Mar 27 Bracewell PRG Energy Update: Permitting Letter, Energy Hits House Floor, Rough Budget Ride

Frank Maisano, Senior Principal, Policy Resolution Group. Bracewell LLC

Coming to you this morning from my last day in Cabo, just hanging out with Sammy Hagar. I roll back in late tonight because this week is action packed starting on the Floor of the House with HR 1. The Republican Energy messaging package with a side order of some permitting hits the Rules Committee today with final votes expected by week’s end. There will be lots of bellowing and positioning in between, but here we go.

To that end, the US Chamber sent a letter to Congressional leaders this morning with nearly 350 organizations representing virtually every sector of the U.S. economy and every corner of the country calling on Congress to “Permit America to Build” by passing meaningful, durable permitting reform before the end of summer. The effort brings together over 200 state and local chambers as well as leading business, policy and labor organizations, including ACORE, ACP and SEIA. The coalition signals the unified support for reforming America’s outdated permitting process in which federal permits take an average of 4.5-7.5 years to be approved depending on the project.

And don’t forget it is still budget season. After a few EPA and DOE skirmishes last week, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland heads to the Hill this week for and expect even a rougher ride for her from both sides given the Administration’s continued mixed signals on oil/gas leasing/drilling. And remembering last year’s performance, let’s just say it is expected to be challenging. She hits House and Senate Approps tomorrow and Wednesday. EPA’s Michael Regen heads to House Approps tomorrow, Senate Budget hosts a bunch on energy economists on climate and Oil Wednesday and Senate Environment looks at plastics waste on Thursday.

The Main Event this week is tomorrow and Wednesday as SAFE’s Summit on EVs, critical minerals and supply chains launches at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center. It will take place shortly before the expected a major IRS announcement on tax credits implementing the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) sourcing provisions for EV battery minerals and components. Speakers will include Senator Manchin, White House senior advisor John Podesta, FedEx Executive Chairman Fred Smith, Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk, Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta, Siemens USA CEO Barbara Humpton, Panasonic CEO Megan Myungwon Lee, The Metals Company CEO Gerard Barron, the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman, GM Vice President Jeffrey Morrison, and other private and public sector leaders and international officials from Europe, Japan, and South America. Journalists from Bloomberg, Reuters and the New York Times will participate as on-stage interviewers and panel moderators.

Other events include tomorrow afternoon when RFF will host a virtual RFF Live Event, featuring the release of Its Global Energy Outlook 2023—RFF’s annual report that synthesizes global energy market projections and analysis from leading energy organizations, academics, and corporations—as well as an accompanying interactive web tool. The 2023 International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum will take place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Baltimore Convention Center with Sect Haaland, DOE’s David Turk and many more. Finally on Thursday, Third Way and the BlueGreen Alliance are hosting Buy Clean Summit to discuss the future of Buy Clean and industrial policy with Ali Zaidi.

FRANKLY SPOKEN

“There is broad bipartisan support to modernize our nation’s energy infrastructure. Some are compelled by the urgency to strengthen grid reliability and reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. Others focus on the economic benefits of job creation and lower energy costs. And all must appreciate the herculean task of decarbonizing our energy systems to avoid the worst effects of climate change We have the capital. We have the technology, and we are eager to grow the workforce. What we don’t have is the luxury of time. Congress must come together and dramatically improve our process for permitting and siting new infrastructure. The future can’t wait.”
Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, in today’s release of a Congressional letter calling for action on Permitting reform.

“Streamlining the permitting process for infrastructure projects is essential if we are to realize the full benefits of the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” “ASCE has long advocated for strategic revisions to permitting processes, making it a key recommendation in the 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, while ensuring appropriate environmental safeguards and protections are in place.”

Tom Smith, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Executive Director, on permitting.

ON THE PODCAST

Bordoff Talks Biden Green Industrial Policy with CEA Official – In the latest Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, host Jason Bordoff talks with Heather Boushey about the nuances of the Biden administration’s domestic climate policy and how it fits into their broader economic plans. They also discuss what it means to use industrial policy in furtherance of the energy transition. Heather is currently a member of the Council of Economic Advisors for the Biden administration and chief economist to the Biden administration’s “Invest in America” cabinet. Heather works on domestic investment and implementation of infrastructure and clean energy laws.

