00:18:05.070 --> 00:18:14.430 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: hi everyone, welcome to CCS June monthly call i'm flannery Winchester i'm a member of CCL staff and i'm so glad you're here. 64 00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:23.010 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: i'm speaking to you today from the omni shoreham hotel in Washington DC because citizens climate lobby is here in our nation's capital for our. 65 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:32.670 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: June conference, this is our first in person events since the pandemic began so we're tested and we're messed up when we're together and we're ready to roll. 66 00:18:34.020 --> 00:18:38.160 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: In a few minutes you're going to hear from this month guest speaker Neil chatter g. 67 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:45.270 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Neil is a former Chairman of the Federal energy regulatory Commission which you may notice the acronym for work. 68 00:18:45.780 --> 00:18:54.960 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: prior to his time at the Commission, Neil served as an advisor to Senator Mitch mcconnell where he hated in the passage of major energy highway and agriculture legislation. 69 00:18:55.620 --> 00:19:03.570 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: These days, you can hear Neil discussing the latest energy issues on his podcast plugged in and we're lucky to be able to hear from him firsthand today. 70 00:19:04.560 --> 00:19:12.600 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: and Neil i'll hand it over to you in just a second but i'd like to take a moment to tell you a bit about the people who are dialed into the call today and who are watching the recording. 71 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:19.860 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: These are people who are deeply passionate about solving climate change and they're committed to doing whatever it takes to fix the problem. 72 00:19:20.430 --> 00:19:28.650 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Many of the CCL volunteers on the call have spent years some up to a decade pushing for carbon fee and dividend legislation at the national level. 73 00:19:29.130 --> 00:19:36.930 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: And they've watched with concern as climate change has continued to advance so they're eager to do whatever it takes to fix the problem and bring emissions down quickly. 74 00:19:37.530 --> 00:19:45.270 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So we're very excited to hear from you about your perspective on carbon pricing and building the clean energy economy so Neil will hand it over to you. 75 00:19:47.370 --> 00:20:04.230 Neil Chatterjee: Thank you so much, everyone for the opportunity to speak to you today i'll, be it virtually i'm for one i'm quite ready to get back to in person gatherings, but I understand that we're not quite around the corner, yet, but I do appreciate this chance today. 76 00:20:05.310 --> 00:20:12.120 Neil Chatterjee: So I thought it would be best if I just started with a little bit of background, it was mentioned in the intro that. 77 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:20.490 Neil Chatterjee: You know I worked for Senator mcconnell and was chairman of first I think it's important to note at the onset that you know i'm a republican from Kentucky. 78 00:20:20.820 --> 00:20:25.110 Neil Chatterjee: who works for Mitch mcconnell and was appointed Chairman of first by Donald trump. 79 00:20:25.560 --> 00:20:36.210 Neil Chatterjee: Yet I made very clear from early on in my tenure, that I believe that climate change was real that man had a significant impact and that we needed to take steps to mitigate emissions. 80 00:20:36.570 --> 00:20:47.730 Neil Chatterjee: But that I wasn't in favor of overreaching regulations or subsidies or mandates and that I really preferred a market based approach. 81 00:20:48.180 --> 00:21:00.000 Neil Chatterjee: And that was sort of the ethos that I brought to my role at work now, before I get to my tenure, for what I learned there what I witness. 82 00:21:00.390 --> 00:21:20.100 Neil Chatterjee: Having the good fortune to having a front row seat to the energy transition I think it's worth taking a little bit of a step back to see how we got to where we are in terms of the energy and environmental policy, landscape and the politics around these issues. 83 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:32.970 Neil Chatterjee: There was a time when energy and environmental policy issues were not political when I first came to Washington in the early 2000s. 84 00:21:33.540 --> 00:21:47.370 Neil Chatterjee: The chairman and the ranking member of the Senate, energy and natural resources committee were both from new Mexico one republican one democrat and as. 85 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:55.860 Neil Chatterjee: The political power in the Senate swap back and forth in the early 2000s, they would have the committee gavel back to each other. 86 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:03.870 Neil Chatterjee: If the agenda of the committee didn't change because energy wasn't political and they were both doing what was in their interest for new Mexico. 87 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:10.620 Neil Chatterjee: and national politics didn't really intrude on the underlying policy and what you often found. 88 00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:17.310 Neil Chatterjee: Was that democrats in appalachia had far more in common with Republicans in the southeast. 89 00:22:17.700 --> 00:22:25.200 Neil Chatterjee: Then they did with democrats in the West and Republicans in the northeast and a lot more in common with democrats in the northeast. 