WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.490 align:middle line:90% [SQUEAKING] 00:00:02.490 --> 00:00:04.482 align:middle line:90% [RUSTLING] 00:00:04.482 --> 00:00:07.470 align:middle line:90% [CLICKING] 00:00:07.470 --> 00:00:10.970 align:middle line:90% 00:00:10.970 --> 00:00:13.190 align:middle line:84% ZEYNEB MAGAVI: Before I pass it over 00:00:13.190 --> 00:00:17.370 align:middle line:84% to our next moderator for the amazing panel on policy, 00:00:17.370 --> 00:00:22.130 align:middle line:84% I just want to do a brief moment summarizing our first two 00:00:22.130 --> 00:00:23.990 align:middle line:90% sessions. 00:00:23.990 --> 00:00:27.140 align:middle line:84% And I know we started with the enormity 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:30.320 align:middle line:84% of the global challenge in front of us 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.189 align:middle line:90% from multiple perspectives. 00:00:32.189 --> 00:00:34.620 align:middle line:84% And I thought that was a fantastic conversation. 00:00:34.620 --> 00:00:36.600 align:middle line:90% And then we turned to people. 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:41.510 align:middle line:84% And it's easy to skip the people part 00:00:41.510 --> 00:00:45.920 align:middle line:84% and to not have the harder conversations about all 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:49.190 align:middle line:84% the different stakeholders and viewpoints and challenges. 00:00:49.190 --> 00:00:51.180 align:middle line:90% So I'm glad we did it. 00:00:51.180 --> 00:00:54.323 align:middle line:90% And I also felt the-- 00:00:54.323 --> 00:00:57.288 align:middle line:90% 00:00:57.288 --> 00:00:57.830 align:middle line:90% I don't know. 00:00:57.830 --> 00:00:59.820 align:middle line:84% Irony isn't quite the right word. 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:01.350 align:middle line:90% I'm going to misuse it. 00:01:01.350 --> 00:01:06.120 align:middle line:84% But I felt the human level of what 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:10.110 align:middle line:84% it is to be in a conversation about people, 00:01:10.110 --> 00:01:16.290 align:middle line:84% our emotions and our beliefs, aligning them to take action 00:01:16.290 --> 00:01:18.510 align:middle line:84% is probably the largest challenge, larger 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:21.450 align:middle line:90% than that first panel. 00:01:21.450 --> 00:01:25.860 align:middle line:84% And to do that requires a degree of vulnerability 00:01:25.860 --> 00:01:27.070 align:middle line:90% and human connection. 00:01:27.070 --> 00:01:29.400 align:middle line:84% I think it was mentioned by some of the speakers 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:36.300 align:middle line:84% that HEET likes to say change happens at the speed of trust. 00:01:36.300 --> 00:01:37.990 align:middle line:90% It is relationship-based. 00:01:37.990 --> 00:01:43.290 align:middle line:84% And so during the lunch break, after that conversation 00:01:43.290 --> 00:01:46.690 align:middle line:84% about utilities and the question about trust, 00:01:46.690 --> 00:01:52.080 align:middle line:84% I was chatting with a leader in a gas utility. 00:01:52.080 --> 00:01:56.160 align:middle line:84% And we ended up-- and I'm going to totally make this incredibly 00:01:56.160 --> 00:01:57.520 align:middle line:90% uncomfortable and call her up. 00:01:57.520 --> 00:01:58.696 align:middle line:90% Come on Nicki. 00:01:58.696 --> 00:02:04.420 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHS] No, you have to stay. 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:06.980 align:middle line:84% So here's what we were talking about. 00:02:06.980 --> 00:02:09.250 align:middle line:84% And we're going to just demonstrate 00:02:09.250 --> 00:02:11.390 align:middle line:84% a little bit of vulnerability and trust. 00:02:11.390 --> 00:02:14.173 align:middle line:84% We ended up in a very personal conversation 00:02:14.173 --> 00:02:16.090 align:middle line:84% about how to deal with waking up in the middle 00:02:16.090 --> 00:02:17.470 align:middle line:90% of the night with work issues-- 00:02:17.470 --> 00:02:18.910 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:02:18.910 --> 00:02:20.350 align:middle line:90% And challenges. 00:02:20.350 --> 00:02:28.960 align:middle line:84% And was diet, coffee, acupuncture, 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:32.530 align:middle line:84% other methods the way to cope with the burden 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:36.700 align:middle line:84% and the exhaustion of trying to lead in this space? 