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EXCLUSIVE: SOLAR-POWERED WALL COULD SHINE ON THE BORDER: Solar power, which President Trump has often cited as an option for building his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, appears to still be in the running.
A solar-paneled barrier is one route the Trump administration could take in erecting his most notable of campaign promises, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection official who has been closely monitoring the construction of prototypes that are meant to inspire a design for Trump’s border wall.
“We’re certainly looking for different methods and ways to make this better. Solar panels or technology bundles on top of the fence certainly isn’t off the table,” said Villarreal, a 32-year veteran of CBP who has worked in three of the four states bordering Mexico.
Installing solar panels along an updated border wall would be a huge moment for someone like Villarreal, who lit up as he described “the evolution of cellphones” from portable boxes agents used to have to lug around to, essentially, handheld computers with high-resolution cameras.
A ‘refreshing’ array of options: “We’ve had various types [of barriers] along the border for decades,” Villarreal told the Washington Examiner in an interview Wednesday. “To finally partner with an industry to get their creativity and ideas, it’s certainly refreshing.”
After reviewing hundreds of proposals, ranging from translucent plexiglass barriers to concrete walls with “talons,” the Department of Homeland Security awarded eight contracts to six vendors last month to bring their border wall renderings to real life. Each vendor received a six-figure budget and was given one month to construct a 30-foot prototype.
“We’re excited to see the industry come up with new, innovative, and creative ideas in the form of border wall prototypes,” Villarreal told the Washington Examiner.
Welcome to Daily on Energy, compiled by Washington Examiner Energy and Environment Writers John Siciliano (@JohnDSiciliano) and Josh Siegel @SiegelScribe). Email [email protected] for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list.
PERRY TO PUSH NATURAL GAS ON AFRICAN VISIT: The scope of Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s trip to Capetown, South Africa, next week became much clearer Thursday morning with the announcement of a guide that looks to help sub-Saharan countries beef up their natural gas resources with American know-how.
The U.S. Energy Association, a large industry umbrella group, is partnering with the Energy Department to release an updated handbook next week to show African countries how to do their own version of Trump’s energy dominance agenda by developing their own fuels and then exporting them to become part of the global energy market.
Perry will be giving a keynote address at the Africa Oil Week conference in Capetown next week, where he also will have one-on-one meetings with African energy ministers on opportunities to work together on energy development.
“The guide was produced over the past two years by dozens of technical and legal experts from the government and private sector, for policymakers and companies to help develop sub-Saharan natural gas resources, expand critical infrastructure necessary to increase access to electricity, drive industrial activity and economic growth,” according to the energy association.
Trump takes it further: The goal of Power Africa is to provide 30,000 megawatts of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity and 60 million new home and business connections, according to its website. It appears the Trump administration may want to take it further by emphasizing LNG and drilling.
FIRST DEADLINE ON GRID PLAN NEARS: Monday marks the close of the comment period at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Perry’s proposed rule to make coal and nuclear power plants great again.
The proposal looks to provide market-based incentives for power plants that can provide a 90-day supply of fuel onsite for reliability reasons. Proponents of the plan see it as valuing coal and nuclear for attributes that help keep the lights on, during a time when they are being pushed out of the market by the power of low natural gas prices.
A number of industry groups, conservative and liberal think tanks, and members of Congress oppose the plan. Many see it as an affront to the markets that FERC has built over the past two decades, meant to spur competition, lower prices and ensure the lights stay on.
The second milestone in the process will be Nov. 8, which is the deadline for groups to respond to the comments filed on Oct. 23.
NOAA FORECASTS COLD, WET WINTER IN NORTH: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday is predicting a colder, wetter winter in the north and a drier, hotter season in the south.
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center predicts a La Nina disturbance “potentially emerging for the second year in a row as the biggest wildcard in how this year’s winter will shape up. La Nina has a 55- to 65-percent chance of developing before winter sets in.”
The winter climate forecast was issued at 11 a.m., so snag it here.
The agency said Wednesday that the globe this year has had the second warmest year to date and fourth warmest September on record.
