Energy Update: Week of October 19

Friends,

I hope you stayed up to watch last night’s NL Championship Game 7 last night where the Dodgers came from behind to beat Atlanta. It was well worth it.  The game followed Saturday’s AL Championship Game 7 where the Tampa Bay Rays, who had lead the series 3-0, stopped Houston’s charge.  Now, the Dodgers and Rays will meet in the World Series in Texas starting tomorrow

Just over two weeks to Election 2020…It has been a bizarre campaign season for sure, but as we get to the end, just a reminder that our Bracewell team will ready to provide our regular Presidential analysis – especially the series of “post-game” webinars, insights and materials that we regularly offer.  And on this week’s Bracewell Podcast, our team has a great interview with POLITICO Senate Campaigns Reporter James Arkin. Topics include: deep dives into the most watched Senate races of 2020, 2016 reflections and what they teach, young voters' perspective on the importance of voting, and more.

As for the week, the final presidential debate is set for Thursday and NBC moderator Kristen Welker has placed climate change among the six topics.  Of course, making it into the starting lineup has driven #climate twitter absolutely crazy with excitement.  It will make it an interesting evening, but once again, I don’t expect much real detail other than the typical and simple back/forth sniping we’ve seen over fracking and the Green New Deal from Trump , as well as climate leadership and clean energy jobs messages from Biden.    

Beyond that, it is Nuclear Science Week!  Because of that you may want to check out the Grist story on Brazilian model and nuclear advocate Isabelle Boemeke.   Also, there are a few more good events including an energy storage event in Cali tomorrow featuring NREL, CalTech and UC-Irvine experts, a rescheduled Wednesday Senate hearing on the status of the railroad network, a Thursday conversation featuring Ernest Moniz and Melanie Kenderdine on a new joint study by EFI and Stanford's Center for Carbon Storage and Friday CSIS energy innovation event with Secretary Brouillette.

Finally, today is a proud day for our Bracewell “pro bono” efforts.  Somewhere on Saturday’s Air Force One short jaunt across Lake Michigan from Muskegon to Janesville, WI, the President signed three bills.  Two of those three were shepherded by our Bracewell Policy Resolution team.

• President Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law that designates 988 as the universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention hotline starting in 2022. The bill will change the hotline's number to three digits from what is it now, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).  It also directs health agencies to develop plans to support communities that are at a higher risk for suicide, such as minorities, LGBTQ youth, and people in rural counties.
• The President also signed legislation to grant Merrill’s Marauders Congress’ highest honor: the Congressional Gold Medal.  Officially designated by the Army as the 5307^th Composite Unit, the Marauders — nicknamed for the unit’s commander, Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill — were tasked with cutting off Japanese communications and supply lines along their long march to the airfield at the occupied town of Myitkyina. Often outnumbered, they successfully fought Japanese troops in five major engagements, plus 30 minor ones, between February and August 1944.  Only 8 of the original Marauders survive.

It’s very exciting for our team to lead the efforts to achieve these goals which will have a positive impact.  Feel free to call with any questions, stay safe & healthy. 

Best,

Frank Maisano

(202) 828-5864

C. (202) 997-5932

 

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“It is disappointing that Ventura County thought so little of our Latino community that it either deliberately ignored us or was poorly advised by its staff against meeting with organizations that would have counseled against the General Plan because of its disproportionate negative impact upon communities of color. The County did not even translate any of the plan's policies into Spanish so we could review and comment prior to its adoption, despite the fact we make up 43% of the population.”

David Cruz, President of Council #3288 of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), responding to VCCoLAB‘s lawsuit against Ventura County for its adoption of the 2040 General Plan, alleging detrimental impacts to the agriculture industry, failure to comply with state law regarding General Plan development, and failure to engage Latino residents.

ON THE PODCAST

Holmstead, Freeman Spar on Clean Air Issues on RFF Podcast – In this week’s edition of RFF’s Resources Radio – the second in its ongoing “Big Decisions” spin-off series—guest host and chair of the RFF Board of Directors Sue Tierney talks with Jody Freeman, director of the Environmental and Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School, and Bracewell’s Jeff Holmstead, a former EPA Air Administrator. Both guests reflected on their experiences working on environmental policy during the hectic early years of a new presidential administration and discussed upcoming challenges for either a Biden presidency or another Trump term as the pandemic persists, global economic woes continue, and climate change intensifies. While Freeman expressed concerns that confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court could reduce the authority of environmental regulators, Holmstead contended that the court’s conservative turn could be an opportunity for Congress to take the lead in pursuing ambitious energy legislation again.