00:02:36.700 --> 00:02:38.350 align:middle line:84% I'm just going to hand you the mic. 00:02:38.350 --> 00:02:39.370 align:middle line:84% GUEST SPEAKER: Well, I'm sure it's 00:02:39.370 --> 00:02:41.090 align:middle line:84% a foreign issue to everybody in the room. 00:02:41.090 --> 00:02:44.200 align:middle line:84% No one ever has woken up in the middle of the night. 00:02:44.200 --> 00:02:48.970 align:middle line:84% But I think where we came out is just the enormity of it 00:02:48.970 --> 00:02:50.050 align:middle line:90% all on your shoulders. 00:02:50.050 --> 00:02:52.480 align:middle line:84% And goes back to what some of the panels 00:02:52.480 --> 00:02:55.240 align:middle line:84% were saying about how do you break that down and help 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.460 align:middle line:90% effectuate change where you can? 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:02.630 align:middle line:84% And then detach, really, because if you're working on something 00:03:02.630 --> 00:03:05.370 align:middle line:84% that you love, even if you're exhausted, 00:03:05.370 --> 00:03:08.450 align:middle line:84% it feels a little less weighty than if you're just 00:03:08.450 --> 00:03:11.540 align:middle line:84% putting the paces in, but you don't really 00:03:11.540 --> 00:03:14.840 align:middle line:84% care because I get asked sometimes, sometimes by people 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:16.500 align:middle line:90% I love, why do you care so much? 00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:18.060 align:middle line:90% It's just a job. 00:03:18.060 --> 00:03:20.280 align:middle line:84% And I said, well, jeez, if I went to work 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.580 align:middle line:84% and I treated it as just a job, I would be really bored. 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:25.080 align:middle line:84% I probably wouldn't perform as well. 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.340 align:middle line:84% And I know not everybody's wired that way, right? 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:32.030 align:middle line:84% Then you think, do I have this all wrong because then you 00:03:32.030 --> 00:03:33.540 align:middle line:90% could detach a little easier. 00:03:33.540 --> 00:03:35.363 align:middle line:90% And I know it's not just me. 00:03:35.363 --> 00:03:36.780 align:middle line:84% I stand here on behalf of my team. 00:03:36.780 --> 00:03:39.300 align:middle line:84% But a lot of us are dealing with that. 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:43.190 align:middle line:84% And I think it's just thinking about the global picture 00:03:43.190 --> 00:03:46.130 align:middle line:84% and, to use a word, enormity of it all, 00:03:46.130 --> 00:03:48.440 align:middle line:84% but what locally can you control? 00:03:48.440 --> 00:03:49.410 align:middle line:90% And what can you do? 00:03:49.410 --> 00:03:51.140 align:middle line:90% And trying to do the-- 00:03:51.140 --> 00:03:53.750 align:middle line:84% now I sound like a Frozen movie, but the next right thing, 00:03:53.750 --> 00:03:55.160 align:middle line:90% I think was the song. 00:03:55.160 --> 00:03:56.610 align:middle line:84% You can tell how old my kids are. 00:03:56.610 --> 00:03:58.485 align:middle line:84% ZEYNEB MAGAVI: Yeah, I was going to say that. 00:03:58.485 --> 00:03:59.270 align:middle line:90% [LAUGHTER] 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:02.980 align:middle line:84% Thank you so much, Nicki, for volunteering to do that. 00:04:02.980 --> 00:04:07.270 align:middle line:84% And I wanted to do that to bring that level of the people 00:04:07.270 --> 00:04:10.900 align:middle line:84% conversation in in response to some of the conversation we 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:12.370 align:middle line:90% had before. 00:04:12.370 --> 00:04:14.870 align:middle line:90% It's actually just human. 00:04:14.870 --> 00:04:17.390 align:middle line:84% And as you get to know other humans, 00:04:17.390 --> 00:04:19.245 align:middle line:84% no matter where they are in the system, 00:04:19.245 --> 00:04:20.620 align:middle line:84% you will find over and over again 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:23.920 align:middle line:84% that they are just humans and that it 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:26.850 align:middle line:84% is the systems that we must evolve 00:04:26.850 --> 00:04:28.100 align:middle line:90% and change to meet the moment. 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:33.050 align:middle line:84% So with that note, I'm turning it over to Andrew Iliff of HEET, 00:04:33.050 --> 00:04:34.970 align:middle line:84% who is going to be our next moderator. 