90 00:22:25.590 --> 00:22:38.160 Neil Chatterjee: Then they did with Republicans in the southwest and that was the case for some time and it's really unfortunate that we allow politics to intrude on. 91 00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:52.710 Neil Chatterjee: What has typically been non political non partisan policy matters, I think back to 2008 john McCain was the Republican nominee for President of the United States. 92 00:22:53.160 --> 00:23:04.170 Neil Chatterjee: And he was the primary author of a cap and trade bill to mitigate carbon emissions mitt Romney was the 2012 nominee for President of the United States he's. 93 00:23:04.560 --> 00:23:13.740 Neil Chatterjee: Not openly in favor of a price on carbon, so there was a time when senior leaders in the Republican Party were willing to step out on climate change. 94 00:23:14.130 --> 00:23:23.130 Neil Chatterjee: And I think unfortunately it was during the Obama Administration that the politics shifted and started to become more polarized. 95 00:23:23.550 --> 00:23:43.950 Neil Chatterjee: And as an end result, it is now very difficult almost impossible to get something serious done legislatively at the federal level to address climate change really to address energy policy period, the last energy policy bill enacted by Congress that really significantly reformed. 96 00:23:45.150 --> 00:23:51.510 Neil Chatterjee: The energy policy and modernize it was the energy policy act of 2005 think about that effect, oh five. 97 00:23:52.140 --> 00:24:02.970 Neil Chatterjee: was the last significant bill passed by Congress to kind of lay out the parameters of how federal energy policy and carbon mitigation policy should be conducted. 98 00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:14.940 Neil Chatterjee: In the subsequent years since the energy policy ax 2005 most energy policy has been adopted either via omnibus appropriations bills or through changes in the tax code. 99 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:27.840 Neil Chatterjee: And, as a result, a lot of the key decisions regarding our energy future regarding the energy transition have fallen to the States and have fallen to federal agencies like firm. 100 00:24:28.410 --> 00:24:35.790 Neil Chatterjee: That quite frankly don't have the tools to tackle these complicated questions around the energy transition. 101 00:24:36.270 --> 00:24:50.490 Neil Chatterjee: And so that brings me to my tenure at for and some of the challenges that I had to deal with, and you know how I went about them, you know i'll start with a big one, and it's one that quite frankly I handled poorly so in my first few months on the Commission. 102 00:24:51.510 --> 00:24:59.160 Neil Chatterjee: You know, I was appointed and the Department of Energy submitted a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding. 103 00:24:59.850 --> 00:25:10.890 Neil Chatterjee: A sort of a new subject called grid resilience and so the The basis for this rule that the Department of Energy submitted differ. 104 00:25:11.340 --> 00:25:25.740 Neil Chatterjee: Was that certain baseload power plants, namely coal and nuclear plants were being retired at a rapid pace and that the resulting occurrence would be threats to the reliability and resiliency of the grid. 105 00:25:26.340 --> 00:25:33.600 Neil Chatterjee: Now, this was a serious issue and one that was correct for do we to raise, but quite frankly i'm fairly culpable. 106 00:25:34.320 --> 00:25:49.770 Neil Chatterjee: In in miss handling and injecting an element of politics into it, I had just spent nearly a decade as Center mcconnell's energy policy advisor advocating for the communities that he represented which tended to be cold communities in Kentucky. 107 00:25:50.610 --> 00:26:03.990 Neil Chatterjee: And I struggled to make the transition from partisan legislative aide to independent regulator and I really learned from that, but it, it was a rough start to my tenure and firm. 108 00:26:04.620 --> 00:26:13.740 Neil Chatterjee: And unfortunately, it took what is a serious issue that needs a proper addressing and injected politics into it, there was a sense that I was going. 109 00:26:14.010 --> 00:26:26.610 Neil Chatterjee: To make a decision that wasn't grounded in facts or the law or the the docket before us because first is a quasi judicial agency that I was going to allow my own personal politics to, in fact, the decision. 110 00:26:26.940 --> 00:26:35.910 Neil Chatterjee: Now, fortunately I voted the right way, my colleagues and I all unanimously voted that the policy as submitted to the Commission was legally in firm. 111 00:26:36.300 --> 00:26:42.300 Neil Chatterjee: But it was the manner in which I went about it and the rhetoric that really riled markets because people thought. 112 00:26:42.630 --> 00:26:52.110 Neil Chatterjee: That politics was going to be injected into this serious issue and and and looking back, I really regret that, because much of what has transpired since. 113 00:26:52.620 --> 00:26:59.400 Neil Chatterjee: has only further exacerbated these questions about the energy transition and how to handle the energy transition. 114 00:27:00.210 --> 00:27:10.710 Neil Chatterjee: And I do wish I hadn't injected this element of policy six at the onset but I went on through the remainder of my tenure at for learning from that initial misstep. 115 00:27:11.010 --> 00:27:15.480 Neil Chatterjee: on how to really be an independent regulator and try to handle some of these complicated. 116 00:27:15.780 --> 00:27:25.740 Neil Chatterjee: situations in some instances, I cut deals with my democratic colleagues and others with my republican colleagues and I really felt like we took a balanced approach to energy policy. 117 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:38.940 Neil Chatterjee: I focus a lot on LNG liquefied natural gas exports, I felt and still do, to this day that US LNG is cleaner than Russian LNG and qatari LNG. 118 00:27:39.870 --> 00:27:50.520 Neil Chatterjee: that it has a positive economic benefit in the US, and as we are seeing now so more than ever, in the aftermath of Vladimir putin's horrific incursion in Ukraine invasion and Ukraine. 