FUN OPINIONS

Grist: Republicans Finding Climate Talk – In a cover story in Grist, Zoya Teirstein highlights the more frequent discussions Republicans have been holding on action surrounding climate change.  Among the items highlighted is Rep. David McKinley’s effort to make solutions to climate policy a bipartisan issue.  “Prior to the Republican climate package’s introduction, McKinley, the representative from West Virginia, co-wrote an op-ed in USA Today with his House colleague Kurt Schrader, a Democrat from Oregon, calling climate change “the greatest environmental and energy challenge of our time.” To meet this challenge at scale, they proposed a decade of public and private investment in clean energy and infrastructure. Those investments, they said, could be followed up by new regulatory standards that ensure the U.S. reaches its targets. In their proposal, the federal government would require the use of clean technologies as they become commercially viable, and states would lead the way on setting ambitious emissions targets. It basically flips the Green New Deal’s premise — bold federal spending to combat rising emissions — on its head.”

FROG BLOG

ACEEE: Focus on COVID, Efficiency – A blog from ACEEE’s Steve Nadal says as more offices, schools, and retail stores gradually are reopening, many building owners and managers are considering steps they should take to reduce chances of coronavirus transmission. Nadel summarizes what we know and don’t know about the subject and then discuss recommendations based on the best expert guidance we have seen, including expert advice from ASHRAE. 

RFF Researchers Wade into Forest Practices Impact on Fires – In a new blog post, RFF researchers Ann Bartuska, David N. Wear, and Matthew Wibbenmeyer reflect on this year’s fires and discuss how forest management practices can influence the health of forests. 

IN THE NEWS

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. 

• Coverage in New Orleans Advocate.

Microsoft Joins Equinor in CCS Project – Also on the CCS front, Microsoft signed an MOU with Equinor to serve as the technology partner for the Northern Lights initiative. Microsoft pitched its involvement as a way to research and develop new carbon capture technologies. This marks the company’s first significant move to fulfill its goal of offsetting more carbon than it emits over the next decade.

ConocoPhillips Will Acquire Concho Resources in $9.7B All-Stock Deal – ConocoPhillips reached an agreement to acquire rival Concho Resources in an all-stock deal valued at $9.7 billion.  The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. It's the largest deal yet in the U.S. oil patch since the COVID-19 crisis, which has sharply cut demand and sent prices downward. The combined company "will be one of the dominant operators in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico, rivaling only the likes of Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Chevron Corp. in terms of crude output.  Our friends Amy Harder and Ben Geman have a full Axios report on its impacts on the industry.

David Anderson to Lead as AGA Chair – David H. Anderson, President & CEO of NW Natural in Portland, OR, will chair the American Gas Association (AGA) Board of Directors in 2021. NW Natural is a local distribution company that currently provides natural gas service to approximately 2.5 million people in more than 140 communities through more than 770,000 meters in Oregon and Southwest Washington.  Anderson joined NW Natural, a subsidiary of NW Natural Holding Company, in 2004 and served in a number of leadership positions before becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 2016. He previously held executive positions within TXU Corporation (formerly Texas Utilities). Anderson is a member of AGA’s Executive Committee, past co-chair of the Clean Energy Task Force and past Chair of the Audit Committee. He is also a member of the AGA Compensation Committee, Finance Committee and Board Safety Committee. He is Director of the Oregon Business Council, a member of SOLVE Founders’ Circle, and has been appointed to serve on Oregon’s Global Warming Commission.

DOE Awards Advanced Nuclear Reactor Awards – DOE selected two U.S.-based teams to receive $160 million in initial funding under the new Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP). DOE is awarding TerraPower (Bellevue, WA) and X-energy (Rockville, MD) $80 million each in initial funding to build two advanced nuclear reactors that can be operational within seven years. The awards are cost-shared partnerships with industry that will deliver two first-of-a-kind advanced reactors to be licensed for commercial operations. The Department will invest a total of $3.2 billion over seven years, subject to the availability of future appropriations, with our industry partners providing matching funds. Specifically, TerraPower will demonstrate the Natrium reactor, a sodium‐cooled fast reactor that leverages of decades of development and design undertaken by TerraPower and its partner, GE‐Hitachi. The high-operating temperature of the Natrium reactor, coupled with thermal energy storage, will allow the plant to provide flexible electricity output that complements variable renewable generation such as wind and solar. In addition, this project will establish a new metal fuel fabrication facility that is scaled to meet the needs of this demonstration program. X-energy will deliver a commercial four-unit nuclear power plant based on its Xe-100 reactor design. The Xe-100 is a high temperature gas-cooled reactor that is ideally suited to provide flexible electricity output as well as process heat for a wide range of industrial heat applications, such as desalination and hydrogen production. The project will also deliver a commercial scale TRi-structural ISOtropic particle fuel (TRISO) fuel fabrication facility, leveraging DOE’s substantial investment in development of this highly robust fuel form. Both projects incorporate a range of design features that will not only enhance safety, but make them affordable to construct and operate, paving the way for the United States to deploy highly competitive advanced reactors domestically and globally.

