Power Map

Alice Hill (CFR) and Leo Martinez-Diaz (WRI) talk climate resilience with Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS), to understand how communities are learning from past disasters and how decision-makers from various sectors—energy, national security, investment, and more—are addressing resilience needs. Alice and Leo are the authors of Building a Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption.

Lisa Jacobson (BCSE) and Ethan Zindler (BloombergNEF) join Lisa Hyland (CSIS) to discuss the major findings of the eighth annual edition of the Sustainable Energy in America Factbook. They reflect on the larger trends of the tremendous energy transformation that has occurred in America over the past decade.

John Larsen (RHG) joins Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) to talk about the Rhodium Group’s analysis of clean energy tax credit extensions in the United States. Not only could tax credits drive down GHG emissions, they are an opportunity to advance clean energy by offering incentives to supply more lower carbon energy options or by providing certainty to emerging clean energy industries. While Congress ultimately did not have a major tax credit deal at the end of 2019 (when we recorded this episode with John), the idea is likely to be revisited again. For more, check out the Rhodium Group reports: The Year-End Clean Energy Tax Credit Deal: Swing and a Miss for Climate Can Tax Credits Tackle Climate?

Andrew Schwartz and Sarah Ladislaw talk about how and why climate change has risen as a top priority for global leaders, what this means for the energy sector, and what it means for decision makers across government, civil society and the private sector.

We welcome back Justin Wu, Head of Asia-Pacific, BloombergNEF, to discuss energy impacts from the US-China trade dispute and phase one deal. He and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) also cover the likelihood for China to meet its emissions and energy targets and to act on its climate ambitions. They look at India’s climate and clean energy goals, as well as the energy developments in Southeast Asia, especially the outlook of coal finance in the region, where we get a preview of new BloombergNEF research.

In 2019 we saw: global climate protests, a trade war between the U.S. and China, a disappointing conclusion from the latest COP, an IPO by the world’s largest oil company. What might next year bring? We asked Kevin Book (Clearview Energy Partners; CSIS), Liam Denning (Bloomberg Opinion Columnist), and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) to discuss 2019’s major energy and climate developments and to tell us what to watch for in 2020.

This week, Energy 360 looks at the role of China on the global climate stage. Deborah Lehr (Vice Chairman and Executive Director, Paulson Institute) and Han Chen (Manager for Energy Policy, International Program, NRDC), with Lachlan Carey (Associate Fellow, CSIS Energy & National Security Program), explain the actions China must take to meet its climate targets and be seen as a global leader on climate action. For more, check out: Deborah’s piece: Is China Still the Global Leader on Climate Change? Han’s piece US Withdraws from Paris—Don’t Expect China to Follow Suit From CSIS: How China can become the world leader for solving climate change and Chinese Multilateralism and the Promise of a Green Belt and Road

In this week’s episode, Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS Energy Program) talks with Manish Bapna (World Resources Institute [WRI]) about global climate adaptation efforts. WRI is part of a new effort that recently launched the year of action to accelerate climate adaptation. Manish talks about the commission’s work and how greater adaptation can benefit not only the climate but also the economy and society. For more, visit the Global Commission on Adaptation and read the report: Adapt Now: a Global Call for Leadership on Climate Resilience.

Tatiana Mitrova (Director of the SKOLKOVO Energy Center in Moscow) joins Nikos Tsafos (CSIS Energy Program) to discuss the outlook for the Russian energy sector. They talk about the outlook for oil and gas, the impact of oil prices and of sanctions on the Russian energy economy, and touch on Russia’s perception of climate change.

Raimi and Ladislaw talk with Hafstead about a raft of recent legislative proposals in the US Congress to price greenhouse gas emissions: the major design elements of these bills, including the proposed carbon price; how revenues are used; how border adjustments can help protect US manufacturers; the political viability of these different proposals, including which policy elements might help build support for carbon price; and whether other policy approaches, such as a Clean Energy Standard, stand more of a chance in today's political environment. References and recommendations: The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles C. Mann Paying for Pollution: Why a Carbon Tax is Good for America by Gilbert E. Metcalf "Paying for Pollution, with Gilbert Metcalf" Resources Radio podcast episode

Francisco Monaldi (Baker Institute) chats with Andrew Stanley (CSIS) about Venezuela's collapsing oil industry. Join them as they discuss the current status of U.S. sanctions, geopolitical implications of Russia's involvement in the country's oil industry, and what might come next for the embattled Maduro regime. For more on the crisis in Venezuela, watch Are Sanctions Working in Venezuela?

