Energy Update: Week of October 12

Friends,

Starting early this Tuesday morning having spent most of the day on Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day working on update (and maybe eating a cannoli or two). First off, congrats to the Seattle Storm who stormed through the WNBA “bubble” playoffs without losing a game to win their 4^th Championship, much to delight of our Bracewell Seattle team.  And the Lakers finished off Miami to win their 17^th NBA Championship. And surprisingly, Rafa Nadal won the French Open again for the 13^th time, notching his 20^th major (tying Roger Federer).  He is just invincible on the clay court.

On the Hill, we are mostly following the start of the Amy Coney Barrett hearings in the Senate grabbing most of the attention, but there are some COVID issues being discussed and several other Committee-related activities with the Natural Resources Committee Democrats holding another of their partisan and controversial forums tomorrow on offshore drilling and the need for a permanent Federal ban and Thursday looking at federal grantmaking enviro justice inequities for coastal communities.

With the release of the IEA’s 2020 World Energy Outlook this morning, one major item we noticed was its prediction that solar will provide 80% of the projected global demand growth in electricity over the next decade. To that end, today the Energy Innovation Reform Project is releasing a new report that seeks to contribute to public understanding of the land use issues related to solar and wind power in the United States. The report reviews over 100 academic studies and U.S. government reports that address land use impacts of solar and wind power and develops five key takeaways to spur an objective debate.

In CCS world, there is big news today for Gulf Coast Sequestration in SW Louisiana where what could be one of the world’s largest geologic CCS projects moved another step forward with efforts underway to get an EPA Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit. 

Finally, with COVID discussions seemingly stuck (tune in to the latest Bracewell update with Liam Donovan HERE), the HVACR industry is launching an informational campaign aimed at helping school systems nationwide improve indoor air quality as a way to make schools safer for learning and teaching. The campaign, which builds on an AHRI White Paper, Anatomy of a Healthy School, is designed to help building engineers maintain and design school buildings for occupancy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air Liquide US CEO Mike Graff recently started a Twitter account and given the recent focus on hydrogen and energy transitions, he would be worth a follow at @_MikeGraff.  Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy. 

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“Despite a record drop in global emissions this year, the world is far from doing enough to put them into decisive decline.”

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol during the release of IEA’s 2020 World Energy Outlook

“…frying tortillas and stir-frying on an electric stove actually produced significantly higher concentrations of particulate matter than they did when performed on a gas stove.”

A study on indoor air quality from residential cooking prepared for the California Air Resources Board

ON THE PODCAST

Harder, RFF’s Newell Discuss Elections on Podcast – In its new podcast series Big Decisions, Resources for the Future guest host and RFF President and CEO Richard Newell launches the first episode by talking with Amy Harder, an energy and climate change reporter at Axios. Harder discusses the environmental policy conversations that could animate decisionmakers next year, whether Democrats win the presidency and majorities in both chambers of Congress, or President Trump prevails again. Regardless of who gains the majority in this year’s presidential election, Harder sees potential for bipartisan compromise on limiting HFCs or supporting carbon capture technologies, and she predicts that confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court could impact the federal government's authority to implement environmental regulations.  

FUN OPINIONS

WSJ Editorial: Shale Drilling for NatGas has Cut C02 Emissions – In an Editorial in the Wall Street Journal, the board tackles a recent tussle in the VP debate over natural gas drilling and energy. “It’s worth highlighting a new Energy Information Administration report that shows how fracking and competitive energy markets have done more to reduce CO2 emissions over the last decade than government regulation and renewable subsidies.”

CA’s Energy System Should Be Resilient, Flexible, Affordable – In an opinion piece in CalMatters, SDG&E Chairman Kevin Sagara and Chris Cramer, past chair of the Cal Restaurant Assn, write California needs to move more quickly toward cleaner, safer, more reliable and affordable energy sources. “As essential service providers, utilities are responsible for helping to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. The weight of that responsibility has gotten heavier as climate change and the pandemic take its toll. 

