Energy Update: Week of October 17th

Friends,

It was a wild weekend for us as I picked Stacey up in Newark on Friday after her 15 days in South Africa. She was at an international field hockey tourney and then was on a great safari at the Kapama Southern Camp where she took some great pictures.  And then on Sunday, Hannah and I worked another NCAA D I game, this time at Harvard.  We even got a shout out from the ESPN announcers!

It has already been a busy day. This morning, AGA released it Winter Fuels Outlook with some great facts on costs and fuel mix. AGA’s Richard said the weather and a growing economy have spurred energy demand growth and that gas utilities are well positioned to serve customers reliably this winter. Feel free to reach out to Jake Rubin at AGA if you want to follow up. Last week, EIA said most U.S. households will pay more to heat their homes this winter in its 2022 Winter Fuels Outlook.

American Clean Power holds its annual Offshore WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition in Providence, RI tomorrow and Wednesday. The event starts today with a tour of Vestas’ Ocean State Offshore wind site. Major announcement up there from Equinor today: Molly Morris will serve as the new President of Equinor Wind US, succeeding Siri Espedal Kindem. Equinor’s growing portfolio of offshore wind projects in the U.S. together will produce enough electricity to power approximately 2M homes and generate more than $1B in economic output in the region. On the other side of the country, the National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents national waterpower tradeshow and conference will be held tomorrow to Thursday in Sacramento. And Decarb Invest 2022 in on for Wednesday to Friday in DC, offering valuable insights on financing projects and industrial hubs to accelerate decarbonization efforts.  Speakers include Navigator CO2’s Tyler Durham, Gulf Coast Sequestration’s Benjamin Heard and Ash Grove Cement’s David Bangma, among others.

Other timely events include a SAFE presser tomorrow on potential Congressional response action on OPEC+ production cuts, featuring former ND Sen. Byron Dorgan and former Obama Director of National Intel Dennis Blair. This has been a much-debated topic recently with gas prices creeping up and Administration politicos very nervous. Happy to discuss or find you additional experts.

Also, as a side bar, our friend and former API spokesperson Bethany Williams will hold Fall Energy Happy Hour on Wednesday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Fiola. It is a good chance to connect in a fun environment, especially with COP27 approaching.

Three other reports of interest, all out today:

1. ConservAmerica is unveiling a new report and website today on the benefits to the individual states of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) from offshore drilling. ConservAmerica’s new report – Land Water Conservation Fund: A State-by-State Outlook; Implications from Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Policies – provides an interactive map that breaks down by Congressional district LWCF-funded projects since 2016, highlighting the often-unseen benefits of the program.
2. The American Energy Society also identified the Hydrogen Subject Matter Experts to watch in a report today. In anticipation of expanded interest in Hydrogen, AES began the deliberate process of identifying influential hydrogen experts making an impact. Now, our directory of “hydrogen subject matter experts (SMEs) to watch” is complete. As you look over this list of hydrogen experts, you can see the wide range of fields that hydrogen is impacting.
3. The Global CCS Institute released its signature CCS Status Report on the state of the CCS industry. there are over 190 facilities in the project pipeline. In 2022, CCS is becoming increasingly commercial and competitive in many countries. Clean hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels are also part of the CCS growth story, with dozens of blue hydrogen projects now in development around the world. The report adds that there has also been unprecedented interest and engagement in direct air capture with CCS or DACCS, with billions of dollars in funding allocated to scale-up this essential technology.

Finally, with about three weeks to go, I am starting to pay attention to who is going to COP 27 in Egypt. Please let me know if you will be there. Call with questions.

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

FRANKLY SPOKEN

"I wish we never had to have this proof point. It is not just a theory, but it actually is providing power to people in otherwise darkened areas."

Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association in POLITICO saying the recent natural disasters show that the value of renewables paired with storage.

