Loos at Nuclear Threat Report – The Nuclear Threat Initiative and the World Institute of Nuclear Security will hold a forum Thursday at 11:00 a.m. to look at the recently published Special Report on the Security of Advanced Reactors and presentation its key findings, as well as a discussion about ways to include security in advanced reactors. Third Way’s Jackie Kempfer is among the speakers.  

Summit to Look at Science – The Aspen Institute will hold virtual Future of Science in America summit on Thursday at Noon.  The event which will dive into the high stakes ahead for science in 2021. Through rotating paired conversations with six experts from academia, industry, advocacy, and government, this event will explore (re)building public trust in science, the latest science and policy developments on the COVID vaccine front, and which aspects of science should be prioritized in the next four years.

DOE Holds Building Science Meeting – The U.S. Department of Energy holds a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call on Thursday at 1:00 p.m.  It will look at conversations with utility commissions, efficiency programs and homeowners.

BCSE Election Round Up Set – The 6^th installment of Powering Forward, hosted by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Clean Energy Business Network, will be held in partnership with Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. This webinar will focus on the outcomes of the November 3 national election and its implications for the clean energy economy. Specifically, clean energy executives and policy experts with viewpoints from across the political spectrum will discuss legislation and policy prospects in the lame-duck period, the 117^th Congress and the next Presidential administration.

AEE Looks at FERC Order – On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., the Advanced Energy Economy will hold webinar to break down FERC’s Order 2222 and examine the questions that DER developers, utilities, and grid operators will have to grapple with as they put Order No. 2222 into practice.

CSIS Holds Climate Solutions Event – The Center for Strategic and International Studies holds its sixth and final session in the Climate Solutions Series on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. to look at carbon dioxide removal solutions. This event will examine technological and nature-based solutions for atmospheric carbon removal and storage.  Roger Aines (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) will give an overview of carbon removal methods. Erin Burns (Carbon180) will discuss the technical and policy opportunities and challenges for direct air capture. Cathy Macdonald (The Nature Conservancy) will then discuss her organization’s approach to nature-based carbon solutions and the policy framework necessary for them.  The session will close with a panel discussion on how carbon removal solutions contribute to reaching net-zero global GHG emissions and the outlook for their deployment, moderated by John Larsen (Rhodium Group).

RFF to Look at Direct Air Capture – On Friday at Noon, Resources For the Future holds a discussion on the future of direct air capture in mitigating carbon emissions. Negative emissions strategies expert Jennifer Wilcox (World Resources Institute) will explore the current state of direct air capture technologies, the challenges that remain in both development and deployment, and policy drivers impacting the future of direct air capture in the United States. RFF President and CEO Richard G. Newell will then moderate a Q&A session.

EESI to Look at Nuclear Waste – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a forum on Friday at 2:00 p.m. pending nuclear waste legislation, including amendments to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and other bills, which would radically alter the way radioactive waste from civilian nuclear power plant is handled and stored. The nuclear waste issue is coming to a head as more and more nuclear plants shut down and enter decommissioning. The briefing will discuss the status of pending bills and amendments and how they propose to deal with these problems and risks. While most Hill watchers expect few bills to move in this Congress after the election, it is worth noting that in the past, when legislation that changed how the United States handles nuclear waste was enacted, it occurred during the lame duck session, and therefore could again. This is the third EESI briefing on nuclear plant decommissioning and radioactive waste issues. It will be a moderated discussion with leading experts and advocates.

Wilson to Look at US Research, Diplomacy – The Woodrow Wilson Center's Polar Institute holds a webinar on Friday at 2:00 p.m. on U.S. research and diplomacy on Antarctica. This program will specifically explore the importance of U.S. research efforts in and around the continent, the unique role of the U.S. Coast Guard in supporting these endeavors, as well as U.S. diplomatic interests and efforts in a time of dynamic change.

Forum to Feature Climate Incubator – On Friday at 3:30 p.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center will host Greentown Labs CEO Dr. Emily Reichert, who will discuss how Greentown Labs provides climatetech startups the knowledge, connections, and equipment they need to thrive. As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs brings together startups, companies, investors, and policymakers, with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Dr. Reichert will explain how Greentown Labs offers prototyping and wet lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers and investors.

Baker Forum Look at Life Cycle Impacts of Clean Energy – On Friday at 4:00 p.m., the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies holds a forum on the impacts across the life cycle for decarbonization solutions are largely unquantified from a sustainability perspective. Mike Levy, senior associate for First Environment, and Sarah Marie Jordaan, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, will explore how LCAs can be an informative tool in achieving sustainability and circularity. As pressure rises to accelerate the energy transition, they will also touch on topics such as LCA approaches, interpretation and communication, international standardization, and application to the energy industry.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum to Feature Eni Exec – Next Monday at 10:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council holds a conversation with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi to discuss how he views his company’s role in the broader energy transition, why he is leading the company into one of the most significant transformations in its history, and how his company is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and market turmoil. The discussion will be moderated by Frederick Kempe, president and chief executive officer of the Atlantic Council. The event will also feature Ernest Moniz, president and chief executive officer of the Energy Futures Initiative and former US secretary of energy, as a respondent in the discussion.