FROG BLOG

Heritage Expert Hammers NatGas Appliance Bans – A new column and separate report from Heritage environmental economist Nick Loris says the movement to ban natural gas in homes and office buildings should be of concern to all Americans. As we head into winter months, natural gas is by far the cheapest fuel source for home heating. In particular, low-income communities would bear a disproportionately higher burden as they spend a higher percentage of their budgets on energy bills. Moreover, policymakers should consider the potential unintended consequences of their decisions, including the potential public health risks they may inadvertently create.

COLUMN: Advanced Nuclear Reactors will be Game-Changer – The Nuclear Innovation Alliance’s Alex Gilbert and ClearPath’s Niko McMurray wrote a column examining how private sector innovators are currently paving the way for advanced reactors to begin producing clean energy. Due to the differences between these technologies and the existing fleet of large light-water reactors, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is modernizing its review process. A modernized approach will be a game-changer for future American reactor designs, enabling their deployment to aid in decarbonization.

IN THE NEWS

NEW: EIRP Analysis Takes Objective Look at Renewable, Public Lands Challenges – The Energy Innovation Reform Project is releasing new report that seeks to contribute to public understanding of the land use issues related to solar and wind power in the United States. The report, Land Use Requirements of Solar and Wind Power Generation: Understanding a Decade of Academic Research, is authored by EIRP President Paul J. Saunders and reviews over 100 academic studies and U.S. government reports that address land use impacts of solar and wind power and presents key findings in an accessible format. The report draws upon research published during the 10-year period from 2009 to 2019.

PREMISE OF FOCUS: Falling costs, tax credits, and state and local clean energy mandates are driving a rapid expansion of solar and wind power generation across the United States. Nevertheless, notwithstanding broad public support for low and zero-carbon electricity, solar and wind projects can face local opposition, much like many other types of development, whether new factories, shopping centers, housing, or roads.

This makes the land use requirements and impacts of solar and wind power politically significant. It also makes land use a potential source of tension between urban areas with an appetite for clean power—but little space for utility-scale projects—and rural areas with more limited electricity needs where residents often hope to preserve the character of their communities. Current proposals for dramatic increases in solar and wind deployment make the report only more timely.

FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS: Five central findings emerge from this literature review:

1. There is no consensus on definitions and assumptions used in solar and wind land use analyses.
2. The potential space impacts of solar and wind facilities depend on many factors and can vary widely.
3. Solar and wind are likely to affect significantly more land than other electricity sources.
4. Solar and wind facilities are associated with significant quality impacts.
5. Developing a 100% renewable energy system would be challenging from a land use policy perspective.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REPORT: This report and its findings are not intended to encourage or discourage decisions to pursue new solar or wind generation projects. Rather, the goal is to provide clear research-based information to policymakers and citizens who must balance competing interests, values, and rights in making the best electricity choices for their communities.  This report seeks to facilitate informed and civil debate on these important energy policy questions among all those interested in developing solar and wind power.

AHRI Launches Air Quality Campaign for Schools – The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) launched a six-figure informational campaign aimed at helping school systems nationwide improve indoor air quality as a way to make schools safer for learning and teaching. The campaign, which builds on an AHRI White Paper, Anatomy of a Healthy School, is designed to help building engineers maintain and design school buildings for occupancy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.  AHRI, its 320 member manufacturers, and a host of allied associations will promote the indoor air quality message through social media, paid media in targeted digital publications, and video messaging designed to attract the maximum attention to a timely and very serious issue.  This digital campaign will focus on trade associations and education media sites that target education professionals, teachers, school administrators, as well as federal, state, and local education policymakers. Additional information about the campaign, including key background information and digital collateral, is available at www.ahrinet.org/IAQ.

Gulf Coast Seeks EPA Permit for CCS Project – Gulf Coast Sequestration (GCS) moved what could be one of the world’s largest geologic Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) project another step forward today by initiating the process to obtain a Class VI Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit from EPA.  GCS filed a detailed technical submission to delineate its “area of review” – a significant step for GCS – which owns both the surface and subsurface rights for a large, contiguous landholding in southwest Louisiana.  Located in one of the nation’s busiest industrial corridors, GCS plans to partner with industrial customers to capture CO₂ and safely contain it underground. The GCS “hub” is designed to permanently store more than 80 million tons of carbon, 2.7 million tons annually, an amount equivalent to removing about 600,000 cars from the road every year. Once completed, the GCS project is expected to be the largest geologic CCS project in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world. 