ON THE PODCAST

Roberts Talks Climate Possibilities – Our friends David Roberts of Volts was recently a guest on My Climate Journey, a podcast that features various climate types discussing how they got where they are and how they currently think about the climate crisis. Host Jason Jacobs and Dave had a fun conversation about his road into journalism and his views on various perennial climate debates — optimism versus pessimism, green growth versus degrowth, technocracy versus spiritual change — have changed over the years.

Electric Ladies Podcast Talks SEC Climate Issues – The Electric Ladies Podcast features a Conversation with the Securities and Exchange Commission and its climate risk disclosure rules. Kristina Wyatt, who led the SEC’s Task Force developing these rules, explains how they did it and what happens next in this riveting conversation with Joan Michelson in this episode of the Electric Ladies podcast. Kristina literally takes listeners into the SEC’s room as these deliberations happened. 

FUN OPINIONS

McGinty, Connaughton Share Energy Permitting Views – In a podcast with the Columbia Energy Exchange, host Bill Loveless interviews Katie McGinty and Jim Connaughton. McGinty is the vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer for Johnson Controls and was the first woman to serve as chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to President Clinton. Connaughton is the chairperson of Nautilus Data Technologies and headed CEQ in the George W. Bush administration. Last year, Katie and Jim co-authored a report for the Aspen Institute titled “Building Cleaner, Faster.” It concluded that environmental review and permitting reform were necessary to decarbonize the economy. Bill talked with Katie and Jim about permitting reform, Sen. Manchin’s proposed bill, and why new legislation is so important for building new energy infrastructure.

FROG BLOG

Reviving American Manufacturing – In a blog post for C3, expert Nick Loris outlined several ways in which the Biden administration can counter OPEC and alleviate high prices. after OPEC announced that it would be reducing oil production by 2 million barrels per day. “Rather than casting misplaced blame, the way for President Biden to give consumers confidence and to combat OPEC+ is to empower American energy producers and innovators.”

FUN FACTS

• Diesel Distress: Bloomberg Opinion and oil expert Javier Blas writes the world’s diesel market is flashing signs of chaos, undermining the global economy with a fresh bout of inflationary pressure. US diesel inventories are at their lowest seasonal level since 1982.

IN THE NEWS

TMC Successfully Collects Deep Sea Minerals – The Metals Company (TMC) and its contractor Allseas have achieved an historic milestone collecting nodules from the Pacific Seafloor.  They lifted to them to the production vessel using a 4 km riser during pilot trials in the Clarion Clipperton Zone for first time since the 1970s.This is an important milestone as it shows that the nodule collection technology works. This exact vessel and collection system will be the production system when TMC begins commercial operations, expected in the 2^nd half of 2024, so it was very important to demonstrate this technology. During a 60-minute pilot collection run across ~150 meters of the seafloor, ~14 tons of nodules were collected by the pilot collector vehicle, transported to the surface using a 4-km riser system and placed into the hold of the surface production vessel Hidden Gem while scientists aboard a separate, dedicated monitoring vessel were tracking and measuring environmental impacts of the operation. In the first such test in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) since the 1970s, the pilot trials show that the Allseas-designed nodule collection system can withstand the pressures and temperatures of its deep-sea operating environment. Throughout the month, the pilot test is expected to collect ~3600 tons of nodules in total. Nodules were channeled from the pilot collector into the jumper hose and the riser where they were lifted to the vessel on compressed air in a 12-minute-trip from seafloor to the surface. Aboard the Hidden Gem, nodules were separated from the seawater and any residual sediment using a cyclone separator and seawater was returned to the midwater column at depth.

Southern’s Vogtle Nuclear Plant Ready for Fuel – Southern Company’s Georgia Power has started loading radioactive fuel into the third nuclear reactor core at Plant Vogtle, with plans to transfer 157 fuel assemblies into the new core in the coming days. The reactor is expected to begin commercial operations by the end March 2023 following tests on the third reactor to make sure the plant's cooling and steam supply system function, after which operators will begin generating electricity and later connect the facility to the transmission grid. The Georgia PSC approved the new reactors in 2012, and the third reactor was supposed to start generating power in 2016 and it has battled long-standing delays.