ELI Forum Looks at Decarbonization of Utilities – Next Monday at Noon, the Environmental Law Institute and expert panelists will explore how corporate renewables and climate commitments are creating pressure on cities as they compete for business recruitment and retention, and how that pressure in turn is creating incentives for a more rapid decarbonization of electric utilities.

Forum to look at Path to Net Zero – OurEnergyPolicy host another of its Energy Leaders Webinar Series next Monday November 16^th at 1:00 p.m. featuring National Grid President Badar Khan.  Khan will provide a vision for how utilities can meet climate goals while ensuring reliability.  Bracewell and API are sponsors of the event.

Hydrogen Event Set – The Green Hydrogen Coalition, in collaboration with the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB), is hosting its 2^nd annual Green Hydrogen Visions Conference on November 17-18^th.  The event brings together policymakers, industry leaders, utilities, and non-governmental organizations to accelerate progress for green hydrogen market and infrastructure development in the Western United States and beyond.  Speakers will include DOE’s Dan Simmons and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Chamber Foundation Hosts Sustainability Awards – The US Chamber Foundation holds its 2020 Sustainability Awards in a virtual ceremony on November 17^th to 19^th.  From advancing youth employment, to setting ambitious sustainability goals, to combating hunger in communities hit hard by the pandemic, this year's Citizens Awards finalists show how business-led solutions are expanding opportunity and driving progress in every aspect of society.

SE Renewables Forum Set – On November 17^th to 19^th, the 5^th annual Southeast Renewable Energy Summit will be held to investigate the future buildout of renewables in the Southeast.  Speakers include Dominion’s Katharine Bond, TVA’s Chris Hansen and Duke’s Laurel Meeks.

Forum to Look at Oserian Project – On Tuesday November 17^th, the U.S. Energy Association (USEA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) holds its fourth installment of the Geothermal Industrial Park webinar series presented by the U.S. - East Africa Geothermal Partnership (EAGP) looking at Oserian Two Lakes Geothermal Industrial Park Case Study.  In this webinar, Neil Hellings of Oserian will present a case study of Two Lakes Industrial Park, covering topics such as direct use geothermal, obstacles for establishing industrial parks, and solutions to create economically viable industrial parks.

Forum Look at Ports – The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) holds a forum on Tuesday November 17^th at Noon looking at U.S. ports, which are critical infrastructure for international trade and local economies, are vulnerable to sea level rise, erosion, storm surge, and flooding exacerbated by climate change. This briefing will feature two port systems that are leading the way to adapt to climate impacts while reducing port greenhouse gas emissions. Joshua Berger, Governor Inslee’s Maritime Sector Lead and the chair and founder of Washington Maritime Blue, will discuss Washington State’s collaborative effort to build a sustainable blue economy. The Maryland Port Administration's Jill Lemke and Kristen Keene will discuss specific adaptation and resilience projects at the Port of Baltimore—including projects that have already been tested by extreme weather impacts.

Forum Looks at Climate Resilience – The Atlantic Council holds a forum on Tuesday November 17^th at 1:00 p.m. on the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding with resilience. During this event, speakers will focus on the need to carry out ambitious actions on building resilience and identify what can be done to set up a decade of action. This high level event will bring together the outcomes of the Regional Resilience Dialogues and Race to Zero resilience-focused dialogues and highlight how to advance the action of non-state actors and initiatives to deliver outcomes at COP26 and beyond.

Forum to Look at CCS in SW Louisiana – On Tuesday November 17^th at 1:00 pm through Wednesday, the Global CCS Institute and USEA, with the support of the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, holds a forum to explore opportunities to deploy CCUS projects in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.  Among the speakers will be Gulf Coast Sequestration’s Ben Heard (who recently filed for an EPA permit) and many others speak.

Forum Looks at Insurance – Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) hold a dynamic conversation on Tuesday November 17^th at 3:00 p.m. featuring some of industry’s front-line leaders to discuss emerging insurance products, the Natural Catastrophe insurance market & the need for a smarter and more innovative approach among all stake-holders to adequately protect our projects, while enabling a faster & more profitable renewable energy transition.  

Forum Targets Climate Engagement – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center is hosting a virtual event on Wednesday November 18^th at 8:00 a.m. that will identify avenues for renewed US climate cooperation in the lead up to COP26 and beyond. The event will feature an expert panel discussion with Claire Healy, director of E3G’s Climate Diplomacy, Risk and Security Program, Ana Unruh Cohen, staff director for the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Katarina Kertysova, policy fellow at the European Leadership Network, and Alden Meyer, US country lead for the International Climate and Politics Hub.

Forum to Address Energy Sector Cyber Threats – The US Energy Assn holds a forum on Wednesday November 18^th at 9:00 a.m. on energy sector cyber security in a webinar that is part of series to educate utilities on cyber standards, trends, and best practices. An industry panel on Energy Sector Cyber Threats, Intrusion Detection & Testing will provide an opportunity for leading U.S. companies to share the latest information on their products and services, aimed to increase power utilities’ awareness and strengthen their preparedness for cyber threats.