SEIA: Corporate Solar Booming – The Solar Energy Industries Association said tech giants, major retailers and other corporate leaders are making significant investments in solar by installing over 1,280 megawatts (MW) of new commercial solar capacity in 2019, the second largest year on record according to the latest Solar Means Business report. The annual report tracks both on-site and off-site installations and highlights the strong appeal of cost-saving solar energy for American businesses.

US Demand Headed Back Up – EIA reported last week in its in its Weekly Petroleum Status report that US oil demand increased to 18.3 million barrels per day from 17.4 million b/pd the week prior.  The week ending Oct. 2 was a rare one in recent months that saw gasoline consumption, diesel, and jet fuel demand all rise at the same time. But oil demand remains about 14% below the same week last year. EIA also reported a 0.5 million barrel increase in commercial crude inventories after weeks of declines.

EIA: Outlook For NatGas Higher Due to Potential Cold Winter – EIA said last week in its 2020 Winter Fuels Outlook that households that primarily heat with natural gas will pay 6% more during what’s expected to be a cold winter this year because of higher energy consumption as people stay put during the pandemic. Natural gas prices fell this summer during the pandemic to the lowest level in 25 years, but rising demand this winter and reduced production will cause prices to rise beginning in 2021. The higher prices will allow coal to become more competitive as an electricity source in the short-term, leading to a 19% rise in production next year after a 26% decline this year according to EIA.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

Energy Forum Set – The Energy Intelligence Digital Forum will take place today through Thursday as an online event. The Energy Intelligence Forum provides a platform for decision-makers, thought-leaders and innovators from the worlds of energy, finance, politics and business to debate, discuss and develop sustainable solutions to the energy challenges of the 21^st century. In 2020, the event takes place online, due to the ongoing disruption of the coronavirus. The Digital Forum will examine the unprecedented impact of the global pandemic on the energy industry and the continued search for new energy solutions, as part of its theme, The Big Energy Reset: Covid, Climate, Consequences. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo and Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser are among the speakers.

Urban Land Institute Holds Fall Event – The Urban Lands Institute holds it fall meeting today to Thursday.

ICF Forum Looks at CA Climate Issues – ICF will host a forum today at Noon about California’s strategy to enhance energy system resilience and what this could mean.  Robert Kay, ICF's climate resilience principal and California lead, will be moderating the conversation with CPUC Commissioner Liane M. Randolph and leaders from PG&E and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

Forum to Look at German Climate Approach – JHU’s American Institute for Contemporary German Studies hosts a web forum today at Noon featuring Sonja Thielges and Charlotte Unger of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS).  They will assess Germany’s role as a climate policy frontrunner. The webinar will look back at some policy milestones, look at Germany in the EU context, and examine recent results of Germany’s national and international approach.

Forum to Look at Future of Gas – The Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy and the Aspen Institute host a forum and presentation of IEA’s Global Gas Security Review report today at 1:00 p.m. The report’s key findings will be presented by Keisuke Sadamori, Director, Energy Markets and Security, IEA. Following his presentation, he will be joined by Lisa Alexander, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Sempra Energy; Poppy Kalesi, Director of Global Energy, Environmental Defense Fund; and Jérôme Schmitt, Chairman of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative Executive Committee, for a discussion moderated by Erin Blanton, CGEP Senior Research Scholar.

Milken Forum to Look at Energy Company Profiles – Today at 1:15 p.m., the Milken Institute holds a discussion on climate change and the subsequent consequences that have led to high-profile energy companies examining their product portfolios and making net-zero commitments. CNBC’s Brian Sullivan will moderate the event which includes ClearPath’s Rich Powell, BP’s Giulia Chierchia, Clean Energy Fuels CEO Andrew Littlefair and Generate Capital CEO Scott Jacobs.