This week, we return to India's ambitious agenda for improving electrification and energy access across its 29 states. Kartikeya Singh (CSIS) is joined by Indra Keshari (Resident Commissioner and former Power Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh), and Huda Jaffer (Lead Designer, SELCO Foundation). They discuss how state governments and civil society organizations continue to improve electricity access in India. For more on Madhya Pradesh: Engaging with India’s Electrification Agenda: Powering Madhya Pradesh Click here for more on the CSIS U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative.

Kartikeya Singh (CSIS) chats with Vikram Kapur (Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu) about the dramatic changes facing the state’s electric power sector, ranging from rapid growth in renewables to plans for electric vehicle infrastructure. Click here for more on the CSIS U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative.

CSIS Energy Program experts Andrew Stanley and Frank Verrastro are joined by Jon Alterman of the CSIS Middle East Program to discuss developments following the September 14 attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais in Saudi Arabia: what these events might mean for Saudi oil production and the global oil market, and where this leaves U.S. policy toward Iran and more broadly in the Middle East.

Laura Cozzi, Chief Energy Modeler at the International Energy Agency, and Vivien Foster, Chief Economist for the Infrastructure Vice-Presidency at the World Bank, sit down with Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) to discuss the UN Sustainable Development Goal #7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Their conversation includes their recent report, Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, which assesses global progress toward universal energy access, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Click for more on the report and SDG #7.

Sam Brannen (CSIS) chats with Sarah Ladislaw and Nikos Tsafos about the role of forecasts and outlooks in the energy sector, examining why the energy policymakers and business leaders use forecasts in strategic planning. They also discuss forecasts vs. outlooks, the goal of creating an outlook, and how forecasters look at outlooks.

Jane Nakano (CSIS Energy Program) interviews James Kendell and David Wogan of the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) about the recently released APEC Energy Demand and Supply Outlook, highlighting trade, transportation, and demand trends across the region.

Sarah Ladislaw highlights the main findings from Energy as a Source of Economic Growth and Social Mobility, a new report by Jesse Barnett and Sarah Ladislaw of the CSIS Energy & National Security Program. The report examines energy’s contributions to the U.S. economy and offers recommendations for local and state level policymakers trying to harness energy to create economic opportunity. For more, check out our recent reports: (1) The Changing Role of Energy in the U.S. Economy and (2) Energy as a Source of Economic Growth and Social Mobility. This episode is part of Energy in America, a CSIS project examining the ways energy is contributing to social and economic mobility across the United States.

This week Ranjit Bharvirkar, director of the India Program at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), and Kartikeya Singh (CSIS Energy Program and the CSIS Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies) discuss the prospects for energy reforms during Modi’s second term and ongoing power sector developments within Indian states.

Koichiro Tanaka, Professor at Keio University, President of JIME Center at the Institute of Energy Economics Japan, and Board Member of IEEJ, joined Jane Nakano, CSIS Energy & National Security Program, to discuss Japanese energy security, including Japan-Iran economic engagement, and the role of the Middle East for Japan’s energy security policies.

Albertan elections this spring brought in a new provincial government promising to revitalize the province’s oil and gas sector. This week on Energy 360°, Laura Dawson (Wilson Center) and Chris Sands (SAIS) join Andrew Stanley (CSIS Energy Program) to unpack the implications of this election. Together, they explain the dynamics behind Alberta’s elections, what we could expect in the lead up to country-wide elections this fall, and what it might mean for Canadian energy policy and for U.S.-Canada energy relations. Laura Dawson is the director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center, and Chris Sands is director of the Center for Canadian Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University and a non-resident senior associate with the CSIS Americas Program. Note: This episode was recorded prior to Prime Minister Trudeau’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. See Andrew’s work on U.S.-Canada Energy Trade Read Laura’s recent Op-Ed: Trudeau figures out how to get things done in Washington Read Chris’s latest CSIS Commentary: Will Foreign Policy Prove Decisive in Canada’s 2019 Election?

Nikos Tsafos (CSIS) chats with Mark Thurber (Associate Director, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD) Stanford) about his new book, Coal. Mark and Nikos delve into the geopolitics and economics of continued coal use in energy versus the needs and concerns at the local, national, and global levels. Click here for more on his new book, Coal.

