The board of the National Capital Area Chapter of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics is proud to announce that Shirley Neff will receive the 2020 Lively Award.

The award recognizes contributions to the chapter and the field of energy economics at large. It will be presented to Shirley at the chapter’s annual dinner on Wednesday, February 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Embassy of Canada ‎at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC.

Shirley is a former chapter president who many of you know and have met. Her contributions to the field and to the NCAC as an economist, mentor, scholar, researcher and public servant are unmatched. 

Shirley is currently Senior Advisor in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs in the U.S. Department of Energy. 

She has also been a Senior Advisor to the Administrator at the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Shirley has had many roles that I know NCAC members will admire. For instance, she was detailed to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Commission and has also been a Senior Associate in the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

She has also been an adjunct professor at Columbia University, and staff economist at the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

The award is named in honor of Mark Lively, a longtime NCAC member and former president who passed away in 2016.

Registration is now open for the dinner. Karen Harbert, CEO of the American Gas Association, will be our featured speaker. I look forward to joining you to hear Karen's remarks, and honoring Shirley. 

It was a pleasure for me to host a half-dozen past presidents of the NCAC two Fridays ago at Chinatown Garden to hear their views on how the business has changed.

I want to tell you about two events we have planned next month.

Our monthly lunch will be an affordable brown bag event on Friday, January 17, at 918 F Street NW, 4th Floor North, in the history National Union Building

Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at trade association Growth Energy, will tell us about the evolution of the Renewable Fuels Standard, always a key motor fuels issue. 

Chris will update us on Renewable Volume Obligations, Renewable Identification Numbers and the small refinery exemption. He will also talk about E15 blending, E10 in Mexico and other ethanol production drivers. Registration is open. 

The evolution and development of the carbon cycle has become critical to an understanding of energy. Dr. Scott Wing, Research Geologist and Curator of Paleobotany at the Smithsonian Institute, will lead NCAC members on a private, guided tour of the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils. During the tour, special attention will be given to energy science related aspects of the Hall, particularly the formation of fossil fuels and how they fit into the carbon cycle.

Attendance is capped at 30 members and their guests. Registration will open shortly and you will be notified.

On Friday, November 15, we will have three experts discuss the effect of Chinese tariffs on U.S. energy exports. I am very grateful that these individuals took the time to join us for lunch at Carmine's in Penn Quarter. They are:

• Dean Foreman, Chief Economist, API
• Gregory Dolan, CEO, Methanol Institute 
• Jane Nakano, Senior Fellow, CSIS

Register now: https://ncac-usaee.org/event-3602097

On Friday, December 13, a group of past NCAC presidents will look back on trends in the energy industry while they were leading the group, and discuss how our business has changed. It will be be a great opportunity to assess the evolution of our Washington-based organization, and reconnect with friends and colleagues. The location is to be determined, but block off this lunch on your calendar. Registration will be open for the event soon.

-- David Givens, president

1. Join us at our next lunch at Carmine's on Friday, Sept. 13, when Christine Tezak, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, will answer the question: Have Capacity Markets Outlived Their Utility? Register here:  ncac-usaee.org/event-3525115 The restaurant is near the Gallery Place metro stop at 425 7th Street NW at, E St NW, Washington, DC 20004.

2. Here's a GS-15 position open at FERC until 8/30: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/542875500 The title is Supervisory Energy Industry Analyst, also known as Branch Chief, in the Office of Enforcement, Division of Analytics and Surveillance.

3. Going forward, NCAC does not intend to use PayPal. Our web platform developed its own online payment system and decided to impose a hefty surcharge on organizations that choose not to switch. The new system is called AffiniPay and has the same functionality. When you register for Christine Tezak's lunch, it might take you a little more time than in the past. Thank you for your patience. 

David Givens

August 7, 2019

Thanks for choosing me as the president of the National Capital Area Chapter of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics for 2019-2020.

We have a rich tradition going back more than 40 years. We’re going to continue many of the informative, fun activities that you have enjoyed in the past.

I understand we all want to use our time and talents wisely, but there are a lot of other things we can undertake. I will be charting our course for the next year shortly along with the leadership council. Field trips, technical tours and mentorship come immediately to mind. If you personally can’t organize an event, you certainly have contacts that can be helpful to the group.

We will be announcing some events shortly. You can reach me at president@ncac-usaee.org

I have been a member of NCAC for almost 10 years, and I am honored to lead the 2018-2019 Council as President. Simply put, NCAC is a great organization, and I encourage all its members to consider being on the Council and volunteering in some way, shape, or form. NCAC is an all-volunteer organization, so please give us your ideas, enthusiasm, and energy to contribute to NCAC’s continued success as the top professional group for energy here in Washington, DC.

Washington has a never ending revolving door of people coming and going, which includes for energy. NCAC has been a welcoming and stabilizing force for Washington’s energy community for decades. I am sure all of us remember our first NCAC lunch and standing up before the group and introducing ourselves. That time-honored tradition has plugged us all into the NCAC network and helped foster some great professional relationships.