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:37.480 align:middle line:84% And I'm so excited for this panel. 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:38.840 align:middle line:90% ANDREW ILIFF: I'm excited too. 00:04:38.840 --> 00:04:40.340 align:middle line:90% I hope you all are too. 00:04:40.340 --> 00:04:42.290 align:middle line:90% I think that's a great segue. 00:04:42.290 --> 00:04:43.810 align:middle line:84% We spent the morning-- oooh, excuse 00:04:43.810 --> 00:04:46.360 align:middle line:84% me-- talking about the high-level 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:47.810 align:middle line:90% and talking about people. 00:04:47.810 --> 00:04:53.150 align:middle line:84% And I think policy can seem like a depersonified kind of a thing. 00:04:53.150 --> 00:04:56.060 align:middle line:84% It's just out there in the system, in the atmosphere, 00:04:56.060 --> 00:04:57.080 align:middle line:90% in the water. 00:04:57.080 --> 00:05:01.820 align:middle line:84% But I think we're going to hear in this panel about people 00:05:01.820 --> 00:05:04.635 align:middle line:84% making that policy and what is driving them. 00:05:04.635 --> 00:05:05.760 align:middle line:90% What are the opportunities? 00:05:05.760 --> 00:05:08.120 align:middle line:84% What are the challenges that they see? 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:12.390 align:middle line:84% We're going to begin with a video from Lorig Charkoudian. 00:05:12.390 --> 00:05:15.530 align:middle line:84% She represents District 20 in the Maryland assembly 00:05:15.530 --> 00:05:18.350 align:middle line:84% and serves on the Economic Matters Committee. 00:05:18.350 --> 00:05:21.260 align:middle line:84% As you will hear, Lorig is a passionate and thoughtful 00:05:21.260 --> 00:05:24.300 align:middle line:84% advocate and also runs ultramarathons, 00:05:24.300 --> 00:05:27.260 align:middle line:84% which may help explain her stamina in pushing 00:05:27.260 --> 00:05:29.882 align:middle line:90% for geothermal networks. 00:05:29.882 --> 00:05:31.100 align:middle line:90% [VIDEO PLAYBACK] 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:34.950 align:middle line:84% - Delegate Lorig Charkoudian in the Maryland General Assembly. 00:05:34.950 --> 00:05:38.810 align:middle line:84% And I am sending my greetings and a little bit of jealousy 00:05:38.810 --> 00:05:41.060 align:middle line:84% because I wish I was there with you. 00:05:41.060 --> 00:05:43.290 align:middle line:84% But I'm here in the Maryland General Assembly. 00:05:43.290 --> 00:05:44.550 align:middle line:90% We are in full session. 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:47.880 align:middle line:84% And I have bill hearings at the time that you all are meeting. 00:05:47.880 --> 00:05:52.610 align:middle line:84% So I know you're meeting, and your conversations are probably 00:05:52.610 --> 00:05:53.340 align:middle line:90% amazing. 00:05:53.340 --> 00:05:55.988 align:middle line:84% And I look forward to hearing about everything 00:05:55.988 --> 00:05:57.530 align:middle line:84% that you are learning from each other 00:05:57.530 --> 00:06:00.690 align:middle line:84% as I continue to be part of this amazing network of people 00:06:00.690 --> 00:06:05.130 align:middle line:84% across the country who are moving legislation and pilots 00:06:05.130 --> 00:06:08.820 align:middle line:84% and programs forward to increase network geothermal 00:06:08.820 --> 00:06:12.480 align:middle line:90% systems across our communities. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.300 align:middle line:84% Last year, around this time, I was 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:17.970 align:middle line:84% working to pass the Warmth Act, which 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:25.450 align:middle line:84% is the Working for Accessible, Renewable Maryland Thermal Heat, 00:06:25.450 --> 00:06:27.880 align:middle line:84% a bit of a mouthful, but really a brilliant name. 00:06:27.880 --> 00:06:29.280 align:middle line:90% Wouldn't you agree? 00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:30.720 align:middle line:90% And warmth. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:32.200 align:middle line:90% Who doesn't want to be warm? 00:06:32.200 --> 00:06:34.200 align:middle line:84% And so with that as our entry, we 00:06:34.200 --> 00:06:38.700 align:middle line:84% were able to educate my colleagues on network geothermal 00:06:38.700 --> 00:06:42.100 align:middle line:84% systems, in our case, utility-owned systems. 00:06:42.100 --> 00:06:45.640 align:middle line:90% And we passed the bill in 2024. 