FERC LOOKS TO REGULATE LAPTOPS: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday issued proposed new proposed cyber security controls targeting laptops being used in the utility system.
The standards are meant to “further enhance the reliability and resilience of the nation’s bulk electric system” by preventing malware from infesting utility networks and bringing down the power grid.
The standards were proposed amid increasing concerns and reports of a possible North Korea cyber attack on the grid.
The proposal includes “mandatory controls to address the risks posed by malware from transient electronic devices like laptop computers, thumb drives and other devices used at low-impact bulk electric system cyber systems,” the agency said after announcing the proposed controls at its Oct. 19 public meeting.
“The work plan identifies nine [geomagnetic]-related research areas and sets an estimated time frame for their completion. Today’s order, among other things, provides NERC with guidance on how to prioritize the GMD research.”
Geomagnetic disturbances include the influence of solar flares on electricity dependent systems.
ARCTIC DRILLING FIGHT COULD CHALLENGE SENATE BUDGET DEBATE: The Senate is set to vote on its 2018 budget resolution, an important step for Republicans to achieve tax reform. But the vote could be challenged over a long-standing fight over drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge.
Vote-a-rama: The amendment will get a vote as part of a marathon series of votes that could go into Friday morning.
The drilling proposal: The budget contains instructions for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to recommend policies to save $1 billion over the next decade, likely to be served by drilling in the refuge, a longstanding Republican goal.
Broader context: Republicans in Congress have long pressed to allow energy exploration in a 1.5 million-acre section of the Alaskan refuge, where billions of barrels of oil lie beneath the refuge’s coastal plain. But Democrats have blocked those efforts.
Better odds: This year could be different. The Senate plans to use the process of reconciliation to pass its budget blueprint so that it can be approved by a simple majority, requiring 50 votes, rather than the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster..
What could happen: The Democratic amendment to block drilling in the refuge will likely fail, but keeping the proposal in the budget is not a guarantee.
It’s not clear if enough Senate Republicans would back the proposal for it to pass. If all Democrats oppose the budget, just two Republican no votes could derail it, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking a 50-50 tie.
MORE ENERGY AMENDMENTS: Other energy-related amendments have been filed, although it’s no sure thing that any of them will get a vote.
Extending tax credits: Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., authored a provision to provide “long-term, technology-neutral tax incentives for clean energy.” Tax credits for wind and solar are set to expire in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Foregoing fossil fuels: Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has an amendment that would make it harder for the Senate to approve bills that “provide greater net benefits for fossil fuels than for renewable energy sources.”
DUCKWORTH PLACES HOLD ON TRUMP’S EPA NOMINEES: Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth placed a hold on two of President Trump’s EPA nominees Wednesday, in an effort to prevent a vote on the Senate floor.
What this means: Duckworth’s move is more of a messaging vehicle, as Republicans can still proceed on the vote if they choose.
BUT CHAIRMAN PROMISES VOTE: Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Wednesday a vote on the nominees will be held “likely next week.”
“We’ll let each senator speak for themselves,” he told reporters. “We want to move all of the nominees together, so there were concerns and we decided to move it to next week.”
Republican concerns: The decision came as even some Republicans threatened to vote against EPA nominees, but for different reasons.
Some Midwest Republicans have considered holding up approvals of EPA nominees to fight the Trump administration’s proposal to weaken the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires a certain amount of biofuels to be blended into the nation’s fuel supply.
The key player: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is the key lawmaker on the committee.
She has criticized Wehrum for not being sufficiently supportive of the biofuel industry. And she was among the senators who met with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Tuesday to convince him to keep the renewable fuel rules as they are.
“I told them [EPA] outright that I would not support [Wehrum] if I didn’t have assurances,” Ernst told reporters Wednesday. “I am the single Iowa Republican on that committee — 11-10. Eleven Republicans, 10 Democrats. One vote makes a difference.”
Keeping score: As Ernst said, Republicans hold an 11-10 majority over Democrats on the committee, so just one GOP defection would defeat the nominations of Wehrum and Dourson before they receive consideration by the full Senate.