FUN OPINIONS

Experts Look at Bank Failure Impact on Clean Tech – In an op-ed in Barron’s, Colorado School of Mines expert Morgan Bazilian and Peterson Institute Cullen Hendrix write the markets for many critical minerals are not terribly robust, transparent, or well governed. An international effort needs to be undertaken to build the foundations of well-functioning and well-governed markets for the major critical minerals key to the global supply chains for technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels. As demand for critical minerals ramps up, it is crucial that resilient market infrastructure ramps in tandem. A smoother, lower-cost transition to a more sustainable future hangs in the balance.

FROG BLOG

Siemens CEO Challenges EU to Improve Its Version of IRA – In a LinkedIn Post, Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch writes Europe needs a complexity reduction act. Bruch says the US has impressively demonstrated how pragmatically private investment interest can be mobilized with its IRA because it is a simple, transparent and technology-open principle focuses on tax relief for profits over a clearly defined period of time. It is a prime example of speed and simplicity, with some definite protectionist tendencies that can rightly be criticized. He adds that the European proposal will need to specify clearer the measures which are required to achieve our energy transition targets and to strengthen the cleantech industry in Europe.

FUN FACTS

NatGas has Record Growth; Asia Still Using Coal: Natural gas consumption in the US set nine monthly records and an annual record (88.5 billion cubic feet per day) in 2022. Also, natural gas consumption increased 5% year-over-year, the second-fastest y/y growth since 2013. Yet Asia still is beholden to coal as the chart below shows:

IN THE NEWS

Chamber Rolls out Permitting Effort, Letter to Congress – In a letter sent to Congressional leaders today, nearly 350 organizations representing virtually every sector of the U.S. economy and every corner of the country called on Congress to “Permit America to Build” by passing meaningful, durable permitting reform before the end of summer. This effort, organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, brings together over 200 state and local chambers as well as leading business, policy and labor organizations. The coalition signals the unified support for reforming America’s outdated permitting process in which federal permits take an average of 4.5-7.5 years to be approved depending on the project. “Our permitting system is fundamentally broken, and it is delaying the investments that we desperately need in energy, transportation, broadband, technology and countless other sectors,” said Neil Bradley, Chief Policy Officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “It should never take longer to get a permit than it does to build a project, and it is long past time for Congress to act. Over the last several years, both parties have put forward constructive proposals. Our ‘Permit America to Build’ campaign is focused on ensuring that we turn those proposals into enacted, meaningful reform.” While these diverse organizations may have differing perspectives on how Congress should address the permitting challenge, there is consensus that a modernized permitting process requires:

1. Predictability: Project developers and financers must have an appropriate level of certainty regarding the scope and timeline for project reviews, including any related judicial review.
2. Efficiency: Interagency coordination must be improved to optimize public and private resources while driving better environmental and community outcomes.
3. Transparency: Project sponsors and the public must have visibility into the project permitting milestones and schedule through an easily accessible public means.
4. Stakeholder Input: All relevant stakeholders must be adequately informed and have the opportunity to provide input within a reasonable and consistent timeframe.

Report: Ag Community Need Nat Gas – A new study underscores the critical role natural gas plays in the U.S. agriculture sector. “Advancing America’s Agriculture: The Value of Natural Gas to U.S. Agriculture and Agrochemicals,” the first in American Gas Assn’s Advancing America series, examines how natural gas is essential for a healthy agriculture sector: “The American farmer relies on domestic natural gas for the fertilizer in their fields, the fuel to run their equipment, and energy to process, store and transport our nation’s food supply to feed 330 million Americans, in addition to the countless individuals overseas, who depend on U.S. agricultural exports.” This study underscores the direct and critical impacts on the availability of low-cost natural gas to the cost of food on grocery store shelves globally. Restrictions or outright bans on natural gas would have broad implications to the agriculture sector, including disruptions to the supply chain, an impact on land value, a dangerous reliance on imports needed for agriculture from China and Russia and higher costs passed for consumers. Findings of the report include:
• U.S. agriculture is one of the largest consumers of natural gas, consuming roughly 1.7 trillion cubic feet (“Tcf”) of natural gas – equivalent to almost 15% of all U.S. commercial and industrial consumption demand.
• Fertilizer and other agrochemical production is the most significant consumer of natural gas in the agriculture supply chain.
• Natural gas is required to produce nitrogen, a main fertilizer component, which enables increased crop yields.
• Between 70% and 80% of the energy used to produce critical fertilizers comes from natural gas.
• The U.S. agriculture sector supports 17.2 million jobs and approximately $1.75 trillion in U.S. GDP, roughly equivalent to the GDP of Texas, the second-largest state economy after California.