SAFE Sends White House NIOPEC Letter – President Biden has ordered a reevaluation of the longstanding U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia as Democrats fume over OPEC's decision to cut production, but nothing can really happen until Congress returns after election day. Beyond members of Congress like Reps. Cicilline and Chabot, or Sen. Grassley), the best experts supporting anti-trust legislative action are at SAFE where you can speak with former Senate Foreign Relation Committee member Byron Dorgan or former Dir of Nat’l Intel Dennis Blair. Last week, 12 military members of SAFE’s Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC) – 11 retired four-star officers plus a former service secretary – submitted a letter to President Biden urging the passage of the NOPEC legislation awaiting a floor vote in the U.S. House and Senate:

Enacting this legislation would give the government a much-needed ‘stick’ to pressure Saudi Arabia to release its spare capacity onto the global market, stabilizing oil prices as the world contends with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The passage of NOPEC would demonstrate that the United States is serious about combatting oil market manipulation and will hold malign actors to account.

API issued this letter earlier this year against NOPEC and it remains their position:

This legislation creates significant potential detrimental exposure to U.S. diplomatic, military and business interests while likely having limited impact on the market concerns driving the legislation. Cartels for any commodity can be harmful to consumer interests, and this effort to restrict the market impact of     OPEC nations is well-intended. However, the legislation threatens serious, unintended consequences for the U.S. oil and natural gas industry and its continued success in eroding OPEC’s negative market impacts.

Certainly, you can reach out to API, but also Bob McNally at Rapidan or Kevin Book at ClearView. Both are solid on this as well… 

Kevin Book, ClearView  book@cvenergy.com

Bob McNally, Rapidan   Bob.mcnally@rapidanenergy.com

AES Shines Light on Hydrogen Experts – The American Energy Society recently identified the Hydrogen Subject Matter Experts to watch. Five years ago, AES noticed a new trend in its data. Hydrogen was becoming a topic of interest throughout the entire energy sector. This development signaled that the field was poised for another growth phase. In anticipation, we began the deliberate process of identifying influential hydrogen experts making an impact. Now, our directory of “hydrogen subject matter experts (SMEs) to watch” is complete. As you look over this list of hydrogen experts, you can see the wide range of fields that hydrogen is impacting. We are on the cusp of something truly extraordinary: finally, the clean hydrogen future we’ve imagined for decades is within reach. Go to the American Energy Society website to download the Executive Summary (its free).

IER Transparency Project Reveals FERC Coordination with White House – The Institute for Energy Research has launched a new website containing documents related to a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Beginning on March 29, IER submitted FOIA requests to FERC seeking correspondence of a handful of senior FERC appointees to or from White House email domains. Other requests sought routine information from the Commission including calendars and correspondence with outside groups who have actively promoted the restriction of natural gas pipelines. In many cases, subsequent IER FOIA requests were driven by FERC’s responses (or lack thereof) to our initial early requests, often raising more questions than answers. One major contributor to these delays, as acknowledged by a Department of Justice lawyer to IER’s attorneys, is FERC’s coordination with the White House on how to respond to IER. IER has had to file now 10 lawsuits to date seeking the release of public information that FERC either ignored, insists on redacting claiming the White House has a privileged “deliberative” role in FERC decisions, or is withholding in its entirety often on that same basis. When FERC did respond, IER has also been forced to file numerous administrative appeals for those same reasons.