Hydro Forum Focused 2020 Candidates – Today at 2:00 p.m., ClearPath and the National Hydropower Association are holding an event as part of their Path to Clean Energy Virtual Event series on the 2020 Election and what it may mean for clean energy.  At this virtual event, panelists will explore the energy platforms of the presidential candidates and discuss which clean energy proposals could advance in a new Congress, depending on the election outcome. Moderated by NHA head Malcolm Woolf, the panel Includes ClearPath’s Rich Powell, former Senate Energy staffer and Biden campaign energy advisor Karen Wayland, former White House CEQ Chair Jim Connaughton and Katherine Hamilton of the Energy Gang podcast.

Bloomberg Event to Discuss Oil/Gas, Other Key Issues – The Bloomberg Intelligence will be hosting election webinars today at 2:00 p.m., our friend James Blatchford and his colleagues Fernando Valle and Andrew Silverman are hosting a webinar exploring the implications of the upcoming elections on the energy industry. They will discuss oil and gas producers, refiners and retailers, tax, and more. You can register via web here or via the terminal here.

Forum to Look at Solar Efforts – Solar United Neighbors (SUN) hosts a forum tonight at 7:30 p.m. on how to deploy low-moderate income solar programs and how programs across the country are working to take on the challenge of achieving a just and accessible solar energy future for all.  The event will highlight work from the Solar for All program in Washington DC working to help 100,000 low-to-moderate income families go solar, how a partnership with the City of Indianapolis is helping to expand rooftop solar access to low-income homeowners, and look ahead at the future in the heart of coal country in Colorado.

EIA to release Energy Outlook – The CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program will host EIA Administrator Linda Capuano Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. for a presentation and discussion of the EIA's International Energy Outlook 2020 (IEO2020). The IEO2020 builds on the long-term projections set out in the IEO2019 for world energy supply and demand by region and primary energy source; electricity generation; and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.  Administrator Capuano will provide an overview of the IEO, followed by a discussion with analysts from EIA on key issues in Africa, Asia, and India. 

IEA Oil Market Report to Be Released – The IEA's monthly Oil Market Report (OMR) will be released on Wednesday.  It is the exclusive source for official government statistics from all OECD countries, as well as selected non-OECD countries, together with both historical datasets and supply-and-demand forecasts for the year ahead. Featuring tables, graphs and statistics, the OMR provides all the data necessary to perform ad-hoc analysis and track oil market developments and to identify trends in production, consumption, refining, inventories in OECD countries and prices for both crude and products.

LNG For Set for Houston – The 3^rd Houston Gas & LNG Forum 2020 will be held in IN-PERSON on Wednesday and Thursday at the Petroleum Club of Houston The Forum is organized by U.S. Energy Stream and will focus on the role American/Texan gas and LNG in fueling economic growth in the post COVID-19 era. The Forum will address the critical questions facing the gas and LNG industry in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Speakers include Reps. Bill Johnson, Randy Weber, Michael Cloud and DOE’s Shawn Bennett.

Forum to Look at Food, Climate Change – On Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., WRI and Cool Food hold the virtual launch and celebration of a brand new consumer campaign to deliver delicious climate action. In this get-together, we will kick off an exciting new way to let diners know which food items have a low impact on the planet’s climate, giving them a delicious way to help the environment. An inspiring line-up of speakers will also delve into what’s next in the world of sustainable eating.

Forum to Look at Strategies to Help States – Climate Resilience Consulting, the Innovation Network for Communities and Urban Resilience to Extremes Strategic Research Network hold a webinar forum on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. looking at the challenge of climate resilience for local governments. This webinar will discuss financial strategies for state governments use to help local governments invest in climate resilience, resources available, expanding Federal pre-disaster funding, awareness and increases private investment in local resilience. In this interactive session, state and local leaders from around the country and resilience finance experts will share their insights.

Forum to Look at Building systems, Performance – The National Electrical Manufacturers Association and EE Global hold a web event Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on connected building systems.  The discussion will highlight how the connection and interaction of multiple building systems—including lighting controls, fire and life safety, and HVAC—can help optimize energy use and improve building performance. Experts at the leading edge of the field will share best practices and lessons learned from successful projects. Speakers include Schneider Electric’s Wayne Stoppelmoor and Clay Nesler of Johnson Controls.  

Health/Enviro Groups Hold Forum to Discuss Climate Impacts – On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., Physicians for Social Responsibility, Insure Our Future, and other health and environmental advocates hold a web forum to discuss the health impacts of fossil fuels and climate change and why health insurance companies should divest from fossil fuels.