119 00:27:51.030 --> 00:28:10.080 Neil Chatterjee: US LNG has a positive geopolitical value in that giving our allies and alternative to Russian gas is clearly in our geopolitical interests, but I would recognize working with my colleagues that you know we have to be cognizant of the emissions profile of this type of. 120 00:28:11.790 --> 00:28:18.750 Neil Chatterjee: Production and exploitation, and so I work with my colleagues on a bipartisan compromise in which firm would, for the first time. 121 00:28:19.410 --> 00:28:28.440 Neil Chatterjee: analyze the direct ght impacts of any facility that we side and I thought this was a good example of a balanced approach to energy policy. 122 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:47.370 Neil Chatterjee: that the US could take advantage of being a net exporter of energy for the first time and 60 years enable our economy empower ourselves geopolitically but also be cognizant of the environmental impact of what we are doing, and you know I tried to carry that out in other areas. 123 00:28:48.630 --> 00:28:53.550 Neil Chatterjee: I was heavily focused on renewable energy, from the moment I came to first. 124 00:28:54.180 --> 00:29:10.320 Neil Chatterjee: You know I made the case that there was a strong business case for clean energy that at the onset renewables their growth was largely driven by subsidies and mandates and regulations, but that that was no longer the case and that we needed. 125 00:29:10.890 --> 00:29:16.380 Neil Chatterjee: As Conservatives to embrace the clean energy transition and the opportunities in. 126 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:24.570 Neil Chatterjee: The renewable energy, space and I actually went to Wall Street and met with finance ears and they all told me that they were very bullish. 127 00:29:24.930 --> 00:29:41.430 Neil Chatterjee: on the future of clean energy and I admire them I said you guys are the folks who back republican candidates for office at the state and federal level, it is imperative that you tell them that you are in favor of the clean energy transition and and the opportunities that can be provided. 128 00:29:42.510 --> 00:29:50.340 Neil Chatterjee: Financially, to invest in clean energy and and change this sort of old fool notion that I really think is antiquated and frustrating. 129 00:29:50.730 --> 00:29:55.170 Neil Chatterjee: That if you're for fossil fuel your of the political right and if you're for clean energy or the political Left. 130 00:29:55.530 --> 00:30:04.830 Neil Chatterjee: I just think that is an outmoded way of thinking and and I went out there and made the business case for clean energy and and I really wasn't rebuked by my colleagues. 131 00:30:05.130 --> 00:30:17.730 Neil Chatterjee: On the political right I furthermore took what I thought were conservative approaches to better enabling the deployment of clean energy technologies we move some pretty significant rulemaking during my time at birth. 132 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:22.950 Neil Chatterjee: For those of you who don't follow the Commission that closely i'm not going to get too deep into the weeds. 133 00:30:23.520 --> 00:30:29.850 Neil Chatterjee: But essentially the first significant order we moved with something called Burke or 841 which. 134 00:30:30.810 --> 00:30:42.630 Neil Chatterjee: remove barriers to entry for battery storage technologies it enabled battery storage technologies to be compensated for all of their attributes for capacity for energy for ancillary services. 135 00:30:42.870 --> 00:30:48.780 Neil Chatterjee: And I really thought this was a smart conservative approach to accelerate in the deployment of clean energy technologies. 136 00:30:49.050 --> 00:30:59.070 Neil Chatterjee: This wasn't a subsidy this wasn't a mandate, this was simply allowing these innovative new technologies to compete and to be compensated and I felt rightly that. 137 00:30:59.520 --> 00:31:10.110 Neil Chatterjee: That would incentivize the greater deployment of these resources, as well as drive innovation to further grow the capacity of what batteries can offer. 138 00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:19.620 Neil Chatterjee: The second order that I think is, in my view, i'm obviously biased, but I think is probably the most significant order ever issued by the Federal energy regulatory Commission. 139 00:31:20.100 --> 00:31:27.000 Neil Chatterjee: And we issued that in September of 2020 and that was called first order 2222 2222 or two by four. 140 00:31:27.450 --> 00:31:33.210 Neil Chatterjee: And what it did was it removes barriers to entry for aggregated distributed energy resources. 141 00:31:33.660 --> 00:31:42.420 Neil Chatterjee: here think rooftop solar advanced appliances electric vehicles, and the reason I was really excited about the prospects for this particular rulemaking. 142 00:31:42.870 --> 00:31:52.770 Neil Chatterjee: Is that when you think about it, it could potentially fundamentally alter the way that America distributes generates and consumes power. 143 00:31:53.430 --> 00:32:04.200 Neil Chatterjee: If you're a single electric vehicle owner, you have no ability to impact the power market, but if the power of aggregation we can harness thousands upon thousands. 144 00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:15.240 Neil Chatterjee: of electric vehicle owners surplus power, then suddenly you're competing with the power plant down the street and you're providing power where the demand is most acute. 145 00:32:15.660 --> 00:32:23.550 Neil Chatterjee: And so, this really has the capacity to be transformative and what I think is most exciting about it is that this. 146 00:32:24.060 --> 00:32:39.120 Neil Chatterjee: power sector rule this power sector reform if it leaves to just another incentive that accelerates the deployment of electric vehicles, not only can we reduce power sector missions will potentially can reduce. 