Air Liquide Paves The Way For Ammonia Conversion Into Hydrogen With New Cracking Technology – Air Liquide announced the construction of an industrial scale ammonia (NH3) cracking pilot plant in the port of Antwerp, Belgium. When transformed into ammonia, hydrogen can be easily transported over long distances. Using innovative technology, this plant will make it possible to convert, with an optimized carbon footprint, ammonia into hydrogen (H2). With this cracking technology, Air Liquide will further contribute to the development of hydrogen as a key enabler of the energy transition. Ammonia – a molecule made of hydrogen and nitrogen – can be used as an energy carrier. It can be produced with a low-carbon footprint from hydrogen in geographies with abundant renewable energy sources such as sun, water and wind, or other low-carbon power. A global supply chain infrastructure is already in place for its production, transportation and utilization at large scale to serve various industries. This allows regions with abundant renewable energy to export ammonia to end users across the globe, where it can be converted back to hydrogen to contribute to the decarbonization of industry and mobility. The innovative pilot plant, which combines a novel efficient process with Air Liquide’s proprietary technologies, is planned to be operational in 2024. The Flemish Government, through the VLAIO (Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), has confirmed a financial support to the project.

EIA: US to Remain Net Energy Exporter Through 2050 – EIA ’s 2023 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) projects U.S. energy production to remain high, exports to grow, and natural gas consumption to remain stable as renewable energies integrate onto the grid through 2050. The combination of increased energy efficiency, including upgrades from simple cycle natural gas turbines to combined cycle natural gas turbines, and increased renewables result in a projected 25-38 percent reduction in energy-sector related CO2 emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. In 2022, the United States tied Qatar as the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas, and the EIA expects U.S. energy exports to grow with the increased demand for LNG through 2050. In the last year alone exports grew 9 percent, and international demand is expected to continue into the future, keeping U.S. production at historic highs. LNG growth along the Gulf Coast is already preparing for an increase in export capacity with 169 million metric tons being brought online by 2027, and an additional 54.5 million tons of capacity in line for review this year. This growth is expected to continue: EIA projects LNG exports in 2050 to total between 27 to 28 billion cubic feet per day – more than 2.5 times capacity in 2022. Even in the Low Uptake case, LNG exports increase 2.3 times over their 2022 levels. Looking at long-term trends, the EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook projects a steady place for natural gas in energy generation, increased renewable generation, reduced energy-related CO2 emissions, and historic highs of energy exports.

ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

USEA Hosts Forum on Utilities In Arid Regions – The US Energy Assn holds a forum next Monday at Noon looking at increasing challenges to provide reliable power amidst climate change and extreme weather events. During this webinar, speakers from Pakistan, Kenya, and southwestern states of the United States will discuss how their electric utilities are adapting to climate change related risks. Power systems in semi-arid and arid regions are at risk of increased occurrences of extreme heat, wildfires, flash flooding, and drought. Speakers from these regions will discuss how climate change has impacted their service territory and how their organizations assess risks to make electrical infrastructure, operations and services more resilient.

Ethanol Group Home Summit in DC – The American Coalition for Ethanol holds its 12th annual Fly-in and Government Affairs Summit today and tomorrow. The events include participants from across the country to meet with Members of Congress and top Administration officials. Past participants include ethanol company investors and management, farmers, scientists, fuel marketers, and other biofuel advocates.

SAFE Summit To Address EV Supply Chains, Infrastructure – Senior business leaders from the world’s leading automobile, mining, and transportation corporations as well as White House and senior government officials are scheduled to headline the SAFE Summit: A Pathway to Electrification from Minerals to Market, tomorrow and Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

House Energy Panel Looks at Ohio Train Incident – The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on environment, manufacturing and critical minerals will hold a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. on the state and federal government’s response to the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

House Interior Approps Hosts Haaland – The House Appropriations Interior/Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to review of the FY2024 Budget request for the Department of Interior. Secretary Haaland.

Forum to Look at Power Market Drivers – ICF International holds a forum tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. on key drivers and developments in US power markets. Panelists will discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act is expected to impact supply and power prices, expected changes in supply and key assumptions including gas, commodity and capital costs, and regulations, and power price trends and congestion and curtailment patterns.

