Hill Heat

Sponsored by fossil-fuel utility Southern Company and tar-sands and natural-gas pipeline company TC Energy.

A new world energy order is emerging and America’s place in it is at a critical juncture.

Join POLITICO for its first-ever energy summit to explore how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future.

While the Biden administration pushes forward on the energy transition, global energy demand and prices along with geopolitical pressures continue to complicate what is already a tricky political path toward clean energy. What are the most viable policy and regulatory solutions available in Washington to advance the clean energy agenda?

Throughout the day, we will also explore any progress made on the ground with the infrastructure and climate packages intended to move the U.S. to a renewable energy economy through electric vehicle adoption, a Just Transition to support oil and gas workers moving into green sector jobs and Biden’s environmental justice proposals.

We will also dig into clean energy technologies and innovation, including wind energy, solar power, nuclear, and battery technologies, the electrification of the transportation sector, while acknowledging the larger political forces that will shape any policy wins. Finally, we’ll explore the latest developments in Washington in the battle to implement and enforce ESG standards to combat climate change.

The Schuyler

1001 14th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20005

This program will also be available to watch on our virtual event platform provided the week of the event.

A light lunch will be served upon arrival, and a cocktail reception with light hors d’oeuvres will follow the program.

AGENDA

11:30 AM	Doors Open & Lunch
12:00 PM	Welcome Remarks Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor, POLITICO
12:25 PM	Executive Conversation François Poirier, President and Chief Executive Officer, TC Energy Goli Sheikholeslami, Chief Executive Officer, POLITICO Media Group
12:45 PM	Regional Partnerships for Energy Security and Climate Action Sharon Burke, Founder and President, Ecospherics & Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Christopher Sands, Director, Canada Institute, Wilson Center Moderated by: Manuel Quiñones, Daily Editor, E&E News
1:10 PM	A Conversation with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Moderated by: Gloria Gonzalez, Deputy Energy Editor, POLITICO
1:30 PM	Innovating Our Way to Lower Emissions John Delaney, Founder & CEO, Forbright Bank, Former U.S. Representative Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy Val Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer, Citi Moderated by: Debra Kahn, Deputy Sustainability Editor, POLITICO
2:00 PM	Networking Break
2:20 PM	A Conversation with Heather Boushey, PhD Heather Boushey, PhD, Member of the Council of Economic Advisers and Chief Economist for the Invest in America Cabinet at the White House Moderated by: Emma Dumain, Reporter, E&E News
2:40 PM	The Fight for Market Share as America’s Energy Mix Evolves Chris Colbert, Chief Financial Officer, NuScale Erin Duncan, Vice President of Congressional Affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association Michael Goff, PhD, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Moderated by: Catherine Morehouse, Energy Reporter, POLITICO
3:10 PM	A Conversation with Deputy United States Trade Representative Jayme White Ambassador Jayme White, Deputy United States Trade Representative Gavin Bade, Moderated by: Catherine Morehouse, Energy Reporter, POLITICO
3:30 PM	Networking Break
4:00 PM	A Conversation with Sen. Ed Markey Sen. Ed Markey, Chair, Clean Air, Climate, & Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (D-MA) Moderated by: Zack Colman, Climate & Energy Reporter, POLITICO
4:20 PM	A Conversation with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy Moderated by: Zack Colman, Climate & Energy Reporter, POLITICO
4:40 PM	Editorial Roundtable Zack Colman, Climate & Energy Reporter, POLITICO Debra Kahn, Deputy Sustainability Editor, POLITICO Greg Mott, Sustainability Editor, POLITICO
5:00 PM	Reception

A full committee hearing to examine tax incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, focusing on jobs and investment in energy communities.

Member Statements

• Ron Wyden (D – Ore.)
• Mike Crapo (R – Idaho)

Witnesses:

• Katie Harris, Ph.D., Legislative Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• Daniel Simmons, Principal, Simmons Energy and Environmental Strategies
• Philip Rossetti, Resident Senior Fellow, Energy, R Street Institute
• Patty Horvatich, Senior Vice President, Business Investment, Pittsburgh Regional Alliance

FERC Open Meeting.

Commission Meeting Room (Room 2C) FERC Headquarters, 888 First St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426

Meeting agenda

A hearing to examine the following ambassadorial nominees.