147 00:32:39.930 --> 00:32:47.910 Neil Chatterjee: auto sector emissions vehicle sector missions as well and that could really, really have a significant impact in terms of carbon mitigation in the US. 148 00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:52.080 Neil Chatterjee: And so, these were just some of the things that I was proudest of undertaking and burn. 149 00:32:53.070 --> 00:33:00.990 Neil Chatterjee: But to bring it around ultimately what I really wrestled with the most with some of those core questions that. 150 00:33:01.950 --> 00:33:12.150 Neil Chatterjee: That came about in that Department of Energy rulemaking and that was around how decisions are being made in regards to resource adequacy and reliability. 151 00:33:12.660 --> 00:33:19.920 Neil Chatterjee: And so to tie everything together what essentially has been happening is that, in the absence of federal legislative guidance. 152 00:33:20.190 --> 00:33:27.630 Neil Chatterjee: on carbon mitigation it has really fallen to the States to set policies regarding their own efforts to decarbonize. 153 00:33:28.080 --> 00:33:36.840 Neil Chatterjee: But, in doing so certain States that participate in multi state markets have created a scenario where their policy initiatives. 154 00:33:37.110 --> 00:33:49.500 Neil Chatterjee: Were distorting the efficient functioning of the markets so, for example, if you have a state that is pursuing a particular policy objective, and they are subsidizing their preferred forces of generation. 155 00:33:50.100 --> 00:33:56.760 Neil Chatterjee: And that policy choice is having a negative impact on another states ability to have its resources. 156 00:33:58.590 --> 00:34:08.490 Neil Chatterjee: be dispatched and that state doesn't support your state's efforts it really causes market uncertainty and it was incumbent upon the federal regulator to step in. 157 00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:17.730 Neil Chatterjee: And we did something that was perceived to be very contentious and move to this very complicated policy called a minimum offer price rule. 158 00:34:18.030 --> 00:34:24.990 Neil Chatterjee: That basically forced generators to bid in their true costs not they're subsidized costs within the markets. 159 00:34:25.350 --> 00:34:37.140 Neil Chatterjee: And what this did was it created a panic, that this was going to drive up consumer costs, and it was gonna hurt renewables and nucular since those are largely the technologies that we're receiving state level subsidies. 160 00:34:37.620 --> 00:34:46.410 Neil Chatterjee: Now what we ultimately found was that that negative impact was overstated that renewables we're still dispatched nucular was still competitive. 161 00:34:46.710 --> 00:34:59.730 Neil Chatterjee: And that we restored some bows on the market and brought down consumer costs, but because of the contentious nature of the policy and lead certain states and certain generators to contemplate dropping out of the markets. 162 00:35:00.120 --> 00:35:03.690 Neil Chatterjee: Now I am a big believer in markets, I believe markets have. 163 00:35:04.590 --> 00:35:13.200 Neil Chatterjee: drive costs discipline and innovation, and what we have seen in the US is that markets have been very effective in enabling us to decarbonize. 164 00:35:13.560 --> 00:35:20.130 Neil Chatterjee: let's think about it for a moment I started talking about the political polarization around climate change that started during the Obama era. 165 00:35:20.790 --> 00:35:37.050 Neil Chatterjee: You know the Waxman market cap and trade bill was never signed into law, the Obama era clean power program out of EPA was stayed by the Supreme Court President trump pulled the us out of the COP. 166 00:35:38.310 --> 00:35:46.770 Neil Chatterjee: I think it was caught 21 climate accord and yet power sector emissions in the US continue to decline. 167 00:35:47.280 --> 00:36:00.210 Neil Chatterjee: In the face of that because of the economic place for clean energy, because of consumer demand and because of market functioning and look everyone is we become more aware of our sources of power consumers from. 168 00:36:01.110 --> 00:36:05.850 Neil Chatterjee: fortune 50 companies to small mom and pop business assist the individual households. 169 00:36:06.300 --> 00:36:18.420 Neil Chatterjee: are now more aware of their carbon footprint and their power utilization and are demanding cleaner sources of energy and that market impact is having a positive benefit so here, I was faced with a conundrum where. 170 00:36:19.080 --> 00:36:28.290 Neil Chatterjee: These various State policies were causing market uncertainty, but the efforts we took to counteract that were potentially going to lead to the demise of the markets. 171 00:36:28.650 --> 00:36:33.750 Neil Chatterjee: And I couldn't tolerate either outcome, I wanted efficient markets and I wanted them to continue to function. 172 00:36:34.350 --> 00:36:43.350 Neil Chatterjee: And so, in, in my view, where I landed was on what I thought was the most effective policy approach that would navigate. 173 00:36:43.800 --> 00:36:50.760 Neil Chatterjee: This complex dynamic and that was the introduction of a price on carbon and fractures fictional markets. 174 00:36:51.180 --> 00:37:01.200 Neil Chatterjee: And so, working with my democratic colleague who's now Chair of the Commission, we put forward a policy statement which is effectively a roadmap laying out the parameters, by which a state or a. 175 00:37:01.680 --> 00:37:10.050 Neil Chatterjee: jurisdictional RTR ISO could come to the Commission with a price on carbon and amend their terrorists to address that price on carbon. 176 00:37:10.440 --> 00:37:18.960 Neil Chatterjee: And I actually think that this is a really smart conservative approach to climate change and every economist, you talk to across the political spectrum agrees. 