EIA Releases Winter Fuels Outlook – The EIA expects most U.S. households will pay more to heat their homes this winter. In its 2022 Winter Fuels Outlook, EIA forecasts higher U.S. residential energy prices compared with last winter, as well as higher consumption of heating fuels during what is forecast to be a slightly colder winter than last year. NOAA expects the United States to experience a slightly colder winter than last year, leading to higher consumption of heating fuels. That higher consumption and higher energy prices contribute to EIA’s forecasts for higher heating costs for households. Compared with last winter’s heating costs, EIA forecasts U.S. households will spend 28% more for natural gas, 27% more for heating oil, 10% more for electricity, and 5% more for propane. US households will spend even more on average if the weather is colder than expected. The Winter Fuels Outlook includes regional breakdowns of its forecasts, which we will update every month this winter. The Winter Fuels Outlook is a supplement to EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). Other highlights from this month’s STEO include:

• EIA forecasts crude oil prices to remain below $100 per barrel through 2023, despite OPEC’s announcement of production cuts.
• EIA expects U.S. motorists to drive more through 2023, but it forecasts consumption of gasoline to average just below 9 million barrels per day in 2022 and 2023, slightly lower than the 2021 average.

The entire October 2022 STEO is available on the EIA website.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

Forum Looks at Carbon Markets – The Business Council for International Understanding holds a virtual discussion today at 2:00 p.m., on voluntary carbon markets and creating a green economy through innovative initiatives and practices. The virtual roundtable will feature Campbell Moore, Carbon Markets Managing Director, Global Carbon Markets Team of The Nature Conservancy. Campbell will be discussing voluntary carbon markets and creating a green economy through innovative initiatives and practices.

Climate Conversation with MIT Expert – The Embassy of France hosts a conversation today at 6:00 p.m. with MIT’s Susan Solomon on climate change. Dr. Susan Solomon, a leader in atmospheric science, has accepted to deliver remarks and engage in an insightful conversation on ways to tackle climate change.

Forum Looks at Clean Water Act – The International Code Council holds a conference on water standards for a resilient future. The forum marks the 50^th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory; and Dominic Sims, CEO of the International Code Council, participate in a discussion at Noon while Mitch Landrieu, White House coordinator for infrastructure implementation and senior adviser to the president, delivers remarks at 5:00 p.m.

WRI Looks at COP27 for Africa – The World Resources Institute holds a virtual discussion tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. on COP27 and impacts for Africa. WRI experts and youth leaders about what is at stake for Africa at COP27 and set expectations for a successful outcome. Speakers will reflect on a range of urgent topics, including how to restore forests, protect food supplies, build thriving and resilient cities, build resilience to climate change and support communities at speed and scale when impacts are so severe that adaptation is no longer feasible.

Offshore Wind Conference Set for Rhode Island – American Clean Power holds its annual Offshore WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition at the Rhode Island Convention Center In Providence tomorrow and Wednesday.  The event starts today with a tour of Vestas’ Ocean State Offshore wind site.

Hydro Conference Set for Sacramento – The National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents national waterpower tradeshow and conference will be held tomorrow to Thursday in Sacramento, CA. Designed with industry participation, the event hosts professionals from conventional hydropower, pumped storage, small hydro, and marine energy together to advance our leading role in the renewable clean energy future.

Forum Look at COP27 – The Stimson Center hosts a forum tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. featuring a robust discussion with US leadership, the World Bank, and the COP 27 Presidency’s Egyptian government on the pathway forward and the tools such as CORVI needed to achieve success. Motaz Zahran, Ambassador of Egypt to the United States; Monica Medina, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans Environment and Science (OES) and Valerie Hickey, Global Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, the World Bank all speak.

RNG Conference Set – BIOGAS AMERICAS RNG 2022 launches tomorrow with two panels in a virtual event starting at 1:00 p.m. While the RNG industry has grown at double digit rates over the last couple of years, it is still a burgeoning sector of the US biogas industry. Voluntary sales are taking off, new helpful policies are being passed at the federal and state level, and credit prices for the LCFS and RFS are changing. Will RNG project play in the carbon offset market? Industry leaders will discuss what they think will happen next for RNG. Our friend Tanya Peacock will be among the speakers.

