SENATOR JOE MANCHIN SUGGESTS ENERGY BILL HAS 75 PERCENT CHANCE OF PASSING

Likely the biggest headline of today’s NCEW proceedings came when the morning’s first speaker, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), handicapped the chances of the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) passing the U.S. Senate at 75 percent. While he said the Senate is now focused on the Supreme Court vacancy, he thought modernizing the nation’s energy policy for the first time in over a decade would be a priority, especially in light of the pandemic. 

“Not only are clean energy workers a critical part of our economy and our response to the coronavirus pandemic,” he explained, “but they are also a vital element to our response to climate change.”

SENATORS GARDNER AND COLLINS PROMOTE THE ADVANTAGES OF INNOVATION

Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) directly followed Senator Manchin’s remarks, touting the economic benefits of clean energy, particularly given the need for stimulus and recovery. He said the Senate needs to “look at all the tools available” that can help us get Americans back to work, and emphasized the outsized impact of energy research. He also discussed how Colorado has been a leader in wind, solar, natural gas, and publicly funded research. Senator Susan Collins spoke in the afternoon, again stressing that clean energy is critical to the nation’s economic growth, for protecting the environment, and for ensuring our national security. She also focused on energy storage in particular, calling it the “holy grail” for unlocking the full potential of all renewables.

PANELISTS URGE COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION

Besides the economy, a recurring theme among the expert panelists was the need to collaborate and lead on developing clean energy resources. Participants in the “How the Fortune 500 Charts a Voluntary Path to Lower Emissions” panel said their companies recognized a need to share in the responsibility and lead on the energy transition. This included representative from traditional energy companies, who discussed global cooperation in the “Oil and Gas Industries: Looking Ahead at Low Carbon Investments, Energy Transition, and Net-Zero” panel.

“BP has set a new purpose which is to reimagine energy for people on the planet,” said Robert Stout of BP America. “And we set an ambition—a big one –to be net zero as a company by 2050, and also to help the world get to net zero.”

TWO MORE GOVERNORS ANNOUNCE NCEW PROCLAMATIONS

Delaware Governor John Carney (D) and Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R)  have issued proclamations recognizing September 21-25, 2020 as Clean Energy Week in their home states. In the Delaware proclamation, Gov. Carney notes the economic importance of clean energy and says, “clean energy technologies and clean energy jobs will be critical to getting our economy back on track and ready for an emissions-free future.” He joins more than two dozen governors who have issued proclamations prior to the week’s events. For a map showing all the states with official proclamations, click here.

EXPERTS ONLY PODCAST WITH CLEAN CAPITAL PRESIDENT JON POWERS AND CRES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HEATHER REAMS

Clean Capital accelerates the flow of institutional capital into clean energy in order to connect investors to opportunities in clean energy and drive renewable energy capacity, reducing the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and generating attractive returns to boot. In the latest edition of the investment firm’s podcast, Experts Only, Co-founder and President Jon Powers talked with Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Executive Director Heather Reams to discuss he conservative case for clean energy and how each of us can become better climate communicators. Click here to download the podcast.

NOTABLE QUOTES FROM DAY THREE OF THE NCEW POLICY MAKERS SYMPOSIUM

“If I was a betting man, I’m going to give it 75 percent. And my reason for that, we’re better than 50/50 right now, we’ve worked out most of the kinks. Right now, we’re caught in the big battle of the Supreme Court justice.”

- Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

“While some in the Congress and on the national stage would have us prioritize politics over policy and ideology over innovation, we must not let them win. Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between can and should unite around clean energy solutions. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.”

-Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO)

“Next generation energy storage technology is the holy grail that will allow us to integrate more renewables and clean energy technology. That in turn will help to reduce emissions, improve resiliency, and fight climate change.”

-Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)

“There is no safe level of climate change. Every half a degree matters.”

-Natalie Mahowald, Cornell University  
 

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AT-A-GLANCE

9:15 - 10:15 AM ET
Clean Energy Jobs Now and for the Future: A Workforce on the Rise

10:30 - 11:00 AM ET
Karen Harbert, President and CEO, American Gas Association

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Texas' Path to Net Zero Emissions and CCUS Leadership

12:00 - 12:30 PM ET
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT), Member, House Natural Resources Committee

12:30 - 1:30 PM ET
Heavy Industry: Expanding the American Economy While Shrinking Our Carbon Footprint

2:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Transportation: New Fuels and the Electrification of American Transportation

3:15 - 3:45 PM ET
Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Chair, House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis

4:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Report from the Front Lines: How Conservatives Can Talk About Clean Energy

NCEW NETWORKING EVENTS:
5:00 – 6:00 PM ET
Creating Markets for Clean Energy Expansion on the Policy Makers Symposium event site, sponsored by EDP Renewables

-and-

Greentown Lab’s “EnergyBar” happy hour – live from Greentown’s newest cleantech incubator in Houston’s Innovation District.

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We'd be nothing without our friends. Thank you to all of NCEW20's sponsors!

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To learn more about National Clean Energy Week please visit, nationalcleanenergyweek.org.