Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)

Transmission Benefits for Consumers and the Economy

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A live webcast will be streamed at 11:00 AM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
WIRES and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute invite you to a briefing on the widespread, substantial, and long-lasting benefits of investment in electric transmission. The briefing will showcase two London Economics International studies – one study quantifies the future benefits of transmission investment based on two hypothetical projects, the second dispels many of the myths that deter and delay transmission investment. Expanding and upgrading the grid will make it more resilient and deliver increased economic, environmental, and consumer benefits in the billions of dollars over its useful life, according to WIRES. And yet, investment in new regional and interregional electric transmission has been incremental and subject to elaborate and expensive planning and permitting requirements that can easily last a decade.
This panel will discuss why transmission should be a major component of the infrastructure conversation and how the economic and societal benefits from a robust high-voltage grid are so important.

What Came Out of the Latest Global Climate Talks?

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A live webcast will be streamed at 1:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing about the takeaways from the latest global climate talks, which concluded in Bonn, Germany, on November 18. The 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focused on the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, which is slated to start in 2020. The Paris Climate Agreement calls on the world's nations to keep global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial levels. The year 2016 was already 1.2 C warmer than the 1850-1900 baseline.
Every single member of the United Nations is part of the Paris Agreement, but President Trump indicated in June that the United States will withdraw from the agreement in 2020 (the earliest it is legally able to). His decision briefly threw the entire agreement into question, as U.S. participation is deemed essential if the global community is to meet its climate goals. Indeed, the United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind only China. Nevertheless, the other 194 signatories of the Agreement are pressing forward.

Can Fuel Efficiency Standards Be Met Cost-Effectively?

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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EST at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
To cut petroleum usage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, fuel efficiency standards are set to rise significantly by 2025 under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards—jointly administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA. However, the automotive marketplace has changed significantly since the standards were written in 2009. Sustained low gas prices and the growing popularity of trucks and SUVs have led the auto industry to claim that it will be impossible to meet both 2025 and long-term efficiency standards without significant changes to the programs. Fortunately, there is another low-cost pathway available to regulators to preserve strong fuel efficiency standards and improve fuel quality.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing examining how high-octane, low-carbon fuel can enable CAFE compliance. Research suggests that high-octane, low-carbon fuel is the lowest-cost compliance option for both consumers and the automotive industry.

How Can Cities Become More Resilient to Extreme Weather?

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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
Mayors are on the front lines when natural disasters and other catastrophic events threaten lives and property. The National League of Cities (NLC) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about what cities throughout the United States are doing to protect their communities by investing in resilience. Infrastructure dollars are only part of the story. Equally important is funding for planning that accounts for new weather patterns with more severe impacts than we’ve seen in the past and preemptive action to keep people and structures safe and functional. Coordinating land use; updating building codes; and strengthening social networks, lifelines and communications are just a few examples. These investments are resulting in additional community benefits: lower monthly expenses for households, businesses, and the city itself; the protection and restoration of natural resources; and local economic growth and job creation.
The United States is experiencing more heat waves, more heavy downpours, more floods, and more droughts, according to the 2014 National Climate Assessment. Tropical cyclones cause the most damage—more than $580 billion since 1980, followed by droughts ($232 billion), severe storms ($200 billion), and inland flooding ($118 billion). More than 9,600 Americans have lost their lives in the 212 largest weather disasters since 1980. Certainly the enormous disaster in Texas is weighing heavily on the hearts of Americans across the country.
This briefing's speakers will showcase some of the concrete, actionable steps their cities are taking to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather and the costly and deadly impacts of these events, and share lessons learned.

Protecting America’s Water Amid Growing Threats

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A live webcast will be streamed at 10:00 AM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and Clean Water Action invite you to a briefing on federal protection for clean water, which is increasingly under threat from steep proposed EPA budget cuts and recent decisions rescinding key federal rules (including the rules that applied the Clean Water Act to smaller waterways and wetlands or prohibited discharge of coal mining waste into streams). Meanwhile, aging infrastructure, population growth, and climate change—with its droughts and floods—put an ever-increasing strain on America’s waterways and drinking water. This requires increased investment and sharper focus on science-based policy simply to maintain existing water quality—let alone improve it—and protect water resources from systemic failures like the ones experienced in Flint, MI, Newburgh, NY, and many other places across the country. Speakers will discuss impacts of proposed funding cuts and rollbacks in clean water protections on public and environmental health, and how to undo the damage.