Forum Looks at Nuclear Future – The American Nuclear Society’s Young Members Group is celebrating Nuclear Science Week by hosting a virtual event about Nuclear Entrepreneurship tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.  The event will address investing in disruptive technologies, IPOs, and even unicorns, but what does entrepreneurship look like in the nuclear space? Panelists include Zeno CEO Tyler Bernstein, Kairos Co-Founder & Chief Nuclear Officer Per Peterson, Kelsey Souza of Ultra Safe and Boston Atomics Co-Founder Robbie Stewart.

SAFE Experts to Discuss Options for Congress, Admin on OPEC – Former Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair and former Senator Byron Dorgan will lead a media availability on tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. discussing options to address the malign behavior of Saudi Arabia and OPEC, including the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) legislation pending in the Congress. A number of punitive measures have been proposed in the wake of OPEC’s decision to cut daily oil production by 2 million barrels per day. Admiral Blair and Senator Dorgan will lead a discussion about how the NOPEC legislation – currently awaiting a floor vote in both House and Senate chambers – will better advance America’s national interests compared to other proposals impacting the U.S.-Saudi bilateral defense relationship. NOPEC would provide an additional tool of leverage for the U.S. president by removing the loophole to U.S. anti-trust law enjoyed by the Saudis and other OPEC+ members, including Russia. The event is hosted by SAFE, a non-partisan energy security organization to reduce America’s dependence on oil for transportation.  Please RSVP to bdunn@secureenergy.org to receive log-on information.

Forum Looks at Green Global Infrastructure – On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the Wilson Center hosts a forum on green infrastructure and climate challenges. At this webinar, speakers will help bring into focus the increasingly busy landscape of global green infrastructure initiatives. Elizabeth Losos (Duke University) will kick off the session with an overview of obstacles to private investment and the recent boom of new standards and monitoring systems needed to ensure the quality of green infrastructure. Christoph Nedopil Wang (Green Finance & Development Center) will examine the promise of China’s Green Light System to better assess the sustainability of BRI projects. Carmel Lev (Global Infrastructure Facility) will highlight how the FAST-Infra, a public-private initiative led by the HSBC and the World Bank that has brought more than 50 organizations to mobilize private finance and de-risk sustainable infrastructure investments in developing countries. Finally, Peter Thorin (U.S. Department of State) will lay out the potential of the Blue Dot Network, another global infrastructure initiative developed by the governments of the U.S., Australia, and Japan, and endorsed by the G-7.

Forum Looks at Clean Energy – The Interstate Renewable Energy Council holds the IREC Vision Summit on Wednesday. The Summit brings together clean energy stakeholders - including prominent industry leaders, state and federal decision-makers, advocates, and others - for a deep dive into policies and practices that are essential for all Americans to benefit from clean energy.

Forum to Look at Caribbean Energy – The Atlantic Council holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at Noon on the next decade of U.S.-Caribbean energy cooperation. The Caribbean Initiative at the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Global Energy Center holds a virtual public conversation with experts, including the Hon. Stuart Young, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and State Dept official Amos Hochstein on the future of US-Caribbean energy cooperation.

Forum Looks at Net Zero – On Thursday at 8:30 a.m. at The REACH at the Kennedy Center, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosts leading voices in government, business, academia, and the media to explore the solutions needed to achieve net-zero emissions across all major sectors of the economy—from electricity and transportation to industry and land use.  At the top of the day, top experts and decisionmakers will explore the big picture—what a net-zero economy would mean for our planet and how we can get there. Speakers for the morning plenary include White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi and former US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson.

Forum to Look at Climate Loss, Damage – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a briefing on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. looking at what you need to know about loss and damage from climate change in the lead-up to the international climate negotiations in Egypt (COP27). Panelists will discuss the tools the international community has designed so far to address loss and damage, the current status of international climate negotiations on this issue, expectations of what might happen next on the topic at COP27, and why the international conversation on loss and damage matters for U.S. policymakers.

