Energy 360°

Earlier this month, Frank Verrastro sat down with Neelesh Nerurkar, Vice President and Senior Analyst at Clear View Energy Partners, to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, the potential regulatory reforms surrounding it, and what the future looks like for the RFS. 

Join Sarah Ladislaw as she sits down with Power for All co-founder and CEO Kristina Skierka to discuss her organization’s work to bring renewable, distributed energy to people living in rural areas in developing countries by partnering with organizations in the private and public sectors. Kristina explains the organization’s ongoing work in India and their new initiative, Utility 2.0. They also talk about the challenges and opportunities Power for All faces in bringing electricity to the more than 1 billion people who currently do not have access to it.

Join Sarah Ladislaw, Frank Verrastro and Edward Chow as they discuss the June 22nd OPEC meeting and what the new communique means for global oil markets. Amid the ongoing political rhetoric and speculation surrounding all things OPEC, the group shares its thoughts on what future oil production looks like, and where Russia’s increasingly active role alongside OPEC leaves struggling producers Iran and Venezuela.

This week, Energy 360 looks at China’s climate plans and ambitions. Taiya Smith, Director of the China Program at the Climate Leadership Council and Ethan Zindler, head of Americas at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, join Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) to discuss how China is affecting global clean energy and climate change trends, where and how much China is investing domestically and internationally in energy projects, and the current state of the U.S.-China energy relationship. 

This week, Heather Conley (Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; Director, Europe Program) joins Jane Nakano and Edward Chow (Energy & National Security Program) to discuss the growing economic, strategic, and energy importance of the Arctic. With increased access to Arctic resources comes increased interest from states like Russia and new players like China. Up for discussion: what to expect from recent Sino-Russian cooperation, whether the United States is likely to develop a comprehensive Arctic strategy, and the next possible steps for other Arctic Council members to address these new concerns.

Jay Copan,Executive Director for the World Gas Conference, joins Edward Chow and Jane Nakano (CSIS Energy & National Security Program) discuss the upcoming Conference, the evolving role of natural gas in global energy markets, and the geopolitical consequences tied to the resource’s trade and production. The World Gas Conference will be returning to the United States for the first time in over 30 years this June 25-29 in Washington, D.C.

With the recent rise of crude oil prices and geopolitical concerns focusing on Iran, energy security is making a comeback in policy circles. Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) is joined by Kevin Book (ClearView; CSIS) and Liam Denning (Bloomberg Gadfly) to discuss whether energy security concerns are back to stay, how the political atmosphere is shaping the energy security dialogue, and whether market realities matter.

Join Jane Nakano, senior fellow with the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, and Ashish Sethia, head of research for Asia Pacific and global head of LNG at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, as they discuss the evolving energy and electric power sectors that have accompanied Southeast Asia’s rapid economic growth. Jane and Ashish explain the current state of renewable energy investments, the expanding role of LNG, and the differing approaches to climate change being undertaken in the ASEAN countries.

The U.S. electric power sector and its vulnerabilities to cyberwarfare have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years. Congress and the U.S. federal government have been under immense pressure to address these vulnerabilities through sector reform and increased security measures. James Lewis (CSIS Technology Policy Program) and William Hederman (CSIS Energy & National Security Program and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, UPenn ) join Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS Energy & National Security Program) to discuss the current state of cybersecurity in the United States and steps that could be taken to prevent or mitigate future attacks. For more, see Russia and Critical Infrastructure: We “Should Not Threaten a Nuclear Power”

Join Sarah Ladislaw, Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, and Morgan Bazilian, executive director of the Payne Institute for Earth Resources and Research Professor of Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines, as they discuss energy development in post-conflict Ireland and other areas around the world.  Morgan also discusses his new role and the future direction of the Payne Institute.   For more, see our recent event: Electricity, Peace, and Conflict: Electric power markets and infrastructure development in conflict zones

With rising regional tension, Iran’s economic future and relationship with the United States remain uncertain. Cliff Kupchan (Eurasia Group) joins Frank Verrastro (CSIS) and Jon B. Alterman (CSIS) to discuss the current state of affairs in Iran, the fate of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Russia’s growing influence in the Middle East, and the implications of the tumultuous U.S.-Iranian bilateral relationship on energy investment in Iran.

Japan’s energy mix has undergone considerable changes since the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, resulting in growing natural gas imports and coal use. Ken Koyama, Managing Director and Chief Economist of The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), discusses Japan’s long-term energy plans with Adam Sieminski (CSIS) and Jane Nakano (CSIS), exploring the future of fossil fuels in Japan’s economy, Japan’s role in the global LNG market, and the latest developments in Japan’s energy diplomacy, including with the United States, Russia, and Iran.

The Trump Administration has announced India a prominent partner in its foreign policy plans for the Asian continent. In this spirit, the Center for American Progress’s U.S.-India Task Force has recently released recommendations for future collaboration in a variety of sectors and ways. Dr. Arunabha Ghosh (Council on Energy, Environment, and Water) joins Kartikeya Singh, Sarah Ladislaw, and Rick Rossow to discuss these recommendations and the energy opportunities ahead.