00:06:45.640 --> 00:06:49.680 align:middle line:84% And so now we've reached a point where the utilities are each 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:54.390 align:middle line:84% putting in their filings working with the community 00:06:54.390 --> 00:06:58.180 align:middle line:84% and developing pilot locations, and things are moving forward. 00:06:58.180 --> 00:07:01.430 align:middle line:84% So I'll back up a little bit and tell you about our process. 00:07:01.430 --> 00:07:05.590 align:middle line:84% I became really interested in geothermal 00:07:05.590 --> 00:07:08.620 align:middle line:84% in general when I was working both on building electrification 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:11.420 align:middle line:84% a number of years ago, working on building electrification, 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:16.078 align:middle line:84% and also simultaneously on looking at grid issues and grid 00:07:16.078 --> 00:07:17.620 align:middle line:84% stability and the ability of the grid 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:21.920 align:middle line:84% to handle building and transportation electrification. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.730 align:middle line:84% And that was even before we were looking at load growth 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:27.790 align:middle line:84% from data centers and other manufacturing. 00:07:27.790 --> 00:07:29.470 align:middle line:84% And it was clear to me that geothermal 00:07:29.470 --> 00:07:34.420 align:middle line:84% had to be part of our transition because of the fact 00:07:34.420 --> 00:07:38.410 align:middle line:84% that it has the ability to do the electrification super 00:07:38.410 --> 00:07:40.690 align:middle line:84% efficiently and in a way that really 00:07:40.690 --> 00:07:42.230 align:middle line:90% minimizes impact on the grid. 00:07:42.230 --> 00:07:45.400 align:middle line:84% And long-term, as we've seen from the DOE studies, 00:07:45.400 --> 00:07:47.530 align:middle line:84% really saves an extraordinary amount of money 00:07:47.530 --> 00:07:51.430 align:middle line:84% in terms of infrastructure and generation. 00:07:51.430 --> 00:07:53.330 align:middle line:90% So I got excited about that. 00:07:53.330 --> 00:07:58.360 align:middle line:84% I had an initial bill in 2021 to create geothermal RECs 00:07:58.360 --> 00:07:59.250 align:middle line:90% in the state. 00:07:59.250 --> 00:08:01.850 align:middle line:84% But as I was doing that research, I ran across the work 00:08:01.850 --> 00:08:03.680 align:middle line:84% that HEET was doing, and I absolutely 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:07.370 align:middle line:84% fell in love with the model because, for a few reasons. 00:08:07.370 --> 00:08:13.350 align:middle line:84% One reason is because as I work on energy transition, 00:08:13.350 --> 00:08:16.070 align:middle line:84% one of my top priorities is to make sure 00:08:16.070 --> 00:08:19.250 align:middle line:84% that the jobs that are being created in our new energy 00:08:19.250 --> 00:08:22.340 align:middle line:84% economy are good union jobs and are 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:26.030 align:middle line:84% equivalent to the jobs that are being lost as we transition away 00:08:26.030 --> 00:08:27.240 align:middle line:90% from fossil fuels. 00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:31.460 align:middle line:84% And so network geothermal, of course, is the most perfect 00:08:31.460 --> 00:08:35.780 align:middle line:84% of those transitions because literally the very same work 00:08:35.780 --> 00:08:38.720 align:middle line:84% working on pipes in the ground that could be done with gas 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:41.720 align:middle line:84% is the very same work working on pipes in the ground that is 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:43.169 align:middle line:90% done with network geothermal. 00:08:43.169 --> 00:08:46.740 align:middle line:84% So that checked one of my top priority boxes. 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:50.990 align:middle line:84% And then the idea of I do spend a lot of time 00:08:50.990 --> 00:08:54.530 align:middle line:84% with legislation that the utilities don't like. 00:08:54.530 --> 00:08:56.810 align:middle line:84% And it's nice to work with the gas utilities 00:08:56.810 --> 00:08:59.303 align:middle line:84% and say, look, if you want a future, 00:08:59.303 --> 00:09:00.970 align:middle line:84% I don't have a problem with your future. 