EPA Regan Heads to House Approps – The House Appropriations Interior/Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on the FY2024 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency. Administrator Michael Regan will testify.

RFF Hosts Global Energy Outlook – Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., Resources for the Future (RFF) will host a virtual RFF Live Event, “The Global Energy Outlook 2023: Sowing the Seeds of an Energy Transition.” This event coincides with the release of the 2023 Global Energy Outlook—RFF’s annual report that synthesizes global energy market projections and analysis from leading energy organizations, academics, and corporations—and an accompanying interactive web tool. The only report of its kind, RFF’s 2023 Global Energy Outlook harmonizes analyses from other organizations to allow for a clear understanding and easy comparison of potential future energy markets, climate trajectories, and policy options at global, regional, and national levels. The event will feature an in-depth panel discussion on some of the potential long-term outlooks for energy markets, and how the global energy system will change as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act and other energy-related pledges and policies. It will also feature discussion of the role that energy plays in the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape across Europe, Eurasia, North America, and the Pacific. Our friend Amy Harder moderates a panel that includes bp’s Michael Cohen, CSIS’s Jane Nakano, RFF’s Richard Newell and Harvard Kennedy School Meghan O’Sullivan.

Offshore Wind Conference Set for Baltimore – The 2023 International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum will take place Tomorrow night to Thursday at the Baltimore Convention Center. Speakers will include White House Climate Official Ali Zaidi, Interior Secretary Haaland, DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk, NOAA official Adena Leibman, BOEM head Liz Klein, MD Gov Wes Moore and a host of industry speakers.

Ethanol Advocates Head to Hill – The American Coalition for Ethanol holds its two-day, 12th annual Fly-In and Government Affairs Summit on Wednesday and Thursday. The event, bringing participants from across the country to meet with Members of Congress and top Administration officials. Past participants include ethanol company investors and management, farmers, scientists, fuel marketers, and other biofuel advocates.

WRI Looks at Measuring Climate Action – On Wednesday at 8:00 a.m., WRI hosts a webinar to hear about the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) Non-State and Subnational Action Guide – a tool that provides guidance for countries on how to carry out assessments for non-state and subnational climate action. You will hear from WRI climate experts who will introduce the guide and discuss how a better understanding of the role of non-state and subnational actors can help support national governments in meeting or exceeding their mitigation targets. Importantly, you will also hear from those countries who have used the guide for determining their collection action.

Econ Policy Conference Set – The National Association for Business Economics holds its 39th annual Economic Policy Conference on Wednesday and Thursday on orienting policy for a polarized world. Speakers include World Trade Organization Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, CBO Director Phillip Swagel and Treasury Undersecretary for Domestic Finance Nellie Liang.

Farm Foundation Looks at Climate – The Farm Foundation holds a workshop on Wednesday and Thursday on agricultural productivity growth focusing on measurement, drivers and climatic effects.

Senate Interior Approps Hosts Haaland – The Senate Appropriations Interior/Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. to review of the FY2024 Budget request for the Department of Interior. Secretary Haaland.

Senate Enviro Looks at EPA Good Neighbor Rule – The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing on Wednesday looking at the EPA Good Neighbor rule for downwind states. Witnesses Include ALA’s David Hill, Maryland DEM Secretary Serena McIlwain, Arizona DEQ Director Karen Peters, Mississippi DEQ head Chris Peters and AF&PA’s Paul Noe.

Senate Budget Looks at More Climate Issues – The Senate Budget Committee Holds another climate hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. to discuss oil in a Low carbon world. Witnesses include Rystad Energy’s Claudio Galimberti, Gregor Semieniuk of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, RFF’s Daniel Raimi. AEI’s Benjamin Zycher and Lucian Pugliaresi of the Energy Policy Research Foundation

House Small Biz Looks at Rural Energy – The House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. highlighting the role of small businesses in domestic energy production.

House Approps Subpanel Looks at Army Corps Budget – The House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on the FY2024 Request for the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation.

Stanford Holds Climate Event at Press Club – The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment holds a forum at the National Press Club on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. on clean water issues. This event will feature a panel of Stanford scholars and other experts examining the challenges and potential solutions to ensuring communities across the United States have access to clean water. Topics will include water resource management practices, benefits of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, and access and affordability with a particular focus on under-resourced communities – both urban and rural.