177 00:37:19.350 --> 00:37:31.050 Neil Chatterjee: Yet the politics of this are just very challenging and in my example is is evidence of it, two days after the election, I was fired as chairman of for by President trump. 178 00:37:31.530 --> 00:37:40.830 Neil Chatterjee: largely because of my advocacy for a price on carbon, but since I left the Commission, I think you are increasingly seeing folks. 179 00:37:41.190 --> 00:37:48.990 Neil Chatterjee: embrace this as a smart approach to policy you're seeing you know the American petroleum institute the US chamber of commerce. 180 00:37:49.290 --> 00:38:00.210 Neil Chatterjee: The electric power supply association all coming out in favor of a price on carbon and so I do think we are making progress in this regard i'm under no illusion. 181 00:38:00.510 --> 00:38:13.050 Neil Chatterjee: that it will be easy, but I think there is an increased recognition that we need to take steps to decarbonize but in the process we can't sacrifice reliability energy security. 182 00:38:13.380 --> 00:38:23.340 Neil Chatterjee: And, quite frankly, affordability and that brings me to my final point, we are in a situation where, because of all of these myriad factors that I have described. 183 00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:31.860 Neil Chatterjee: We are having political actors make decisions about resource adequacy and reliability not engineers. 184 00:38:32.310 --> 00:38:39.570 Neil Chatterjee: And the end result of that is i'm very concerned that we may see some instances, this summer, of genuine threats to reliability. 185 00:38:39.930 --> 00:38:49.020 Neil Chatterjee: we've already seen some of these reliability threats emerge in the past couple of years in California and in Texas so here you have a. 186 00:38:49.890 --> 00:39:03.930 Neil Chatterjee: Progressive state in California, a conservative state in Texas California grid was taken to the brink by extreme heat and wildfires Texas is grid was taken to the brink by unexpected cold front and. 187 00:39:04.650 --> 00:39:11.610 Neil Chatterjee: The real the reality of it is is climate change doesn't care if you're republican or democrat, if your progressive state or. 188 00:39:12.060 --> 00:39:20.820 Neil Chatterjee: A conservative state, and we all need to collectively work together to ensure that we can maintain reliability and resource adequacy wild decarbonizing. 189 00:39:21.150 --> 00:39:28.590 Neil Chatterjee: and increasingly more challenging because the reality is climate change is going to put further pressure on the grid. 190 00:39:29.040 --> 00:39:37.920 Neil Chatterjee: Yet some of the steps that are being taken to address climate change are also exposing some of the underlying vulnerabilities being faced by the grid. 191 00:39:38.280 --> 00:39:49.500 Neil Chatterjee: And that is why, in my view, a carbon price would be so effective So what we are seeing in the absence of a price on carbon is that decisions are being made to retire certain forms of generation. 192 00:39:50.130 --> 00:39:57.120 Neil Chatterjee: And they're being done so before their replacements are in place in California, there were some gas plants that were prematurely retired. 193 00:39:57.450 --> 00:40:04.200 Neil Chatterjee: Before the balancing resources were available and that led to capacity shortfalls and you've got grid operators in different we. 194 00:40:04.530 --> 00:40:12.030 Neil Chatterjee: just talking about that possibility this summer that there were certain plants that have been retired that would be necessary to keep the lights on. 195 00:40:12.420 --> 00:40:22.920 Neil Chatterjee: And they were retired before their replacements we're ready, and this could be a significant problem, because when you have a really, really hot summer or really, really cold winter and the power goes out. 196 00:40:23.550 --> 00:40:34.980 Neil Chatterjee: lives are at risk and so it's a serious thing, and I think it's something that we all need to address and can do it in a smart way, and so I finally think that. 197 00:40:35.220 --> 00:40:41.400 Neil Chatterjee: You know, for me, people ask me all the time Okay, Neil you've been at the space, you know you're there, what can we do. 198 00:40:41.820 --> 00:40:48.690 Neil Chatterjee: To really address climate change and tackle these complex issues, while maintaining reliability and energy security, as well as affordability. 199 00:40:49.080 --> 00:40:58.890 Neil Chatterjee: We could see bills spike by 200% this summer, which will have further detrimental impact on the American people, who are already feeling the pressure in other areas of their lives. 200 00:40:59.250 --> 00:41:09.480 Neil Chatterjee: And my solution and i'm not saying this to be funny is to make energy boring again when energy policy is boring, and you take the politics, out of it and you let. 201 00:41:09.780 --> 00:41:20.130 Neil Chatterjee: The engineers and the economist and the lawyers sorted out, I believe you can get constructive solutions that will put us on a path to decarbonize while maintaining reliability and affordability. 202 00:41:20.430 --> 00:41:29.820 Neil Chatterjee: And it's really doable and and and and I think there are sensible people at the state and federal and international level that are willing to engage in this policy conversation. 203 00:41:30.060 --> 00:41:36.150 Neil Chatterjee: and get these constructive outcomes and I think my final point is really to make them work and to be effective. 204 00:41:36.420 --> 00:41:39.930 Neil Chatterjee: They need to be bipartisan and I think one of the mistakes that has been made. 205 00:41:40.170 --> 00:41:49.380 Neil Chatterjee: is climate change is being seen as an issue that is owned by the political Left and I think that's a huge huge mistake because, as I mentioned at the onset. 