WGR Forum to Look at EJ issues, Contacts – Women In Government Relations is hosting a forum on Civil Rights within Federal Agencies” Thursday at 1:00 p.m. WGR member Kelley Raymond with Daikin U.S. Corporation will serve as our moderator. Federal agency speakers are Chitra Kumar, Director, Office of Policy, Partnerships and Program Development (OPPPD), Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR); Irene Marion, Director of the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Transportation; Alessandro Terenzoni, Deputy Director of the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Justice; Marissa Gordon-Nguyen, Sr. Advisor for HIPPA Policy, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Forum Looks at Storage Report – On Thursday at 1:00 p.m., the Clean Energy States Alliance will look at customer-sited solar+storage during grid outages. A new report by Berkeley Lab estimates the performance of commercially available solar+storage systems in providing behind-the-meter critical-load or whole-building backup power during long-duration outages. Researchers modeled scenarios across a wide range of geographies, building types, and power interruption conditions. The study also considers a set of 10 historical long-duration power outage events and evaluates how solar+storage could have performed in providing backup power during those specific events. In this webinar, hosted by Clean Energy Group, report co-authors Galen Barbose and JP Carvallo will present the findings.

Forum to Look at Africa Climate Issues – The American University Center for Environment, Community and Equity holds a talk on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. about climate change and Africa, looking at key risks to people, ecosystems and opportunities for climate resilient development. The talk will be led by Christopher Trisos, who directs the Climate Risk Lab of the African Climate and Development Initiative at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Forum to Discuss Energy Security in Europe – On Friday at 8:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center holds a hybrid fireside chat with H.E. Václav Bartuška, Czech Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security, on coordinating transatlantic solidarity amid energy supply shocks. In a public fireside chat with Olga Khakova, Deputy Director for European Energy Security at the Global Energy Center, Ambassador Bartuška will outline the European Union’s latest efforts to support households and industry while maintaining solidarity across Europe. The conversation will also identify avenues for US engagement.

IN THE FUTURE

Forum to Look at Nuclear – Next, Monday, the Atlantic Council convenes the United States Nuclear Industry Council’s New Nuclear Capital (NNC) symposium. The focus of this year’s NNC event will be on global trade and financing of large, small modular, and advanced reactors and supporting fuel cycle technologies. The NNC symposium immediately precede the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 5^th International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21^st Century in Washington, D.C., United States, from Wednesday October 26^th to Friday the 28^th. These consecutive events will provide more opportunities and interactions to support the future of nuclear energy. Tons of great speakers including former Trump DOE nuclear expert Rita Baranwal and former Obama DOE official Dan Poneman.

Forum Looks at Europe Climate Transition – The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies hosts a forum next Monday at 12:30 p.m. with Heather Grabbe of the Open Society European Policy Institute to look at the European Green Deal and how climate transition will shape the EU's external action.

USEA Hosts Discussion of Tribal Energy – The US Energy Assn holds a forum next Monday at 3:00 p.m. to focus on tribal voices on our energy future.  Tribal communities have been at the forefront of Energy Security for the United States and thus the world, especially in the production of uranium, coal, oil, and gas, and in the production of electricity through hydropower.

Forum to Look at Ukraine/Russia Hydrogen Ambitions – Next Tuesday at 9:00 a.m., the German Marshall Fund holds a forum to discuss the Russian war on Ukraine has killed its hydrogen ambitions. This event will discuss these key questions related to the sociopolitical and techno-economic consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine for its hydrogen ambitions, and the consequences for Europe, the transatlantic community, and the world.

Forum to Focus on Climate, Population – On Tuesday October 25^th at 11:00 a.m., the Wilson Center, in partnership with the Population Institute, will feature an expert panel on how climate change and population trends are shaping our world, and what this means for understanding future risk and potential solutions.