00:09:00.970 --> 00:09:03.810 align:middle line:84% I just have a problem with your current business model 00:09:03.810 --> 00:09:06.190 align:middle line:84% and your past business model of fossil gas. 00:09:06.190 --> 00:09:07.770 align:middle line:84% And so if you want a future, let me 00:09:07.770 --> 00:09:09.660 align:middle line:84% help you have another kind of a future. 00:09:09.660 --> 00:09:14.310 align:middle line:84% And really, an opportunity to take 00:09:14.310 --> 00:09:15.880 align:middle line:84% what it is that utilities do have, 00:09:15.880 --> 00:09:17.340 align:middle line:84% which is an ability and expertise 00:09:17.340 --> 00:09:19.710 align:middle line:84% on massive infrastructure projects 00:09:19.710 --> 00:09:23.280 align:middle line:84% and access to capital to do that and a system that lets us 00:09:23.280 --> 00:09:26.200 align:middle line:84% spread the costs and the benefits across all ratepayers. 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:30.390 align:middle line:84% And so all of those things made me really excited about network 00:09:30.390 --> 00:09:31.710 align:middle line:90% geothermal. 00:09:31.710 --> 00:09:36.150 align:middle line:84% So I went up first and met with folks at HEET myself. 00:09:36.150 --> 00:09:40.770 align:middle line:90% Learned a bunch of stuff with-- 00:09:40.770 --> 00:09:41.730 align:middle line:90% I went up with-- 00:09:41.730 --> 00:09:45.750 align:middle line:84% initially, sorry, first I went up with Washington Gas. 00:09:45.750 --> 00:09:47.140 align:middle line:90% We took a look at the systems. 00:09:47.140 --> 00:09:49.590 align:middle line:84% And then, as I got clearer about the bill 00:09:49.590 --> 00:09:52.020 align:middle line:84% that I was putting together, I started a process 00:09:52.020 --> 00:09:54.190 align:middle line:84% that I do on most of my big energy bills, 00:09:54.190 --> 00:09:56.220 align:middle line:84% which is really bringing together all 00:09:56.220 --> 00:09:57.610 align:middle line:90% of the potential stakeholders. 00:09:57.610 --> 00:10:01.520 align:middle line:84% So I was working with the gas utilities. 00:10:01.520 --> 00:10:04.030 align:middle line:84% I was working with the labor unions, both the labor 00:10:04.030 --> 00:10:07.450 align:middle line:84% unions who represent gas workers, so the in-house labor 00:10:07.450 --> 00:10:09.940 align:middle line:84% unions for Washington Gas and PG&E, 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:12.200 align:middle line:84% and then also the building trades. 00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:16.460 align:middle line:84% So work that doesn't get done by the in-house unions, 00:10:16.460 --> 00:10:18.220 align:middle line:84% construction work that gets contracted out 00:10:18.220 --> 00:10:21.170 align:middle line:84% could be done by building trades. 00:10:21.170 --> 00:10:25.250 align:middle line:84% I was working very closely with the grassroots groups, 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:27.370 align:middle line:84% the housing justice folks, the climate justice 00:10:27.370 --> 00:10:30.400 align:middle line:84% folks who are doing really interesting organizing 00:10:30.400 --> 00:10:32.140 align:middle line:84% in my community, where they're going in 00:10:32.140 --> 00:10:35.450 align:middle line:84% and measuring NO2 levels associated with gas stoves. 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:37.288 align:middle line:84% And then they're organizing tenants 00:10:37.288 --> 00:10:38.830 align:middle line:84% who are then going to their landlords 00:10:38.830 --> 00:10:45.230 align:middle line:84% and asking for electrification as a health and safety issue. 00:10:45.230 --> 00:10:47.723 align:middle line:84% So working with Action in Montgomery, Interfaith Power 00:10:47.723 --> 00:10:49.390 align:middle line:84% and Light, those were some of the groups 00:10:49.390 --> 00:10:52.480 align:middle line:84% doing that grassroots housing justice, climate justice work. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:56.945 align:middle line:84% And then, also bringing into the conversation groups 00:10:56.945 --> 00:10:59.070 align:middle line:84% like the Maryland Energy Administration, the Public 00:10:59.070 --> 00:11:01.210 align:middle line:84% Service Commission, the Office of People's Counsel, 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:03.575 align:middle line:84% and then, of course, all the climate groups that 00:11:03.575 --> 00:11:04.950 align:middle line:84% do really good work in the state, 00:11:04.950 --> 00:11:06.460 align:middle line:84% Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 00:11:06.460 --> 00:11:09.220 align:middle line:84% League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, and others. 