Energy Economists to Hear from Eversource Exec – The US Energy Economists will hold their October meeting on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. with Eversource’s Roger Kranenburg.  Eversource, based in New England, is the first US utility to announce it will be CO2 neutral by 2030. Kranenburg is responsible for developing Eversource's long-term clean energy strategy and polices including grid modernization, along with implementing its transportation electrification and battery storage initiatives. He will discuss how Eversource defines CO2 neutrality both quantitatively and qualitatively, how the utility fulfills its corporate and state obligations, as well as sharing some of its challenges. He will also touch on Eversource’s role in decarbonizing the greater Northeast region vis-a-vis offshore wind investments and the firm’s role in energy justice vis-a-vis its natural gas LDC.

Aspen Forum Talks Climate with Business Leaders – On Thursday at Noon, the Aspen Institute hosts a webinar with business leaders on how they are addressing climate change, while wrestling with other urgent crises. Speakers include Verizon’s James Gowan, Michael Kobori at Starbucks and Sustainable Business International’s Sandra Taylor.

Forum to Look at Climate, Election 2020 – On Thursday at 2:00 p.m., Brookings will host a discussion about what the election outcome will likely mean for U.S. engagement on climate. Will a Biden presidency reestablish U.S. leadership in addressing climate change? Will the U.S. be able to make progress in a second Trump term if the president does not change his posture? What role will Congress, state and local governments, the private sector, and advocates have in either scenario? Speakers will include our friends Lisa Friedman of the NY Times and Sammy Roth of the LA Times.

WCEE Honors Women Energy Leaders at event – The Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment holds its 39^th Annual Woman of the Year & Champion Celebration on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom conference to recognize the achievements of great women leaders in energy.  WCEE will host a live virtual event to honor Miranda Ballentine, CEO of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance as its 2020 Woman of the Year and Vicky Bailey, Founder, Anderson Stratton International, LLC as 2020 Champion.  Ballentine is CEO of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA), an alliance of large energy buyers, renewable energy developers, service providers, and NGO partners, and drives the organization to leverage the scale of markets to accelerate a clean, secure, prosperous, low carbon energy system. Bailey is a long time industry rep and has worked for E.ON, Georgia Power, Edison Electric Institute, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, ERCB of Alberta, Direct Energy (subsidiary of Centrica, UK), and the Nuclear Matters Leadership Council. Both honorees have opened doors in energy for other women and people of color through their important leadership in public, private and non-profit sectors.

BPC To Discuss EPA Cost-benefit Rule – On Friday at 11:30 a.m., the Bipartisan Policy Center hosts a forum on the EPA’s cost-benefit analysis rule.  A panel of experts for a robust conversation on the proposed rule and where we go from here. Speakers include former Special Assistant to the President for Energy and Environment under President Barack Obama Joseph Aldy and Former OIRA Administrator under President George W. Bush John D. Graham. 

DOE Webinar Looks Efficient Buildings – DOE’s EERE office holds a webinar at Noon on Friday to provide an overview of the present work on life cycle assessment in buildings and why it matters, including both global and US perspectives. Panelists will highlight their expertise and existing efforts on the topic.

 

IN THE FUTURE

Geothermal Event Set – The Geothermal Resources Council 2020 Annual Meeting & Expo will be held October 18^th to 23^rd virtually. 

RFF to Discuss Carbon Pricing – On Tuesday, October 20, Resources For the Future (RFF) hold a virtual RFF Live event that will reunite the speakers from last year’s Future of Carbon Pricing event to talk about the forecast for carbon pricing in 2020 and beyond. The commenters will reflect on what has changed in the past year, and how various election outcomes could influence the path forward.  Speakers include EDF’s Susanne Brooks, Niskanen’s Joseph Majkut and Adele Morris of the Brookings Institution.

VA Clean Summit Set – The Second Annual Virginia Clean Energy Summit will be Held on Tuesday October 20^th and 21^st.  The event will present the clean energy technologies, policies, and business practices that are transforming Virginia's energy landscape today. The goal of the Summit is to highlight and encourage the synergies among renewable energy technologies and businesses, as well as the consumer, environmental, and business opportunities that are emerging from their deployment. Attendees can also expect numerous networking opportunities. Conference attendees will include representatives from businesses, state and local governments, academia, and NGOs.