House Approps Subpanel Looks at Fish/Wildlife, BLM, NPS Budgets – The House Appropriations Interior/Environment Subcommittee holds a hearing on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. on the FY2024 budget for the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. NPS Director Charles Sams, BLM Director Tracey Stone-Manning and USFWS head Martha Williams testify.

WaPo Hosts Reps. Curtis, Kuster to Discuss Climate, Ski Resorts – On Wednesday at 1:15 p.m., The Washington Post’s Leigh Ann Caldwell speaks with Reps. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) about their work to protect a more than $20 billion industry that supplies jobs through hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and more as climate change continues to threaten the economic viability of ski towns and resorts.

House Oversight Looks at Global Energy Policy Issues – The House Oversight and Accountability Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. focused on the Biden Administration’s policies and its impact on global energy scarcity and inflation.

House Energy Oversight Panel Looks at EPA, Other Spending – The House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee holds a hearing on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. on oversight of President Biden’s spending featuring EPA Inspector General Sean O’Donnell. Other witnesses include GAO’s natural resource lead Mark Gaffigan and Energy IG Teri Donaldson.

Wilson Looks at American Future Energy – The Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program holds a discussion on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. looking at America’s energy future. The event features a conversation with Angelina LaRose, Assistant Administrator of EIA focused on the outlook for US and global energy markets in the face of the transition. LaRose directs the EIA’s energy modeling program, which supports the EIA’s forecasts and projections and also manages the topical analyses that EIA produces that span a range of fuels and activities.

WaPo Hosts Climate Storytelling Discussion – The Washington Post Live holds a virtual discussion Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. on the new climate drama “Extrapolations.” Director Scott Z. Burns and actor Edward Norton join to talk about the star-studded anthology, the role of storytelling in explaining climate change and our planet’s future.

Forum Looks at CO2/Water Injection, Energy – The United States Energy Association holds a virtual discussion on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. looking at challenges ahead for energy supply and new lessons from large volume CO2/water injection and induced seismicity.

Senate Environment Looks at Plastics Lifecycle – The Senate Environment Committee holds a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. on petrochemicals to waste. The hearing will examine the lifecycle environmental and climate effects of plastics.

Forum Looks at Shifting Transport – The World Resources Institute holds a forum on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. for a synopsis of key actions that are necessary to decarbonize the global transport system, followed by training on how to discover rich insights about the sector on the Systems Change Lab and Climate Watch data platforms. Participants will learn about the 5 key shifts needed to transform the sector, which includes ramping up use of public transit, decarbonizing the shipping and aviation industries, accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and more.

Senate Ag Panel Looks at Forests –On Thursday at 10:30 a.m., the Senate Agriculture’s Conservation, Climate, Forestry and Natural Resources Subcommittee holds a hearing on forestry in the Farm Bill, looking at the importance of America’s forests.

Zaidi, Ryan Headlining Buy Clean Summit – On Thursday afternoon at Hamilton Live, Third Way and the BlueGreen Alliance will be hosting a Buy Clean Summit featuring Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor, former Congressman Tim Ryan and Robin Carnahan, Administrator for General Services Administration. The event will also feature leaders from labor, the public and private sector, and policy experts to discuss how the federal government can leverage its purchasing power to reduce industrial emissions and bolster US manufacturing.

USEA to Look at Distributed Energy – The US Energy Assn holds another virtual press briefing on Friday at 11:00 a.m. to look at Distributed Energy issues. DER takes up the slack in the electricity system and enhances the available power supply without building new generation or new transmission. Almost by definition they must be close to demand centers and available to the utility during peak electricity hours. Speakers include Former FERC Head Jon Wellinghoff and Tri-State CEO Duane Highley.

IN THE FUTURE

Brookings Looks at Social Cost of Carbon – On Monday April 3rd at 11:00 a.m., the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings is convening a panel to explain why putting a number on the social cost of carbon is so important. Participants include New York Times reporter Coral Davenport, Noah Kaufman of Columbia, RFF’s Brian Prest and Glenn Rudebusch of Brookings.

Hydrogen Conference Features bp Hydrogen Speaker – The S&P Global Hydrogen Markets Americas Conference will be Held on April 3rd to 5th in Sand Diego. The event gathers hundreds of energy professionals from across North America to discuss the growth of hydrogen as part of the move toward de-carbonization. Keynotes include bp’s head of Hydrogen North America Tomeka McLeod and Air Products VP for Hydrogen Mobility Eric Guter.