Nominees:

• Jennifer M. Adams, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cabo Verde
• Heather Roach Variava, of Iowa, 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 Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Julie Turner, of Maryland, to be Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, with the rank of Ambassador
• Matthew D. Murray, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• Jennifer L. Johnson, of New York, 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 Federated States of Micronesia

The government of Cape Verde is seeking developers to build four solar plants across four islands in the archipelagic nation.

Cape Verde’s €140 million of debt to Portugal will be redirected into an environmental fund.

Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) will hold a hearing titled “Driving Bad Policy: Examining EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rules and the Realities of a Rapid Electric Vehicle Transition.” The subcommittee hearing will examine the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new proposed vehicle emissions standards rules.

Witnesses:

• Steve Bradbury, Heritage Foundation
• Doug Kantor, General Counsel, National Association of Convenience Stores

“The Biden Administration’s pursuit of radical Green New Deal policies has continued in the form of the EPA’s new vehicle emissions standards rules. The impact this would have on American consumers cannot be overstated. This is the largest attempt at green regulation of U.S. cars, trucks, and locomotives that we’ve ever seen and could require that 67 percent of all new cars sold are EVs by 2032. The EPA has even declined to appear before the subcommittee to defend the Biden Administration’s policies on this issue. A shift of this magnitude towards the progressive utopia of exclusively electric vehicles could have untold national security implications as well as trigger nationwide blackouts if fossil fuel power plants are taken offline before the grid is stabilized. As long as the Biden Administration continues pursuing radical green regulations that will drive up costs on American consumers and create turmoil in the U.S. energy sector, Committee Republicans will swiftly push back and exercise forceful oversight,” said Subcommittee Chairman Fallon.

Full committee hearing to examine Federal actions to improve project reviews for a cleaner and stronger economy.

Witnesses:

• Brenda Mallory, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality
• Christine Harada, Executive Director, Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council
• Jason Miller, Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and Budget

This is a hearing on FEMA’s strategic plan, of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, chaired by Scott Perry (R-Pa.), ranking member Dina Titus (D-Nev.).

Witness list:

• Erik Hooks, Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Chris Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

A hearing of the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry re: “A Review of Animal Agriculture Stakeholder Priorities”

Chair Tracey Mann (R-Ks.)

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a mark-up

Markup memorandum

Bills expected to move by regular order:

• H.Con.Res. 34 (Rep. Stauber), Expressing disapproval of the withdrawal by the Secretary of the Interior of approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota, from disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws;
• H.R. 200 (Rep. Rosendale), “Forest Information Reform Act” or the “FIR Act” (Amendments to H.R. 200 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute, which will be circulated on Monday, May 15), to reverse the Cottonwood decision requiring the U.S. Forest Service to reinitiate Endangered Species Act consultation on completed forest plans when a new species is listed, when critical habitat is designated, or when new information is brought forward.
• H.R. 1586 (Rep. LaMalfa), “Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2023” (Amendments to H.R. 1586 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute);
• H.R. 2989 (Rep. McCarthy), “Save Our Sequoias Act” (Amendments to H.R. 2989 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute); and
• H.R. 3195 (Rep. Stauber), “Superior National Forest Restoration Act” (Amendments to H.R. 3195 must be drafted to the amendment in the nature of a substitute).

Testimony from Forest Watch on the Save Our Sequoias [sic] Act: “Prescribed fire can be used successfully in giant sequoia groves without the need for mechanical tree removal beforehand, rendering the Save Our Sequoias Act misguided and unnecessary.”

Bills expected to move by unanimous consent:

• H.R. 359 (Rep. Gonzalez-Colon), “Fort San Gerónimo Preservation Act”;
• H.R. 663 (Rep. Gallego), “Native American Child Protection Act”;
• H.R. 886 (Rep. Bonamici), “Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act”

Subcommittee hearing to examine perspectives on new and existing US Army Corps of Engineers authorities to respond to water management issues including drought and water conservation.

Witnesses:

• Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor, Gila River Indian Community
• Leslie A Meyers P.E., Chief Water Executive & Associate General Manager of Water Resources, Salt River Project
• Christy Plumer, Chief Conservation Officer, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
• Andrea Travnicek, Director, North Dakota Department of Water Resources
• Jennifer Verleger. Chair, Western States Water Council