WHAT DID THE WHITE HOUSE SAY? The White House is reportedly leaning on Pruitt to hold off two proposals that have driven most of the ire over the Renewable Fuel Standard this week, but neither the EPA nor the White House have confirmed it.
Bloomberg reported Wednesday evening that Trump, after a phone call with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, sent a message to Pruitt to roll back proposals that look to curtail biodiesel production, while giving a segment of refiners the benefit of being able to comply with the RFS by exporting biofuels such as ethanol.
The report cited three people familiar with the discussions at White House and the directive that went out to Pruitt.
A top EPA official said the president’s urging to drop the proposals was unnecessary because Pruitt was not planning on weakening the biofuels mandate.
The changes that stoked the ire of Reynolds and other Midwest governors is what is called a Notice of Data Availability, which puts out ideas for a possible action and asks stakeholders for their input.
But the EPA also issued a proposed regulation in July that proposes “reductions in the statutory volume targets for advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel for 2018, and requested comment on further reductions based on various considerations.” The NODA is also part of that package of proposals. Comments are due from states and industry by 11:59 p.m. Thursday evening.
Neither EPA, nor White House, officials responded to requests for comment on the White House messaging.
Reynolds said in an interview with Bloomberg that the call with Trump “was a really good, productive conversation.”
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that “no assurances” were given to Reynolds.
BILL INTRODUCED TO SPEED APPROVALS OF NATURAL GAS EXPORTS: Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Marco Rubio of Florida introduced a bill Wednesday that would expedite approvals of “small-scale” exports of liquefied natural gas.
Worldwide impact: Under the bill, the U.S. could export to almost any country, with an emphasis on the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Countries that are sanctioned by the U.S. are not eligible.
How it works now: Currently, natural gas exports from the U.S. must be extensively reviewed and approved by the Energy Department as being in the “public interest.”
Job creator: “This bill promotes the growth of American natural gas, creating well-paying jobs with good benefits for hardworking families in Louisiana,” Cassidy said. “The faster approval of small-scale natural gas shipments will create American jobs, improve Caribbean energy security and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”
Shale boom boosts LNG exports: The shale gas drilling boom has helped the U.S. become a major exporter of liquefied natural gas. The New York Times reported this week that enough liquefied natural gas export capacity is under construction to make it 40 percent of the total international gas trade by 2022. Roughly 60 percent of the new export capacity is being built in the United States.
RUNDOWN
New York Times US prepares for UN climate change convention after deciding to leave Paris accord
Wall Street Journal Big oil company executives vow that fossil fuels will remain central part of their business
Bloomberg In California, solar wants to help fix a power grid problem it helped create
CNBC Our renewable energy projects don’t make us much profit yet, BP CEO says
Reuters China struggles to pay subsidies to renewable energy companies
New York Daily News Greenhouse gas emissions from buildings are down 14 percent in New York City
Calendar
THURSDAY, OCT. 19
8 a.m., 700 Aliceanna St., Baltimore. The American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources holds its 25th Fall Conference, beginning, Oct. 19-20.
shop.americanbar.org/ebus/ABAEventsCalendar/EventDetails.aspx?productId=26699787
8:30 a.m., 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Global Sustainability and Resilience Program, the Munich Re Foundation, the UN University-Institute for Environment and Human Security, and the International Center for Climate Change and Development hold the 2017 Resilience Academy Capstone Conference, Oct. 19-20.
5 p.m., 918 F St. NW. The Department of Energy and the Nuclear Energy Institute host the Millennial Nuclear Caucus at the National Union Building.
eventbrite.com/e/millennial-nuclear-caucus-tickets-38813112063
FRIDAY, OCT. 20
10:30 a.m., 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW. The Brookings Institution holds a discussion on “Can Trump’s ambitious deregulatory agenda succeed?”
TUESDAY, OCT. 24
All day, New York. Financing U.S. Power conference held at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in Manhattan, Oct. 24-25, focuses on investment in the electric generation industry.