Join Gina McCarthy (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS Energy Program) as they discuss the need for breakthrough innovations to create more efficient residential air cooling systems. The two also discuss the importance of emphasizing the public health benefits of addressing climate change and how best to direct the immense energy younger generations have for addressing climate change and issues of inequality. Click to watch Gina McCarthy’s recent keynote address at CSIS.

This week, 3 CSIS experts discuss the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s global strategy to be at the center of global economics through infrastructure, trade, and energy projects. In the years since BRI was launched, definitions and expectations for BRI projects and financing have changed. In April, over 3 dozen countries met in China for the second Belt and Road summit, which was posed answer some of the new project concerns which have arisen, including local impacts, environmental concerns, debt, and lack of transparency. Jon Hillman (CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project) joins Jane Nakano and Nikos Tsafos (CSIS Energy and National Security Program) to look at the importance of energy projects in the BRI, changing expectations from BRI partners, and what defines a successful BRI project for China.

Trevor Houser (Partner, Rhodium Group) talks with Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) about modeling the physical risks and impacts of climate change at the Climate Impact Lab. The Climate Impact Lab’s models are providing companies with better tools to see these potential impacts and risks in their portfolios, allowing them to begin taking precautionary steps to increase resilience.

Titans of the Climate , the new book by Kelly Sims Gallagher (The Fletcher School, Tufts University) and Xiaowei Xuan (Development Research Center, the State Council), sheds light on how the United States and China implement their climate and environmental policies. The authors join Jane Nakano (CSIS) to discuss differences in each’s policy process and regulatory structures as well as to explain how the two countries could find common ground again to advance climate solutions. To learn more about the book, visit Titans of the Climate: Explaining Policy Process in the United States and China.

Frank Verrastro (CSIS Energy Program) and Haim Malka (Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, CSIS Middle East Program) discuss the current political developments in Algeria. Their discussion includes the challenges of creating a legitimate transitionary process, ongoing protests, and uncertainty for energy production and oil markets.

Luiza Demôro, associate and project lead author with BloombergNEF, and Chris Head, private sector specialist with Climate Investment Funds, join Nikos Tsafos, senior fellow with the CSIS Energy and National Security Program, to discuss the potential for concessional financing to accelerate the clean energy transition in emerging markets. For more, read: The Clean Technology Fund and Concessional Finance

Isabel Mogstad (Manager, EDF+Business Energy at Environmental Defense Fund), Geoff Walker (Co-founder and Managing Director at Water Street Partners), and Nikos Tsafos (Senior Fellow with the CSIS Energy & National Security Program) discuss how oil and gas companies are moving to reduce methane emissions from their operations worldwide. Listen in as Isabel, Geoff, and Nikos converse about the unique challenges faced by companies in this partner-intensive industry, where decision making is spread across multiple actors and addressing methane leakage will require a high level of cooperation. Isabel and Geoff also highlight the key factors necessary for addressing this issue within the next three to five years. For more, see EDF’s recent report: The Next Frontier: Managing Methane Risk from Non-Operated Assets

This week, Spencer Dale (Group Chief Economist, BP) and Sarah Ladislaw (SVP and Director, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS) discuss BP’s 2019 Energy Outlook, specifically diving into one of the Outlook scenarios which focused on less globalization and its potential implications for energy systems out to 2040.

Eirik Wærness (SVP and Chief Economist, Equinor), Morgan Bazilian (Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines), and Sarah Ladislaw (SVP and Director, Energy and National Security Program, CSIS) discuss the findings of IRENA’s recent report, A New World: The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation. Join them as they explore how higher shares of renewable energy in the global energy mix will shift the geopolitical map and cause fundamental structural changes in society.

Jonathan Pershing (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) review the previous year's efforts to address climate change, both in the U.S. and globally, and discuss the climate action outlook for 2019.

Justin Wu (Head of Asia-Pacific, Bloomberg New Energy Finance) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) explore the trends and geopolitics of Asia’s energy transition. Wu shares some of the key drivers, changes, and challenges of energy security in the region, such as China’s manufacturing capabilities and the prospect of Asian LNG markets.