206 00:41:49.590 --> 00:41:57.930 Neil Chatterjee: There was a period in time where Republicans were not just willing, but we're thrilled to leave on climate change, look at the example of Senator McCain and so. 207 00:41:58.350 --> 00:42:07.230 Neil Chatterjee: I don't know how we can put the genie back in the bottle, but I am out there participating on forums like this today because I want to. 208 00:42:07.740 --> 00:42:20.400 Neil Chatterjee: Speak to audiences on both the right and the left to say there are conservatives who take climate change seriously who aren't trying to deliberately slow the energy transition, who are simply saying we need to be smart about how we go about all this. 209 00:42:20.820 --> 00:42:26.190 Neil Chatterjee: With that i've been rambling for some time, and so I want to be sensitive and i've seen a bunch of questions. 210 00:42:27.660 --> 00:42:34.260 Neil Chatterjee: come up in the chat box I haven't had a chance to read them so maybe i'll take a pause and and answer your questions. 211 00:42:35.040 --> 00:42:37.410 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: yeah Thank you so much for sharing all of that meal. 212 00:42:38.520 --> 00:42:56.010 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So, yes folks have been putting some questions in the in the Q amp a so we, I will take the most up voted one that may be, all we have time for, but we have a question from amy who asks what do you think of the Republicans new energy and climate plan. 213 00:42:57.030 --> 00:43:05.670 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: She notes that it that it does call for increasing fossil fuel production and is wondering, does it actually benefit the climate you ever taken on that new plan. 214 00:43:05.730 --> 00:43:13.560 Neil Chatterjee: Yes, look I haven't looked at the plan in great detail, but I just think it is important, like let's not lose sight of the fact that. 215 00:43:14.280 --> 00:43:25.260 Neil Chatterjee: The the House republican likely to be majority in the next Congress is at least putting for proposals to address climate change, and so I understand that it's not ideal. 216 00:43:25.890 --> 00:43:38.970 Neil Chatterjee: In the abuse of some and again i'm speaking as someone who has not had a chance, yet to review the policy in any level of detail i've just read headlines, and so my takeaway not knowing the underlying substance is that. 217 00:43:39.480 --> 00:43:48.330 Neil Chatterjee: It is very encouraging to me that this likely future house Republican majority will at least with with with Kevin McCarthy, leaving it. 218 00:43:49.950 --> 00:43:57.630 Neil Chatterjee: proposed solutions to address carbon mitigation and climate change, and so I can't comment on specific, other than to say you know. 219 00:43:57.930 --> 00:44:07.530 Neil Chatterjee: The alternative would be to continue to just have no solution to addressing climate change at all and look we're in a complex period of time, right now, I think there's broad agreement. 220 00:44:07.830 --> 00:44:15.000 Neil Chatterjee: That, in light of what is happening in Russia and the urgency to move away from Russian gas, that we need to. 221 00:44:16.050 --> 00:44:21.570 Neil Chatterjee: enable our European allies to move away from Russia, gas and provide alternatives and that might mean. 222 00:44:21.930 --> 00:44:31.980 Neil Chatterjee: increase fossil fuel production in the short term, here in the US, and I understand the concern look Americans like we are so divided we can't even agree that today is Saturday. 223 00:44:32.310 --> 00:44:40.350 Neil Chatterjee: But we seem to be aligned on helping the Ukrainian people and there's a way to do this, there are ways that we can work out agreements with our European allies. 224 00:44:40.710 --> 00:44:46.740 Neil Chatterjee: To where they can perhaps provide the capital upfront to enable these us LNG exporters'. 225 00:44:47.100 --> 00:44:57.660 Neil Chatterjee: to capitalize their their their you know huge capital projects and export gas to our European allies, at a time when they need it for geopolitical reasons and energy security reasons. 226 00:44:57.930 --> 00:45:04.140 Neil Chatterjee: But not lock in those admissions for the foreseeable future and there's finding there's complex financing structure. 227 00:45:05.070 --> 00:45:08.580 Neil Chatterjee: You can have a conversation about this and that's what i'm talking about here, and like we. 228 00:45:08.850 --> 00:45:14.790 Neil Chatterjee: The folks who say no more fossil fuels tomorrow and the folks who say climate change doesn't exist, I don't want to talk to folks on either side. 229 00:45:15.150 --> 00:45:31.740 Neil Chatterjee: I want to have a constructive conversation where we factor in the energy reliability and security are real things to consider, but we also have to be cognizant that we're not locking in fossil fuels and ghd emissions unnecessarily and that there's a productive conversation, you have. 230 00:45:33.450 --> 00:45:45.180 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Absolutely well Thank you so much meal for sharing your expertise today, I unfortunately we don't have time for more to take more questions live, if you want to browse through the Q amp a you're welcome to. 231 00:45:46.230 --> 00:45:55.470 Neil Chatterjee: But I suppose, if I so i'm on Twitter at FP R ch ATT Dr G direct messaged me on Twitter with your questions and i'll happily respond. 232 00:45:55.980 --> 00:46:06.810 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: There we go well, thank you so much for that accessibility there that's wonderful so we're going to do some organizational updates now and you're welcome to stay on, but I also know that you're you're busy man, so if you need to drop off the call that's. 233 00:46:07.710 --> 00:46:09.870 Neil Chatterjee: Just to read the chat box, but i'm gonna go on video. 234 00:46:10.170 --> 00:46:11.610 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: All right, thank you again, Neil. 235 00:46:11.850 --> 00:46:19.680 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Thank you all alright, so, as I mentioned at the start of the call, we are here at our citizens climate lobby annual. 