Social Media Influencer Goes Nuclear – Speaking of nuclear, in a fun piece by our friend Emily Pontcorvo at Grist, she highlights the influence campaign being run by Brazilian model Isabelle Boemeke supporting nuclear energy.  began hailing the benefits of nuclear energy and decrying nuclear plant closures all across her social media accounts in February. On Instagram, where she has more than 29,000 followers, her posts suddenly pivoted from photo shoots and Met Ball galas to energy memes, interviews with nuclear scientists, and surreal videos about the small size of uranium pellets. Her videos started going viral on Twitter, where they have been retweeted over a thousand times, including by physicists and other esteemed denizens of the #energytwitter sphere. And very quickly, Boemeke began fending off questions about who was paying her. But the force behind Boemeke’s abrupt shift to energy influencer was simply climate change. Boemeke told Grist she was uninspired by the typical influencer material. If she had to develop her online brand, she was going to do it in a way that was meaningful to her.  Read the full article HERE.

Rig Counts Are Up – Baker Hughes sad the number of US oil and natural gas rigs jumped by 13 last week -- the biggest rise since January -- to 282. Texas led the gains with seven rig additions, at least three of which were in the Eagle Ford Shale. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose for the fifth week in a row.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

MOST EVENTS SCHEDULED ARE NOW ONLINE WEBINARS

Geothermal Event Set – The Geothermal Resources Council 2020 Annual Meeting & Expo will be held virtually this week. 

RFF to Discuss Carbon Pricing –Resources For the Future (RFF) hold a virtual RFF Live event tomorrow 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 tomorrow and Wednesday in Richmond.  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.

Forum to Look at China Role in Energy, Climate – The Columbia SIPA’s Center on Global Energy Policy will host a panel of international experts tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. for a discussion on China’s status as developing country or superpower and what it means for energy and climate.   Panelists include CSIS’s Sarah Ladislaw.

Cal Hydrogen Council Webinar Looks at Cal Tech Study on Storage, Hydrogen – Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m., the California Hydrogen Business Council will host a meeting the goals of the landmark SB 100 bill, and presenting the findings from a recent Cal-Tech study on long-duration storage. In addition, NREL will discuss long-duration energy storage for very high renewable share power systems and UCI will discuss the results of their storage modeling of the RESOLVE Model used by California agencies, and how hydrogen fits in that planning.

MIT Climate Forum Continues – MIT continues its Climate Action Symposia Series tomorrow 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.

CEC Chair to Address CA Clean Energy Future – The MIT Club of Northern California will hold a forum tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. (PDT) featuring California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild discussing California’s clean energy future. Hochschild will talk about the state’s progress in getting to 100 percent clean energy, and the variety of technologies being used to achieve that goal, including storage.

Glick to Speak at REV Conference – FERC Commissioner Rick Glick will headline the virtual REV 2020 Conference on Wednesday.  The REV Conference is a leading renewable energy event in northern New England organized by Renewable Energy Vermont.  The forum brings together business leaders, system operators, architects, builders, manufacturers, engineers, scientists, policy makers, and regulators. Future events will feature a November 18^th event on resilience featuring Energy Storage Association CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman, a December 2^nd event with Massachusetts Executive Office on Energy and Environment Secretary Kathleen Theoharides and a December 9^th forum on Equity with Coreina Chan of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Energy Careers Job Event Set – The Center for Energy Workforce Development hosts EnergyCareers2020 Wednesday to bring students, veterans, career changers, women, and those under-represented in today’s workforce together virtually to discover careers in energy. EnergyCareers 2020 will overview hundreds of energy careers.

Brookings Event Looks at Enviro Progress – On Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings will launch a dedicated Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) with an event. This will include an address from Brookings President John R. Allen and keynote remarks from U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, followed by a panel with her and other prominent policy leaders.