The National Security Implications of Climate Change

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A live webcast will be streamed at 2:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Center for Climate and Security (CCS), the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation invite you to a briefing discussing the role of climate change as a "threat multiplier" in the geopolitical landscape and the implications that has for U.S. national security. The briefing will explore the risk management and planning considerations facing the Department of Defense (DOD) as it seeks to maintain force readiness and bolster infrastructure resilience. The panel will also discuss the need for investments in preventive measures today to prepare for future needs concerning disaster assistance, the Arctic, and the displacement of vulnerable populations due to climate change. Speakers for this forum include members of the CCS Advisory Board.

Powering Businesses, Homes and Vehicles with Waste

Lunch will be served
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at -- Time to be determined -- at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The American Biogas Council (ABC), the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (CRNG) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invite you to a briefing about the untapped energy in domestic wastes. Waste streams—including manure, agricultural waste, waste water, food scraps and landfill gases—can be converted to biogas and upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG) for electricity, pipeline injection, or vehicle use, while also providing valuable products such as fertilizer and compost. Using these products provides local jobs, improves air and water quality, assists in meeting multi-agency nutrient management strategies and helps to meet multiple policy goals espoused in both the Farm Bill and the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Energy Emergency Preparedness: A Critical Federal-State-Private Sector Partnership

Lunch will be served
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:30 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing about the key role played by the 56 governor-designated State and Territory Energy Officials, other state agencies, the private sector, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in mitigating the impacts of and responding to energy supply disruptions (of electricity, natural gas, and petroleum products). Such emergencies, often caused by extreme weather, can pose a threat to public health and safety and can cause lasting economic harm. According to the Congressional Research Service, weather-related outages cost the nation between $25 and $70 billion annually.
State Energy Officials often lead the preparation of energy emergency (or energy assurance) plans, and work with the private sector and DOE in responding to energy emergencies. Equally important is mitigating the potential severity and length of energy emergencies through the promotion of more resilient energy infrastructure; electric generating fuel diversity; construction of high-performance mission critical public facilities; diversification of transportation fuels; and energy and water efficiency retrofits of public facilities. Such actions also help to minimize disruptions to mission-critical facilities, such as police and fire stations, schools, water systems, hospitals and communications infrastructure. To fulfill this critical public safety mission, State Energy Offices and their partners rely on the federal funding provided by DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), and the expertise offered by its Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
In partnership with DOE, states have led innovation on energy emergency preparedness and response, as well as energy infrastructure resilience, for over 25 years. Their efforts focus on limiting the impact of energy supply disruptions from all hazards—natural and man-made—and returning energy systems and communities to normal activity as rapidly as possible. In this briefing, NASEO and state energy directors will discuss the concept of energy assurance—as well as key mitigation actions—and how State Energy Offices partner with state and local agencies and the private sector to rebuild after a natural disaster, prepare for future emergencies, and improve resiliency with energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Investing in U.S. Infrastructure for Maximum Dividends

Lunch will be served
Please RSVP to expedite check-in
A live webcast will be streamed at 12:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) invite you to a briefing on America's infrastructure needs and the business case for investing in long-term reliability and sustainability. Electric power outages, failing bridges, congested airports, deficient mass transit… all have substantial economic costs. A critical 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report, Failure to Act: Closing the Infrastructure Investment Gap for America’s Economic Future, found that failing to fix and improve our nation's infrastructure will result in $3.9 trillion in lost GDP by 2025, and 2.5 million lost jobs. There are also significant health and safety risks—Flint, MI, is just one example of the tragic consequences of neglected infrastructure.
Both political parties have floated plans to spend $1 trillion to upgrade U.S. infrastructure, with different ideas on how to pay for it. What could $1 trillion buy for the country? How can policymakers help set priorities and ensure smart investments that produce the best outcomes possible? In this briefing, infrastructure experts will help answer these and other questions and discuss the value of building for resilience.

How Foreign Climate Aid Benefits the United States

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A live webcast will be streamed at 3:00 PM EDT at www.eesi.org/livecast (wireless connection permitting)
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation invite you to a briefing discussing benefits to the United States from deploying foreign aid to vulnerable regions to help them become more resilient to climate change impacts. The briefing will also explore the inner workings of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a multi-lateral effort to mobilize $100 billion in public and private financing for adaptation and mitigation projects in developing nations.