Forum Looks at Battery Manufacturing – On Wednesday November 18^th at 10:00 a.m., the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation holds a transatlantic discussion of EV battery policy and how cooperation and competition might best be balanced for this “industry of the future” that’s already here.

Forum Target LNG Standards – On Wednesday November 18^th at 10:00 p.m., USEA holds a deep-dive into API standards for the LNG Industry.  It will be part of the U.S.-Asia Gas Partnership (AGP). The webinar will review how standards play an integral role in attracting project investment, protecting workers and the environment, and reducing regulatory complexity for governments. API will first give a high-level overview of the potential market for liquefied natural gas in the Indo-Pacific region, touching on economic and emissions reductions benefits that generally result from fuel switching to natural gas. API will then provide a technical deep dive into six of its mostly widely used liquefied natural gas standards - standards that are directly relevant to the Indo-Pacific region’s burgeoning gas market.

Event to Look at Clean Energy Innovation – Foreign Policy and ClearPath are hosting a conversation about driving innovation in the U.S. clean energy market to boost domestic economic growth and combat climate change on Wednesday November 18^th at 11:00 a.m. Speakers will include US Senator Kevin Cramer and Poland’s Secretary of State for Strategic Energy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Naimski.

Forum to Look at Diversity in Energy Sector – The Washington DC Chapter of the Women’s Energy Network holds a virtual lunch and learn discussion on Allyship - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the energy sector on Wednesday November 18^th at Noon.  During the one-hour event, Paula Glover leads a discussion of women of color’s experiences in the energy industry, what can be done to create a more inclusive environment and if there are policies either internally or externally we can support to move the ball forward. National Grid’s Tatiana Roc and California Resource Corporation’s Margita Thompson join Glover.

Forum Looks at Aviation, Climate – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) holds a forum on Wednesday November 18^th at Noon invites as part of its briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series will cover ports, aviation, and public transit looking at commercial aviation and climate impact.  This briefing will examine two of these strategies—sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and aircraft technology improvements. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) will deliver opening remarks. Chris Tindal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) will address the potential of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels with life-cycle emissions substantially below conventional fossil-based jet fuel and the policy formula for scaling up the SAF industry. Barbara Esker of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program will describe NASA’s role in the development of new efficient engine and airframe technologies as well as gas-electric propulsion.

SEIA Look at Election 2020 – On Wednesday November 18^th at 3:00 p.m. SEIA evaluates the Impact of the 2020 Election on the clean energy industry in a roundtable to looking at the consequences for the future of energy and climate policy in the United States. The SEIA roundtable will evaluate how the results of the 2020 election will impact the clean energy industry for the next four years and beyond.

Press Club Holds 4^th Estate Gala – On Nov. 18^th, National Press Club’s Journalism Institute celebrates some of the important journalistic work done for 2020 with its Fourth Estate Awards Gala. During our first-ever virtual gala, they will CBS News president Susan Zirinsky as the 48^th recipient of the Fourth Estate Award. The ceremony will also recognize Philippino journalist Maria Ressa with the 2020 international John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award; freelance photographer Linda Tirado, who was badly injured while covering the Minneapolis protests after George Floyd’s death, with the 2020 domestic John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award; and Ed Yong, the staff writer at The Atlantic the 2020 Neil and Susan Sheehan award for investigative journalism for his work on the coronavirus.

Forum to Look at Battery Storage – Climatelinks and CEADIR holds a joint event on Thursday November 19^th at 9:00 a.m. to explore findings and recommendations to help policy makers, regulators, utilities, and clean energy developers create a fair landscape for procuring utility-scale battery energy storage systems.

Groups to Focus on Climate Action – On Thursday November 18^th at 9:00 a.m., World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks Foundation, with input from Climate Action Tracker holds a launch event for  a major report to gain insights from experts on progress being made across six key sectors (power, buildings, industry, transport, forests and agriculture) -- and, even more importantly, what we need to achieve by 2030 and 2050 to get on track for a safer, climate-resilient future. This analysis is especially timely as the world prepares to take stock of what was accomplished since the Paris Agreement was adopted five years ago. 

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

Forum Slated to Look at Carbon Trade Issues – On Friday, November 20^th at 8:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center hosts a conversation with leading experts to discuss alternatives for international policy cooperation that amply reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing the transatlantic trade relationship. A distinguished panel will examine policy harmonization alternatives to competing carbon border adjustment mechanisms. The event features Matthew Porterfield, deputy director of Georgetown University Law School’s Harrison Institute for Public Law, David Kleimann, visiting research fellow in Georgetown University Law School’s Institute of International Economic Law, and Nora Loehle, program director of the Energy and Environment Program for the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

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

Forum to Look at Climate, Cities – The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program, in partnership with Blueprint, holds the first in a series of roundtables about the future of cities on Friday November 20^th at Noon. The event will look at cities and how climate change might impact how cities are planned and operate and ultimately, how might the shape of our cities change to center around people and neighborhoods.

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