Forum to Look at COVID Recovery – The Center For Energy and Environmental Solutions (C2ES) holds a forum on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. looking at a green recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19.  In this webinar, representatives of several national governments will provide insights, lessons learned, and updates on their countries’ efforts to ensure a green recovery.

RESCHEDULED – Senate Committee to Look at Rail Network – The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation holds its rescheduled hearing on passenger and freight rail’s current status and the track ahead at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The hearing will examine the current state of the passenger and freight rail network, including impacts of COVID-19 and legislative considerations for surface transportation reauthorization.  Panelists include Amtrak head Bill Flynn and several others.

Forum Looks a Renewable Special Financing Vehicle – On Wednesday 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.

ELI to Look at Tribal Impacts of Climate – On Wednesday at Noon, the Environmental Law Institute holds a web event to explore efforts underway to save critical tribal cultural resources threatened by the impacts of climate change.

Forum to Look at EU Green New Deal – Georgetown University’s BMW Center for German and European Studies holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. looking at the EU Green Deal. The lecture will explore the economics of decarbonizing, the efficacy of ‘fiscal activism,’ and ‘green macroeconomics’ vs. mobilizing private sector money.

Moniz Headline MIT Fall Energy Forum – The MIT Energy Initiative hosts its Fall Colloquium on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. looking at net-zero emissions and social equity.  Former U.S. Energy Secretary and founding director of MITEI Ernest Moniz will present this year. Moniz will discuss the requirements for an implementable climate action plan, with an emphasis on breakthrough innovation and the need for incorporating social equity considerations—both domestically and internationally.

AEE Forum Looks at Election 2020 – On Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., the Advanced Energy Economy holds a forum on Election 2020.  The outcome of the 2020 election will have a long-lasting effect on the advanced energy industry. From the presidency and control of Congress to critical state legislative elections in important advanced energy markets, the vote in November will have significant implications for legislative and regulatory action at the state and federal level.

Cleanie Awards Set – Solar Power International, Energy Storage International and others as a part of North American Smart Energy Week are virtually holding the Cleanie Awards on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.  NA Smart Energy Week is a trade show on Wednesday and Thursday that look at new clean technologies.  Among the many speakers includes our friends Abby Hopper and Shaun Garrison of SEIA, Jack Brouwer of UC-Irvine, Air Liquide’s Dave Edwards, Alex Flint, Rob Gramlich, EEI’s Tom Kuhn, Herman Traibish of Utility Dive and former FERC Chair Jon Wellinghoff.

Paulson to Address Climate Economics – CSIS will host a forum on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. with former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to discuss the economics of climate change.  Paulson will look at today’s global economy and the range of disruptive forces, from the COVID-19 pandemic to technology, climate change, and inequality.

Forums to Look at CCS in TX – The Global CCS Institute and USEA, with the support of the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, will hold two webinars on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. in exploring opportunities to deploy CCS projects in Texas. Business leaders and experts in capture technology, geology, transportation infrastructure, economics, and more will provide webinar participants with a dive deep into the economics of the 45Q tax credit, and guidance on how to execute a CCS project in the state of Texas. There is a long list of great speakers including Southern’s Richard Esposito, Great Plains Institute’s Elizabeth Abramson and the Baker Institute’s Ken Medlock, among others.

Fox-Penner Book Featured by WCEE – On Wednesday 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 at 9:00 a.m. on Turkey’s energy policy and the prospects for EU–Turkey cooperation. This discussion aims to examine the developments of Turkish energy policy and propose new strategies for Turkey-EU cooperation in the energy domain.

Cybersecurity Forums Continue – On Thursday 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. 

Forum to Look at Future Grid Challenges – Bloomberg Green holds a forum on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. looking at the future of smart cities.  The webinar will look at innovations and disruptions of a decentralized grid. The event looks at new technologies that bring together the consumer, prosumer and the intelligent grid; digitization as a new way for energy production, storage and consumption and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead for traditional power companies.

Baker Forum Looks at Middle East Climate, Coronavirus, Oil Recovery – On Thursday at 10:00 a.m., the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies holds a forum to discuss coronavirus recovery and climate change. At this webinar, two of the Gulf’s top economic minds – Bloomberg Economics’ Ziad Daoud and Nomura’s Tarek Fadlallah – will describe the region’s ongoing actions and future strategies for managing both crises.

