Hill Heat

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a nomination hearing on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 10:00 AM ET to consider Michael Whitaker, President Biden’s nominee to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Nominee:

• Michael Whitaker to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

Sen. Klobuchar (D-Minn.) promoted renewable aviation fuel.

“Climate change is significantly impacting our aviation system,” Sen. Markey (D-Mass.) said. Whitaker agreed, citing the recent flooding of La Guardia. Markey talked about the importance of hardening airports to extreme weather and protecting airport service workers.

Nomination hearing.

Nominees:

• Richard H. Riley IV, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Somalia
• Mark Toner, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Liberia
• David E. White, Jr., of New York, to be Deputy Director of the Peace Corps

ClimateTech convenes the leaders funding, creating, and deploying climate technologies to accelerate the transition to a green economy.

New public policies backed by new public funding are fueling innovations, but the clock is figuratively, and literally, burning. We must identify, innovate, and quickly scale the solutions that will have the greatest impact on achieving net-zero objectives before it’s too late.

Electrification, AI, fusion, carbon capture, city level solutions, and radical adaptations are all on the agenda as we explore the innovations that will bring us to a sustainable future, now.

• In-person access: $2195
• Livestream access: $495

Agenda

9:00 AM Welcome Remarks

James Temple Senior Editor for Energy, MIT Technology Review

9:10 AM Equity in Energy

The Inflation Reduction Act establishes crucial drivers for clean energy and environmentally conscious investments with an equity focus. Emerging investments in clean technology must not only achieve parity in social and economic engagement within the energy framework but also address and alleviate the disproportionate social, economic, and health challenges faced by those most impacted by the existing energy system.

Shalanda Baker Director, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy

9:40 AM Becoming a Net-Zero Organization

Walmart is aiming for zero emissions across the company’s global operations by 2040 and committing to help protect, manage, or restore 50 million acres of land and 1 million square miles of ocean by 2030. Using renewable energy sources, electrifying its fleet, and cleaning up its supply chain are just some of the actions being taken to transform itself into a regenerative company.

Vishal Kapadia SVP for Energy Transformation, Walmart

10:05 AM Insuring a Clean Future

Climate change is destabilizing the insurance industry, driving up prices and pushing insurers out of high-risk areas around wildfire and flood zones. Insurers need to develop new models and new investment policies and become climate stewards as their industry undergoes a systemic, transformative change.

Andrew MacFarlane Head of Climate, AXA XL

10:30 AM Accounting for Climate Change

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed rule changes requiring companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions, expected climate risks, and transition plans. Organizations will need to quickly adopt investor-grade reporting by developing their ability to measure, collect, and manage ESG data.

Steve Davis Head of Climate Science, Watershed

Networking Break (10:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.) Networking and refreshments for our live audience

10:50 AM Networking Break

Global City Solutions (11:20 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.)

More than half the world’s population lives in urban areas, which account for an estimated 76% of CO2 emissions from energy use. It is imperative that city officials act on climate change. These actions will not only decrease emissions, but also improve aging infrastructure and make their areas more attractive to residents and businesses.

11:20 AM Global Cities, Local Solutions

MIT’s City Science group has built an international network of labs developing climate concepts and key technologies that can be extended, deployed, and evaluated by its collaborators in their unique contexts around the globe. This session will comprise a series of 9 lightning talks from network collaborators, exploring their unique approaches to solving global climate problems at the local level. The talks include:

• Chile – Informal Innovation for Entrepreneurs
• Andorra – Creating a Circular Economy
• Germany – Ensuring Air Quality
• Taipei – Toolkit for Greener City
• Canada – Data for ClimateTech in Communities
• Shanghai – The Connected Campus
• Mexico – Water Resiliency
• Spain – Climate focused Mobility Transition
• Israel – Desert Urban Research

Kent Larson Director, MIT City Science

Lunch and Networking Break (12:40 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.)

12:40 PM Lunch and Networking Break

Our in-person networking lunch brings together industry leaders and experts who are interested in learning about emerging technologies and trends, exchanging thoughtful ideas and insights, and making lasting connections with peers at ClimateTech.