236 00:46:20.490 --> 00:46:30.390 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: conference we had more than 600 volunteers registered to attend and it's been so exciting today to see folks start to arrive at the hotel and post on social media during their travel. 237 00:46:30.930 --> 00:46:41.460 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: I want to give a quick shout to volunteers Bruce and Janet from Minnesota who were actually featured in an article in their local northfield news about traveling to DC for this event. 238 00:46:41.700 --> 00:46:47.490 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So thanks for being here and for using that opportunity to educate your Community even more about climate advocacy. 239 00:46:48.450 --> 00:46:55.020 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So we'll kick off the conference tonight with a screening of the film climate emergency feedback loops. 240 00:46:55.380 --> 00:47:11.520 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: And we actually are lucky enough to have the producer of the film bonnie Walsh here to tell us a bit about the film and how you can access it if you're not here in DC for the screening tonight so bonnie you want to take a few minutes about the film. 241 00:47:11.790 --> 00:47:22.740 Bonnie Waltch: yeah thanks so much flannery it's great to be here i'm actually in Washington DC i'm downtown at a library right now talking to you and i'm excited for the conference to kick off tonight. 242 00:47:23.820 --> 00:47:32.160 Bonnie Waltch: As flannery said i'm the senior producer and writer of What began as a series of five short films called climate emergency feedback loops. 243 00:47:32.640 --> 00:47:42.420 Bonnie Waltch: Which are short science programs that explain how the warming climate is kicking in earth's own natural warming cycles and why they're important to understand if we want to tackle climate change. 244 00:47:43.680 --> 00:47:49.920 Bonnie Waltch: Our goal was to educate people about these dangers amplifying loops that are leading to tipping points in the climate. 245 00:47:50.430 --> 00:48:00.750 Bonnie Waltch: And stylistically we decided to follow great a tune berg's advice to listen to the scientists, and so we interviewed leading climate scientists about their work around feedback loops. 246 00:48:01.230 --> 00:48:11.100 Bonnie Waltch: And we launched the films in 2021 January with the virtual panel with the Dalai Lama and beretta who met each other for the first time, virtually. 247 00:48:11.580 --> 00:48:17.040 Bonnie Waltch: And we show clips of our films and over 100 over a million people attended from around the world. 248 00:48:17.760 --> 00:48:29.610 Bonnie Waltch: And then the short films caught the eye of a distributor in the UK who wanted to make a one hour broadcast version, so we actually edited the five films together to make a TV show called earth emergency. 249 00:48:29.910 --> 00:48:40.050 Bonnie Waltch: Which aired on PBS in December, and again in April and it's been sold to TV stations around the world, so the message is getting out there which is great. 250 00:48:40.620 --> 00:48:49.830 Bonnie Waltch: And since then we've been really lucky to show the films at film festivals, we did a series with the smithsonian museum of natural history last summer. 251 00:48:50.400 --> 00:48:55.650 Bonnie Waltch: We showed the one hour at the invitation of Prince Charles that COP 26 in Glasgow. 252 00:48:56.490 --> 00:49:04.350 Bonnie Waltch: And what we'd love is to get these films to policymakers and we had an incredible opportunity, a couple of weeks ago to show two of the short films. 253 00:49:04.560 --> 00:49:12.750 Bonnie Waltch: and have two scientists give presentations on a virtual event for Massachusetts state legislators and we had 60 people attend. 254 00:49:13.110 --> 00:49:25.080 Bonnie Waltch: which was more than we had hoped for, so we we'd love to work with CCL chapters and have screening parties and can help plan webinars with climate scientists and we're really eager to to partner with. 255 00:49:25.440 --> 00:49:37.500 Bonnie Waltch: With all the chapters and try to get these films out there, so if you're not coming tonight and you can't see the films they're up for free on a website accessible to everyone, along with a. 256 00:49:37.860 --> 00:49:41.250 Bonnie Waltch: State standard science curriculum for grades six through 12. 257 00:49:41.970 --> 00:49:59.280 Bonnie Waltch: And discussion guides because we're really encouraging teachers to use these short films to teach environmental science and climate science and the website i'll put it in the chat too, but the website is it's just feedback loops climate calm. 258 00:50:02.040 --> 00:50:15.030 Bonnie Waltch: So if you go to feedback loops climate COM, you can watch all five films if you're a PBS Member, you can see, earth emergency on PBS passport and on the Amazon PBS channel, you can also rent it from iTunes. 259 00:50:16.050 --> 00:50:30.120 Bonnie Waltch: So we really would love to partner with chapters, and if you want to get in touch with me, you can go to our website and fill out the contact us form and i'd love to hear from you and see what we can do together to get these films out there in the world. 260 00:50:30.660 --> 00:50:32.880 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Fantastic well Thank you so much bonnie. 261 00:50:34.020 --> 00:50:40.710 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So if folks are not here in person and you want to follow along from home with the film or other programming during the conference. 262 00:50:41.490 --> 00:50:53.250 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Make sure you register for the live streams, we will put that link in the chat and actually the same link we're putting in the chat is the link where you can actually join any of the sessions for the rest of the conference, including the film tonight. 