Atlantic Forum Looks at Advanced Research – The Atlantic Council holds a webinar on Thursday at Noon focused on advanced research on integrated energy systems as part of its EnergySource Innovation Stream series. Jen Kurtz, director of energy conversion and storage systems center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), discusses NREL’s new research platform—Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES). Kurtz will describe how ARIES can help de-risk, optimize, and secure existing energy systems as well as improve the design and operation of new technologies. ARIES can achieve this by integrating the testing and analysis of electrical, natural gas, transportation, water, and telecommunications operations.

EERE Looks at Zero Energy, Energy Efficiency – DOE EERE office holds a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. looking at local zero energy goals and residential energy efficiency.  Entities across the country will discuss how residential energy efficiency fits into their zero energy plans.

C2ES Forum Looks at Climate Vulnerabilities – On Thursday 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.

EPRI, Women in Nuclear Host Forum – The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Women in Nuclear’s D.C. chapter are hosting a forum on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on the nuclear low-carbon conversation to build awareness of nuclear’s critical role in clean energy and a low-carbon future. EPRI’s Katie Jereza, NEI’s Jennifer Uhle and Duke’s Rounette Nadar will all speak. 

Stanford, EFI Look at CCS in CA – On Thursday 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.

NARUC Looks at Bulk Energy Storage – NARUC also holds another forum on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the emerging possibilities for bulk energy storage. The event will discuss emerging technical possibilities for providing storage support to the bulk energy system, featuring takeaways from an upcoming 1-MW, 150-hour aqueous battery pilot project with Great River Energy and Form Energy. Greg Padden, Director of Resource Planning and Markets at Great River Energy will discuss their decision-making on conducting the pilot project. Additionally, regulatory considerations and market barriers for bulk energy storage will be highlighted by Jason Houck, Policy and Regulatory Affairs Lead at Form Energy. The panel will open with recent research from the NREL, presented by Josh Eichman, on the value and cost-competitiveness of seasonal energy storage technologies for the integration of wind and solar.  To close, WRI’s Heidi Ratz will discuss policy considerations for the role of long-duration storage.  This webinar will be moderated by Chairman Philip L. Bartlett II, Maine.

MN Conference to Tackle Transportation Electrification – The West Bank Energy Collaborative (WBEC) and University of Minnesota holds a Law, Policy, and Business Conference on Equity and Electrification of Transportation on Friday at 10:00 a.m. to discuss broader reforms to transportation systems through the lens of law, policy, and business. The conference will feature presentations from a diverse set of experts in each field who will provide real-world experience and context for our region. Sub-topics include transportation access, the public health impacts of transportation-related emissions, business impacts from transit planning and electrification, the role of electric utilities and state regulatory agencies in transportation electrification, the clean energy transition, vehicle-to-grid interactions, and micro-mobility.

Energy Sect Headlines CSIS Innovation Forum – On Friday at 1:00 p.m., the Center for Strategic & International Studies, with input and support from DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions and Chief Commercialization Officer, will hold its sixth and final session in the Energy Innovation Series. Featuring a keynote from Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, the U.S. Innovation Ecosystem will examine the energy innovation chain from conception to commercialization and deployment and how to spur more innovation in the United States.  DOE’s Conner Prochaska will discuss his work as DOE’s Chief Commercialization Officer. Emily Reichert (Greentown Labs) will speak to her perspective working with innovative actors in the private sector as the head of the country’s largest clean energy incubator. Ellen Williams (University of Maryland) will discuss her research on innovation clusters and her perspective as the former head of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. David Hart (ITIF) will share insights into U.S. energy innovation and how to build an advanced energy economy.

Forum to Look at Offshore Wind Transmission – On Friday 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.

IN THE FUTURE

WRI Forum Looks Green Energy Transition – The World Resources Institute, in partnership with leading clean energy company Ørsted, is working on new research (to be published in 2021) to identify concrete steps for governments across the world to address selected barriers to unlock private investment, de-risk decarbonization and get the world to a clean and prosperous future. They will discuss the issues in a forum on Tuesday October 27^th at 10:00 a.m. in a digital dialogue with representatives from global governments and the private sector as we explore these solutions.

ACORE to Look at Hydrogen – In its next State of the Industry webinar on Tuesday, October 27 from 2:00 p.m., the quarterly series produced in partnership between ACORE and BloombergNEF will dive into the potential role hydrogen might play in achieving 100% renewable energy targets.  The panel will also address opportunities and challenges around the vision of renewable hydrogen and gas pipelines working together to expand renewable demand, reduce curtailment and enhance resilience, as well as approaches to overcome financing barriers to achieve scale and foster deep decarbonization. The webinar will include a policy update from ACORE, a markets update from BloombergNEF, and featured speakers from Baker Botts, Morgan Stanley, Ørsted and True North Renewable Energy.