MIT Climate Forum Continues – MIT continues its Climate Action Symposia Series on Tuesday October 20^th at 2:30 p.m.  The Climate Action Symposia series aims to advance our community’s understanding and expand our capacity to generate solutions for the urgent global challenge of climate change. The fifth of MIT’s six Climate Action Symposia, The Role of Research Universities and MIT’s Climate Initiatives, will look at how research universities can help the world deal with the climate crisis as well as initiatives being developed by MIT to reduce carbon emissions.

Forum Looks a Renewable Special Financing Vehicle – On Wednesday October 21^st at Noon, Ourenergypolicy holds a dialogue on the increasingly important financing role played by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). Speakers include former GE Vice Chair Beth Comstock, former NRG CEO David Crane and former GM VP Julia Steyn.

Fox-Penner Book Featured by WCEE – On Wednesday October 21^st at 5:30 p.m., the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment's Book Club welcomes author Dr. Peter Fox-Penner as a special guest to discuss his most recent book, “Power After Carbon: Building a Clean, Resilient Grid.”  Power After Carbon provides a roadmap and actionable recommendations for the electric power industry to navigate a clean energy future.  Learn more about his impetus for writing the book and vision for the future grid.  

Forum Looks at Turkish Energy Policy – The German Marshall Fund of the United States hosts a forum on Thursday October 22^nd at 9:00 a.m. on Turkey’s energy policy and the prospects for EU–Turkey cooperation.

Cybersecurity Forums Continue – On Thursday October 22^nd at 9:30 a.m., the USEA, USAID and NARUC hold a forum to discuss the first-of-its-kind guidelines on Evaluating the Prudency of Cybersecurity Investments. These guidelines are intended to assist regulators in defining tariffs by establishing a regulatory approach to enhance the cybersecurity stance of their power systems, and are based on literature and current practices. 

C2ES Forum Looks at Climate Vulnerabilities – On Thursday October 22^nd at 1:15 p.m., the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies (C2ES) will hold an on-line event detailing these and other findings of a two-year research effort to understand the ways in which climate risk and resilience factor into key aspects of competitiveness for U.S. cities, including city finances, economic development, and livability. The event will also identify a number of resilience strategies and practices that cities are implementing to address climate risks.

Stanford, EFI Look at CCS in CA – On Thursday October 22^nd at 2:30 p.m., Ernest Moniz will lead a conversation featuring Melanie Kenderdine and Sally Benson on a new joint study by Energy Futures Initiative and Stanford's Center for Carbon Storage. This study analyzes key options, including a set of technologies and support infrastructure for Carbon Capture and Storage that could enable some “quick wins,” as well as help meet mid-century sustainable development targets. The results and study conclusions are designed to inform state policymakers about key legal and regulatory changes that would be required to jump-start a CCS industry in California. Because of the state’s outsized role in the global economy, enabling California’s success in the CCS arena could also help inform and enable global decarbonization efforts. The virtual event will be held before an audience of policymakers, environmental activists, entrepreneurs and other key stakeholders in California.

Forum to Look at Offshore Wind Transmission – On Friday, October 23^rd at 2:00 p.m., the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) holds a webinar on costs and benefits of offshore wind transmission options. In this webinar, panelists will discuss the two studies–one on New York and the other on New England–and the benefits of coordinated transmission. The Brattle Group will also explain important differences between the two regions and the common findings from both studies. The Brattle studies were prepared for Anbaric Development Partners, a Boston-based transmission and storage developer proposing open-access offshore transmission. Anbaric will provide a commercial perspective on pathways to develop independent transmission for offshore wind.

Forum to Look at Nuclear – The Cleantech Group is hosting a webinar at 11:00 a.m. on October 28^th on nuclear innovation and deep decarbonization transform the global energy system.

ELECTION DAY – November 3^rd

GTM to Host Energy Storage Summit – Greentech Media will host the Energy Storage Summit on November 9^th through the 12^th.  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

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.

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.