263 00:50:54.630 --> 00:50:56.820 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So thank you so much bonnie we've got a few other. 264 00:50:56.880 --> 00:50:57.480 Bonnie Waltch: organization. 265 00:50:58.170 --> 00:51:00.000 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: We appreciate your main. 266 00:51:01.980 --> 00:51:03.120 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Alright, so. 267 00:51:05.100 --> 00:51:15.180 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: As far as sessions, that you can tune into virtually I will just also give a little plug for Madeline Perez opening remarks tomorrow morning, our executive director. 268 00:51:15.720 --> 00:51:28.980 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: She will share some insights into CCL next steps as an organization and then after the Conference volunteers have arranged hundreds of lobby meetings, both in person and virtual throughout the month of June to keep pushing Congress for Climate Action. 269 00:51:30.240 --> 00:51:39.630 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: And speaking of conferences we've had some other exciting events in May that I want to acknowledge CCL Canada had their conference in Ottawa at the beginning of last last month. 270 00:51:39.900 --> 00:51:46.920 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: As well as a lobby day on Parliament hill so congratulations to all of our dedicated Canadian volunteers from that event happen. 271 00:51:47.550 --> 00:51:50.340 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: In our international staff as well, so this is climate international. 272 00:51:51.180 --> 00:52:01.200 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: And CCL West Virginia hosted a faith leaders conference last weekend, bringing together about 60 West virginians at the first Presbyterian church in charleston. 273 00:52:01.710 --> 00:52:08.070 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: They got supportive messages sent to the conference from Senator shelley more capital and Senator Joe manchin. 274 00:52:08.550 --> 00:52:18.030 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: And in his letter, Senator manchin said to address climate change, we must face it head on, on a global scale, and in every sector of our economy. 275 00:52:18.360 --> 00:52:23.070 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So that's great to hear, as we know, talks on budget reconciliation are ongoing in the Senate. 276 00:52:23.550 --> 00:52:30.570 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So great works to our folks in West Virginia for continuing to build the grassroots there and continuing to engage with your Members of Congress. 277 00:52:31.380 --> 00:52:42.090 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Now, what can you be doing this month on the June action sheet, which you can find on the CCL website and on CCL community, we have a few suggested actions. 278 00:52:42.720 --> 00:52:46.170 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: First, is getting going on election season activities. 279 00:52:46.680 --> 00:52:55.380 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: As we look ahead to the midterm elections, we know it's very important for voters who prioritize climate and environmental issues, to show up to the polls and to make their voices heard. 280 00:52:55.950 --> 00:53:02.580 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: it's also important to convey to candidates throughout campaign season that climate change really matters to the people they want to represent. 281 00:53:03.270 --> 00:53:11.760 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So, with that in mind, we suggest you do things like phone bank or right postcards with the environmental voter project to help get environmentalist to vote. 282 00:53:12.510 --> 00:53:16.200 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: This is something that you and your chapter can do, individually or as a group. 283 00:53:17.040 --> 00:53:28.230 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: You can also attend candidates campaign events or town halls and ask questions that encourage the candidates to take a strong public position on climate change and to make it a high priority in their campaign. 284 00:53:28.860 --> 00:53:34.530 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: there's a communication exercise in the Action sheet to help you practice asking a candidate and effective question. 285 00:53:35.970 --> 00:53:47.520 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: We also have an election season media kit that you can use for guidance on writing letters to the editor op eds and sending pitches to reporters about climate change during election season. 286 00:53:48.570 --> 00:54:03.240 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So we've set a goal of 400 campaign season activities between now and September 30 so you can help us reach that goal by phone making postcards being attending town halls and so on, and then by logging in the Action tracker all of those election season events. 287 00:54:04.500 --> 00:54:14.160 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: Another activity, you can work on this month is setting meetings with community leaders who are influential with your Members of Congress and build relationships with them to gain their support. 288 00:54:14.700 --> 00:54:19.770 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: You can find more details about that, and all the election season activities on the June action sheet. 289 00:54:20.880 --> 00:54:37.440 Flannery Winchester, CCL Sr. Director of Communications: So that's it for this month Thank you everyone for being on the call today over the next few days, you can follow, along with the conference hashtag on social media that's hashtag CCL 2022 to see what we're up to at the conference and then we'll see you on next month's call thanks everyone.