Forum to Look at Housing, Energy Enviro Justice Issues – The Columbia SIPA’s Center on Global Energy Policy will host a panel next Tuesday at Noon on energy and environmental justice in the context of urban housing and energy efficiency retrofits to improve performance and livability. DOE EERE State Energy Planning official Sage Green is among the panelists.

MIT Forum to Look at Oil, Gas Index – The MIT Energy Initiative holds an event on Tuesday October 27^th at 2:00 p.m. looking at the Oil and Gas Climate Index.  The event will analyze the varying climate impacts of global energy resources. Deborah Gordon, a senior fellow at the Watson Institute at Brown University, will discuss the Oil and Gas Climate Index, which uses open-source engineering systems analysis and satellite data to estimate supply-side GHGs from production, processing, refining, and shipping emission intensities.

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. Speakers include DOE’s Rita Baranwal and NASA’s James Hansen are among the speakers.

Forum to Look at Western Grid – Advanced Energy Economy AEE) holds a webinar on Wednesday October 28^th at 2:00 p.m. exploring how an expanded regional wholesale market can make the western grid clean and resilient.

USEA, DOE Forum Looks at NatGas – On Wednesday October 28^th at 2:00 p.m., USEA is hosting a webinar in partnership with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) on its report “U.S. Oil and Natural Gas: Providing Energy Security and Supporting Our Quality of Life”.  This report discusses the critical role of advanced energy technology innovation in maintaining U.S. economic success and providing a sustainable domestic energy supply for the future, while recognizing the important benefits the oil and natural gas sector provides in our daily lives.

Cybersecurity Forums Continue on Info Sharing – On Thursday October 29^th at 9:30 a.m., the USEA and USAID continue its forum series to discuss key elements of trusted collaboration and information sharing. An Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) is an industry-specific organization that gathers and shares information on cyber threats to critical infrastructure. ISACs also facilitate the sharing of data between public and private sector groups. NERC operates one and this webinar will explore their mission and how they operate. 

Web Event to Look at Test Reactor – The Versatile Test Reactor team is hosting a webinar on Thursday October 29^th at 12:00 p.m. looking at advancing U.S. nuclear research and development.  The briefing and discussion will address the VTR to share information about the project, research capabilities and next steps as a follow up to the recent announcement by DOE that it has approved Critical Decision 1. The panel will focus on U.S. competitiveness, energy, new innovation capabilities and other drivers.

Forum to Offer Geopolitical Outlook – The Columbia SIPA’s Center on Global Energy Policy will host a discussion Thursday October 29^th at Noon featuring a panel of former career intelligence officials and scholars who will offer their views, assessment, and outlook for geopolitics in the next 18 months. Focusing on topics as diverse as East Asia, Africa, Europe, cybersecurity and the Middle East, they will make brief presentations followed by a conversation moderated by Mike Dempsey, CGEP Non-Resident Fellow and the former Acting Director for National Intelligence.

Forum Looks at Advanced Nuclear, Security – The Atlantic Council and Third Way are co-hosting a virtual event on Thursday October 29^th highlighting the potential global market for advanced nuclear technologies, and the important role safeguards and security must play in ensuring US reactors are ready to compete. The event will feature keynote remarks by Dr. Brent Park, Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Immediately following his remarks, Third Way will present a first-of-a-kind international advanced nuclear map and global market analysis, and we will host a panel discussion on the critical role US clean energy innovation can play in reducing emissions in the US, addressing energy poverty around the world, and the challenges and opportunities presented by applying safeguards- and security-by-design to the next generation of nuclear energy technologies.

ELECTION DAY – November 3^rd

Forum to Look at Green Hydrogen – Green Hydrogen 2020 will be a Virtual Conference on November 5^th and 6^th and brings together experts and decision-makers in green hydrogen technologies.  The event will discuss the challenges and solutions of green hydrogen production, zero-emission, Carbon Capture, Utilize and Storage, hydrogen transportation, and the development of infrastructure.

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.

Offshore Wind Forum Set – The Business Network for Offshore Wind holds a virtual conference November 9^th to the 11^th 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.  

SP to Look at Hydrogen – S&P Global is hosting major new conference on November 10^th 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.

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.