Thank you for choosing me as President of NCAC and for providing such a fantastic Council. We look forward to seeing you at NCAC’s events in the coming year.

Michael Ratner, NCAC President

It has been an honor and a pleasure serving this past year as NCAC president. There are many professional organizations in the DC area but none like NCAC. What sets us apart is our members. I am always impressed by the caliber of knowledge you bring to our events. Getting to know you has been the highlight of my time as president. It's been a joy meeting so many interesting people and, on a personal level, making new friends.

NCAC is an all-volunteer organization that neither has nor seeks sponsors. Everything we do only happens because of the generous effort and time given by our volunteers. I want to thank the current NCAC council for their dedication and a job well done. Looking back on the year, we did a lot. NCAC launched a new website, went on a technical tour, started a newsletter, hosted happy hours and put together an outstanding Annual Conference to name a few.

I would like to congratulate the incoming officers and council:

• President | Michael Ratner, Congressional Research Service
  
• Vice President | David Givens, Argus Media
  
• Treasurer | Joel Yudken, High Road Strategies
  
• Secretary | Pat McMurray, Public Utilities Fortnightly
  
• Aqueel Adenwala, Energy Ventures Analysis Inc
  
• Aaron Annable, Canadian Embassy
  
• Rita Beale, Energy Unlimited
  
• Devin Hartman, R Street Institute
  
• Natalie Kempkey, U.S. Energy Information Administration
  
• Jennifer Reichert, CRDF Global
  
• Barney Rush, Rush Energy Consulting
  
• Lisa Viscidi, Inter-American Dialogue
  
• Michael Weber, German Embassy
  
• John Wenk, GWU (Student Representative)
  

What an impressive group. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next NCAC year!

One last thought before I hand over the reins to Michael. As part of NCAC leadership, I attended almost every lunch meeting for the past two years, even on topics I might not have attended otherwise. No question, I am richer for it. I urge you to take advantage of all this association has to offer and to get involved.

Elaine E. Levin, Powerhouse | NCAC President

The results are in. Our 2017/2018 NCAC officers and Council members are as follows:

2017-2018 NCAC Council Leadership

NCAC Officers

• Elaine Levin - Powerhouse (President)*
  
• Michael Ratner - Congressional Research Service (Vice President)*
  
• Joel Yudken - High Road Strategies (Treasurer)*
  
• Pat McMurray - Public Utilities Fortnightly (Secretary)*
  
• Council Members At-Large
  
• John Caldwell - Edison Electric Institute
  
• Devin Hartman - R Street Institute* 
  
• Natalie Kempkey - EIA*
  
• Sarah Ladislaw - CSIS
  
• Roger Lueken - Brattle Group*
  
• Mark Noll - Georgetown University (student rep)
  
• Jennifer Reichert - CRDF Global*
• Barney Rush - Rush Energy Consulting*
  
• Garry Tyran - UCLA Anderson School of Management*
  
• Dan White - Berkeley Research Group
  
• Jim McDonnell - Avalon Energy Services (Immediate Past President)*
  

* denotes current NCAC Council membership

This is a highly impressive group of folks which is reflective of the high caliber of our overall membership. I am confident that the future of the NCAC is bright.

There are numerous professional organizations in the DC area but none like the NCAC. All volunteer. Minimalist budget. No sponsors. Seeks no sponsors. Non-partisan. Expertly focused on energy and economics. And, out of this group comes consistently high quality, relevant lunch speakers, topical conferences, Lively networking events, and interesting technical tours. And, about 14% of our 400 members are students which bodes well for the future of the organization.

It has been a pleasure serving this past year as president. I’d like to thank the current officers and Council members for their dedication and a job well done. I’d also like to thank you, the members. It is you that make the NCAC what it is.

All the best,

Jim McDonnell
Avalon Energy Services, LLC
Immediate Past President, NCAC

The importance of energy in our society is immense and the degree of change we witness every day—in energy technology, supply and demand, and policy—seems even greater.

NCAC member Mark Finley well captured the challenges we face in his Member of the Month profile. He asked, “…how does the world get the energy it needs; provide a growing population with light, heat, and power; improve peoples’ lives and lift people out of poverty; and accomplish it all in ways that are sustainable, secure, and affordable?” These challenges are large and serious. What a great time to be in the energy industry.

And what a great time to be part of the NCAC.

As of the beginning of 2017, we have close to 400 members—nearly double our membership in 2011. And, thirteen percent of our members are students. This reflects strong interest in the energy industry and also augurs well for the future of our organization.

Your involvement in the NCAC keeps you on the forefront of the many issues facing the energy industry, and the NCAC flourishes thanks to the participation and engagement of all our members.

Jim McDonnell, NCAC Board President
Avalon Energy Services, LLC