12:50 PM MIT City Science Open House

Take a tour of the City Science lab and see first-hand what their researchers are working on, including sensorized spaces, ultra-lightweight mobility solutions, and data-enabled decision making platforms. Learn more about the City Science Network and international community of researchers that share the common goal to enable more livable, equitable, and resilient communities.

Green Business (2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.)

Adapting to regulatory environments, scaling innovations from the lab to market, and securing financing are challenges for any business, but they are magnified for those building the new clean economy. Success requires both delivering sustainable technologies and maintaining a sustainable business.

2:00 PM Investing Dollars in Change

The value proposition of a modern, sustainable, net-zero economy has become the greatest business opportunity of our generation. The challenge lies in identifying nascent technology areas can enable breakthrough innovations and trigger sectoral tipping points that will invite further investment and accelerate adoption.

Susan Schofer Partner, SOSV; Chief Science Officer, HAX

2:30 PM Scaling Green Business

The transition to net zero is well underway, but the pace of scaling these technologies has not kept up with projections for a warming planet. Large capital requirements, technological uncertainty, and complex regulations and permitting processes are challenges every green business must resolve to profitably reduce global warming.

Frank van Mierlo CEO, CubicPV

2:50 PM Manufacturing Innovation

We unravel the strategies required to transition laboratory breakthroughs into market-ready solutions with the founder of Form Energy, A123 Systems, Desktop Metal, 24M and American Superconductor. The process always begins with an amazing idea, but success requires a systematic approach to the innovation journey.

Yet-Ming Chiang Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, MIT

Networking Break (3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.) Networking and refreshments for our live audience

3:15 PM Networking Break

This Could Change Everything (3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

Climate change is a big problem that requires bold solutions. Nuclear fusion, carbon capture, and electrifying aviation possess remarkable potential to catalyze a transformative shift in our efforts to address climate challenges on a global scale.

3:45 PM Amped Aviation

Over the past few years, the battery industry has largely used lithium-ion technology to power electric vehicles. But as lithium-ion batteries approach the theoretical limit of how much energy they can store, they remain well short of what’s required for most aircraft. For electric aircraft to fly, we’ll need to find a way to increase energy density while decreasing battery weight.

Venkat Viswanathan Associate Professor, University of Michigan; Cofounder, And Battery Aero, Aionics, and Chement

4:15 PM Making Big Magnets to Burn Some Plasma

Tokamak reactors utilize magnetic fields to heat and control plasma, enabling nuclear fusion for clean energy generation. Recent advancements in high-temperature superconductors allow smaller and more affordable tokamak fusion systems, promising limitless, local clean energy to combat climate change.

Daniel Brunner Cofounder and CTO, Commonwealth Fusion Systems

4:35 PM Carbon Capture Rocks

Rocks are some of the planet’s most vital carbon sinks. Over geological timescales, CO2 from the atmosphere binds to minerals and permanently turns to rock. Limestone is one of the most abundant rocks on the planet, capturing massive amounts of CO2. While this natural process takes generations to complete, new technology can accelerate it to just days.

Noah McQueen Cofounder & Head of Research, Heirloom

5:00 PM Closing Remarks

Reception and dinner celebrating the fifty-year anniversary of the American Legislative Exchange Council. Speakers include ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson, talk show host and political commentator Hugh Hewitt, and Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez. Tickets for the event are $750.

• 6:00 PM Reception
• 7:00 PM Dinner & Program
• 9:00 PM Champagne Dessert Reception

At the National Portrait Gallery.

Gala sponsors:

• 1792 Exchange
• Alibaba
• Alliance of Healthcare Sharing Ministries
• Altria
• American Association for Debt Resolution
• American Bail Coalition
• American Council for Life Insurers
• Americans for Prosperity
• American Philanthropic
• BGR Group
• Brubaker & Associates
• ClassWallet
• Consumers’ Research
• EdChoice
• Federal Fiscal Sustainability Foundation
• Former National Chairs
• Guarantee Trust Life
• Holtzmann Vogel
• Humane Society of the United States
• Learn4Life
• MultiState
• National Federation of Independent Business
• National Review Institute
• NetChoice
• Pacific Legal Foundation
• People United for Privacy
• Philip Morris International
• PhRMA
• Prolific
• State Financial officers Foundation
• State Policy Network
• Stand Together
• Stride
• Texans for Clean Water
• The Gober Group
• The Heritage Foundation
• The Rise Companies
• The Yass Prize
• T.W. Lewis Foundation
• United Parcel Service
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce

For five decades, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has shamelessly served as a conduit for large corporations seeking to swiftly advance their self-serving agendas through statehouses across the nation. ALEC’s model bills go far beyond financial gains for these corporate entities – these legislative blueprints pose severe threats to our environment, racial justice and the vitality of our democracy.

Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm for the “ALEC (slow) Extinction Watch Party and Rally” in DC in front of the entrance to ALEC’s 50th anniversary gallery at DC’s National Portrait Gallery.

Speakers will present on the 50 years of harm ALEC bills have caused to their communities and the vision and solutions we share for an inclusive multiracial democracy.

Together we will build a movement for an inclusive multiracial democracy. Sponsored by: Greenpeace USA, Center for Media and Democracy, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, UnKoch My Campus, Common Cause, True North Research, Union of Concerned Scientists, Rethink Media.

Register here

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, will convene a full committee hearing titled “CHIPS and Science Implementation and Oversight” on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 2:00 PM ET. One year after its becoming law, the hearing will focus on the implementation and oversight of the CHIPS and Science Act by the Department of Commerce and the National Science Foundation. The hearing will highlight the rollout of investments to boost the United States’ innovation, research and competitiveness through domestic semiconductor manufacturing incentives, regional innovation programs and other science programs established under the law.

Witnesses:

• Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Department of Commerce
• Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation

Postponed after Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed as Speaker of the House.

Markup Of:

• H.R. 5863, the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023, which makes wildfire relief payments and East Palestine train derailment payments non-taxable income (amendment in the nature of a substitute, description)
• H.R. 5862, the Global Trade Specialist Act
• H.R. 1568, the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act
• H.R. 5861, the BRIDGE for Workers Act

The Committee on Rules will meet Monday, October 2, 2023 at 4:00 PM ET in H-313, The Capitol on the following measures:

• H.R. 4394 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
• H.R. 4364 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2024

Text of H.R. 4394 (as reported)

H. Rept. 118-126, Report from the Committee on Appropriations to accompany H.R. 4394

The nondefense allocation in this bill is $5.4 billion, or 22 percent, lower than last year’s effective level. Specifically, the bill cuts the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account by $466 million. That imperils our nation’s imperative to become energy independent here at home in perpetuity. In addition, the bill repeals over $5 billion for critical energy programs from the Inflation Reduction Act that would have helped American families save money on their monthly energy bills. This bill provides only $88 million for the WaterSMART program, a reduction of $98 million, 53 percent lower than last year’s enacted level. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation works cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities to conserve our water supply and enhance the resilience of the West to drought and climate change. The bill allows firearms on Corps of Engineers’ lands; includes a new title of controversial California water provisions that mandates the use of environmentally harmful water management plans and advances controversial California dam proposals; prohibits funding related to critical race theory; prohibits funding related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal workforce; prohibits funding related to advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities; and could even allow for discrimination based on same-sex marriage. Additional concerning riders include blocking energy efficiency standards, prohibiting the Corps of Engineers from renaming items that commemorate the Confederacy, and funding prohibitions with unintended programmatic implications.

The Green New Deal Happy Hour is this Friday 9/29 at 5:30pm, at Red Bear Brewing (209 M St NE).

At the happy hour, we will celebrate the announcement of the Civilian Climate Corps and the re-introduction of the Green New Deal for Schools Act from Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Sen. Ed Markey.

Join Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Senator Ed Markey, and more as they reintroduce the Green New Deal for Public Schools, which would fund upgrades for every public school facility in the country to create safe, healthy, zero-carbon learning environments—and fully invest in our public schools to support students and families holistically, with more educators, mental health professionals, and wraparound services. Research from the Climate and Community Project has shown that this level of investment ($1.6 trillion over ten years) would create more than a million union jobs annually.

RSVP

At the grassy area between the Senate and the Supreme Court.