ELI Awards Dinner, Corporate Forum Set – The Environmental Law Institute 2022 Annual Corporate Forum will be held on Tuesday October 25^th at 2:00 p.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.  Expert panelists will discuss the best practices for corporations to identify and reduce Scope 3 emissions including ESG strategies, the challenges surrounding Scope 3 identification and reporting and much more. After the forum, ELI holds its annual Awards Dinner where they will present their 2022 Environmental Achievement Award to Benjamin Wilson, Environmental Lawyer and Civil Rights Advocate.

International Nuclear Conference Set –The 5^th International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21^st Century will be held on Wednesday October 26^th to Friday October 28^th in Washington, DC to look at how development and decarbonization can be powered by nuclear.

Forum to Look at Cities, Climate Responses – On Wednesday October 26^th at 12:00 p.m., Annual Reviews, Knowable Magazine, and Future Tense hold a conversation about how we can make cities cooler—and save lives—without further heating the planet.  Mayor Kate Gallego of Phoenix will be among the speakers.

Forum to Look at Building Sector Issues in NY, CA – Clean Energy States Alliance holds a forum on Wednesday October 26^th at 1:00 p.m. on state leadership in decarbonizing the building sector, featuring California and New York examples. The building sector is a substantial contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This event will highlight two state initiatives that are making a big impact in decarbonizing this sector.

SEJ to Announce Award Winners – On Wednesday October 26^th at 1:00 p.m., SEJ holds its “Awards for Reporting on the Environment”. The event is virtual and will honor the best environmental journalism on the planet. The First-Place winners in 10 categories will share how they got their award-winning stories. They will also announce the "Best of the Best" LIVE with the winner of the 2022 Nina Mason Pulliam Award and its $10,000 cash prize.

Third Way Nuclear Happy Hour – Third Way holds an exclusive happy hour event on Wednesday evening October 26^th just a short walk from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at the Baby Wale. The 5^th International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century launches on that Wednesday.

Nuclear Summit Set – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace holds its 2022 Carnegie International Nuclear Policy Conference on Thursday and Friday October 27^th – 28^th .   Experts, officials, executives, journalists, and students from across the globe will come together to debate—and explore solutions for—the most pressing challenges in nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, disarmament, deterrence, energy and security.

Forum to Look at Green Cities – The World Resources Institute will hold a forum on Thursday October 27^th at 9:30 a.m. on decarbonizing cities. Buildings are the biggest, most cost-effective climate mitigation solution available, yet investment in energy efficiency and zero carbon buildings is still slow to uptake. This event will highlight various pathways to achieving a Zero Carbon Buildings future.

ITIF Forum Focuses on COP27 – The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, IIT-Delhi School of Public Policy and the Climate Policy Lab at The Fletcher School of Tufts University hold a forum on Thursday October 27^th at 12:00 p.m. focused on accelerating innovation at COP 27. 

Energy Economists Hosts Methane Discussion – On Friday October 28^th at 11:00 a.m., the US Energy Economists host CSIS expert Ben Cahill, Senior Fellow at CSIS, as their October Luncheon speaker.  Cahill will focus on key US policy and regulatory developments aimed at better quantifying and reducing methane emissions -- as well as oil and gas industry responses.

Storage in Illinois to be Discussed – The Clean Energy States Alliance holds an event on Friday October 28^th at 1:00 p.m. looking at the role of energy storage for accelerating the transition to a decarbonized, clean energy future in Illinois. Speakers will provide an overarching presentation around what energy storage is, why is it critical for decarbonization, and state-by-state activities around it.

EESI Focused on Natural Solutions – The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and U.S. Nature4Climate hosts a briefing on Friday October 28^th at 1:00 p.m., looking at natural climate solutions on the international stage. During this briefing, panelists will respond to these questions and share insights about ways in which natural climate solutions have been integrated into international climate negotiations in the past. They will also share a vision of how these techniques can be central to advancing climate solutions at the national and international levels going forward.

COP 27 Begins in Egypt – The United National climate meetings (COP 27) begin on Sunday November 6^th in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The conference will run through November 18^th.

ELECTION DAY – Mid-Term Election, Tuesday November 8^th