Forum Looks at Hydrogen, Methane Detection – On Tuesday April 4th at 11:00 a.m., the US Energy Association holds a forum to provide an introduction to novel hydrogen and methane detection technologies. Hydrogen Naturally, Inc. has found the key to removing gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere: power facilities and communities with Bright Green™ Hydrogen made from residual forestry waste fiber. Boilermakers’ climate advocate Cory Channon joins Hydrogen Naturally’s Ian MacGregor.

Air Pollution Control Conference Set for OKC – The Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies’ (AAPCA) holds its 2023 Spring Meeting on April 4th to 6th at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel. AAPCA’s 2023 Spring Meeting will feature presentations from state and local air quality agencies, U.S. EPA, and other air quality professionals on timely Clean Air Act topics.

Forum to Look at EV Infrastructure – The ASU Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes holds a forum on Wednesday April 5th at 9:00 a.m. at its Barrett & O’Connor Washington Center to look at how to solve electric vehicle charging infrastructure. A paradigm shift needs to occur if we hope to effectively transition to electric vehicles – electric vehicle charging policy should focus on the quantity of chargers, as opposed to the quality of chargers.

WaPo Looks at Sustainable Cities – The Washington Post Live holds a forum on Wednesday April 5th at 9:00 a.m. featuring a series of conversations with key public officials, experts and activists leading the charge to build greener cities, invest in the clean energy economy and incentivize citizens to live sustainably.

Forum Looks at Circular Carbon Economy — On Thursday April 6th at 1:00 p.m., the Institute for Carbon Removal and Policy holds a forum on transitioning to a sustainable, circular carbon economy by converting waste into essential chemicals, fuels and products. This event will feature a representative from carbon transformation industry leader, LanzaTech, on transitioning to a sustainable, circular carbon economy by converting waste into essential chemicals, fuels, and products.

MIT Energy Conference Set – MIT holds its annual energy conference on April 11th and 12th in Boston. The event brings experts across the three key fields of technology, finance, and global policy to discuss critical solutions that will shape the future of the energy landscape, particularly during this time of uncertainty, urgency, and hardship. Our friend Laura Parkan of Air Liquide will speak.

CGEP to Host Granholm – To kick off the celebration of its 10th anniversary, Columbia Center for Global Energy Policy (CGEP) will host a special 10th Anniversary Global Energy Summit on April 12th where they will discuss turbulence in global energy markets, the growing gap between climate ambition and reality, and the tensions between today’s energy needs and tomorrow’s energy transition imperative. Speakers include Energy Sect. Jennifer Granholm, NRDC CEO Manish Bapna and BlackRock Investment Institute chair and former US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, among others.

G7 Energy Ministerial Set – The G7 holds its Energy Ministerial on April 15th and 16th in Sapporo, Japan. The 2023 Group of 7 (G7) Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment will take place under the Japanese G7 Presidency, and consider priority issues in the areas of climate, energy, and the environment. Recently, the U.S. Chamber and other organizations sent a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following a meeting held with G7 nations on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference regarding the inclusion of a discussion about the role of natural gas at the upcoming G7 meeting hosted by Japan

Power Conference Set – The 38th Platts Global Power Markets Conference is set for The Wynn in Las Vegas on April 17-19th. The event brings together leaders from utilities, regulators, finance and more to discuss the trends moving the power markets forward. Keynote speaker is Xcel Energy CEO Robert Frenzel to discuss his views on sustainability and how companies are generating clean, affordable, and accessible energy, as well as what lies ahead. Other topics include trends and opportunities around infrastructure, the IRA and its implications, wholesale power markets, global and emerging power market investment, supply chain challenges, impact of global energy market upheaval and much more.

FP Hosts Climate Summit – On Wednesday April 26th, Foreign Policy holds its third annual Climate Summit, where they will convene climate-minded leaders and experts for high-profile discussions on maintaining momentum from COP27 and following through on commitments. With a focus on achieving net-zero, addressing climate justice and the logistics of implementation, this event will look at the first steps of making the world’s answer to climate change a reality. The event will also explore how governments and organizations are making progress, identifying, and implementing best practices and navigating the road ahead to COP28.

BioGas American Set for Chicago – The American Biogas Council holds 2023 BioGas Americas in Chicago at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk on May 15th to 18th. The event is the biggest event in the US for biogas/RNG.