Premiering Energy 360° for 2019, Kevin Book (ClearView Energy Partners, LLC) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) discuss post-midterm U.S. political developments, including the Green New Deal and what it may (or may not) mean for the U.S. economy. For more, check out What's Happening with the Green New Deal.

Tim Gould (Head of Division for the World Energy Outlook, IEA) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) discuss the findings and implications of IEA’s recent publication, Outlook for Producer Economies. Join them as they explore the headwinds, drivers for reforms, and strategic responses in Iraq, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. Watch IEA’s accompanying webinar on the Outlook for Producer Economies.

Dr. Francisco González (SAIS) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) look into the geopolitics of Latin America and how its energy markets could be shaped over the next ten years. Latin America is an important energy region and often geopolitically undervalued. Franscisco and Sarah provide background on political and economic trends in Latin America, discussing recent elections and geopolitical developments of the region. This is the final episode of three on key trends of the Energy Futures Forum 2018.

Ten years after the global financial crisis, Joyce Chang (Global Head of Research, JP Morgan Chase) and Sarah Ladislaw (Senior Vice President, CSIS) reflect on the state of the global economy, current risks in emerging markets, and what it all means for energy markets.

Meghan Gordon (Senior Reporter on Oil, S&P Global Platts), Jamie Webster (Senior Director, BCG Center for Energy Impact), and Sarah Ladislaw (Senior Vice President, CSIS) assess the short-term global oil market, including uncertainties for Iranian oil supply with imminent U.S. sanctions, the outlook of global demand, and the potential economic impacts of trade wars.

In this excerpt from The Readout, Sarah Ladislaw (Senior Vice President, CSIS) explains the context and significance of the IPCC's new report urging global action before 2030 to avert climate disaster. Click here for more of The Readout.

Kevin Book (ClearView Energy Partners, LLC) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) talk about the upcoming U.S. midterm elections and the role that energy is playing in candidates’ campaign strategies.

David Livingston (Deputy Director, Climate and Advanced Energy, Atlantic Council), Varun Sivaram (Chief Technology Officer, ReNew Power), and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) explain the role of blockchain in the energy sector; how it can drive more efficiency in operations, lower transaction costs, and make the electricity system more distributed and democratic. For more, please see Applying Blockchain Technology to Electric Power Systems. This is the second of three discussions in a series on key trends of the Energy Futures Forum 2018.

One billion people, about 13% of the world’s population, live without access to electricity. Hundreds of millions more live with insufficient or unreliable electricity, according to the World Bank. Join Riccardo Puliti (World Bank, Senior Director, Energy & Extractives) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) as they discuss how institutions such as the World Bank aim to tackle major global challenges by achieving universal energy access by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Kevin Book (Clear View Energy Partners and CSIS) and Liam Denning (Bloomberg) join Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) to discuss where we are on climate change, the positions of various actors, and the next steps toward tackling climate change.

Elizabeth Rosenberg (Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, CNAS) and Sarah Ladislaw (CSIS) discuss how sanctions impact the energy sector, the politicization of sanctions development, and how sanctions regimes may look in the future.

Denise Brinley, senior energy advisor for the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, chats with Sarah Ladislaw on energy’s current role in spurring economic development, redevelopment of former coal-fired power plants, and Pennsylvania’s growth as a natural gas supplier. This episode is part of Energy in America, our project exploring how energy impacts states or regions across the United States. CSIS recently held a workshop with the Smeal College of Business at Penn State to explore how Pennsylvania is preparing for its energy future. Read the report

Following Iraq’s parliamentary elections in May 2018, Iraqi representatives are struggling to form their new government. Raad Alkadiri, senior director at the BCG Center for Energy Impact and a senior associate with CSIS, sat down with Sarah Ladislaw to discuss key issues on government formation in Iraq, the priorities for the next government, and geopolitical influence from the U.S. and Iraq’s neighbors. Also discussed: prospects for the energy sector and how disputes with the Kurds are affecting oil production.

This episode of Energy 360 is part of Energy in America, our project exploring how energy impacts states or regions across the United States. This week, Gladys Brown, chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, joined Sarah Ladislaw to talk about resiliency and reliability in the state’s electric power sector, how the Commission is preparing workers for the growing energy sector, and some of the Commission’s goals in order to prepare Pennsylvania for a stable energy future. CSIS recently held a workshop with the Smeal College of Business at Penn State to explore how Pennsylvania is preparing for its energy future. Read the report

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.