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:12.850 align:middle line:84% And so I started working with all of those groups, 00:11:12.850 --> 00:11:21.880 align:middle line:84% and I brought a group of people up to Massachusetts. 00:11:21.880 --> 00:11:24.840 align:middle line:84% And thanks again to HEET for hosting us. 00:11:24.840 --> 00:11:28.240 align:middle line:84% We had a chance to see some of the test boreholes. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:32.470 align:middle line:84% We had a chance to stand there and look at buildings, really, 00:11:32.470 --> 00:11:36.160 align:middle line:84% because, as Zeyneb likes to say, there's not a lot to see. 00:11:36.160 --> 00:11:38.490 align:middle line:84% But to be able to picture, I think, 00:11:38.490 --> 00:11:41.340 align:middle line:84% for folks who were there to be able to learn about what's 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:45.150 align:middle line:84% happening, but also to picture what kind of neighborhoods 00:11:45.150 --> 00:11:46.980 align:middle line:84% this could be really effective in. 00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:50.620 align:middle line:84% And then we continued to work collaboratively. 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:53.190 align:middle line:84% And it was exciting to bring folks together 00:11:53.190 --> 00:11:55.920 align:middle line:84% who often are not working in the same direction 00:11:55.920 --> 00:11:59.560 align:middle line:84% on the same policies working through building trust 00:11:59.560 --> 00:12:01.725 align:middle line:84% across those groups of people and making sure 00:12:01.725 --> 00:12:03.100 align:middle line:84% that everybody felt like the bill 00:12:03.100 --> 00:12:07.450 align:middle line:84% that we finally produced really met the needs of the folks who 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:11.000 align:middle line:84% are going to be required and necessary for implementation. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:15.490 align:middle line:84% And so we had the bill last year in the 2024 session. 00:12:15.490 --> 00:12:18.400 align:middle line:84% And I'm happy to say it passed in the first year we introduced 00:12:18.400 --> 00:12:19.058 align:middle line:90% it. 00:12:19.058 --> 00:12:21.100 align:middle line:84% And really, a lot of that had to do with the fact 00:12:21.100 --> 00:12:23.710 align:middle line:84% that we essentially had no opposition because everybody 00:12:23.710 --> 00:12:25.040 align:middle line:90% was sitting at the table. 00:12:25.040 --> 00:12:27.310 align:middle line:84% And in fact, when we went for our hearing, 00:12:27.310 --> 00:12:31.360 align:middle line:84% I had the climate justice groups and the Gas Workers 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.730 align:middle line:84% Union and the utility and the Office of People's Counsel. 00:12:34.730 --> 00:12:37.540 align:middle line:84% And that's a set of folks that I don't know if they've ever been 00:12:37.540 --> 00:12:38.690 align:middle line:90% on the same panel before. 00:12:38.690 --> 00:12:39.880 align:middle line:84% But I was telling my colleagues, I 00:12:39.880 --> 00:12:42.070 align:middle line:84% was like, just go ahead and take a picture of this. 00:12:42.070 --> 00:12:45.580 align:middle line:84% And then move my bill favorable because, obviously, there 00:12:45.580 --> 00:12:48.470 align:middle line:84% was still work to be done and education, and so on. 00:12:48.470 --> 00:12:51.130 align:middle line:84% But most of the work really was a year 00:12:51.130 --> 00:12:54.310 align:middle line:84% and a half of building coalitions and connecting people 00:12:54.310 --> 00:12:57.010 align:middle line:84% with each other and making sure that the language really 00:12:57.010 --> 00:12:58.890 align:middle line:84% met the needs of everybody involved. 00:12:58.890 --> 00:13:00.330 align:middle line:90% So that bill passed. 00:13:00.330 --> 00:13:05.030 align:middle line:84% And then soon after we started working with the gas companies 00:13:05.030 --> 00:13:08.360 align:middle line:84% to start to connect them to the grassroots groups 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.690 align:middle line:84% and to start to organize and identify potential locations. 00:13:11.690 --> 00:13:13.820 align:middle line:84% And that's really where we are right now. 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:16.230 align:middle line:84% We're going through that process with community groups. 00:13:16.230 --> 00:13:18.470 align:middle line:84% And the gas companies are working 00:13:18.470 --> 00:13:20.370 align:middle line:90% on some engineering studies. 00:13:20.370 --> 00:13:23.630 align:middle line:84% And we're excited to have something 00:13:23.630 --> 00:13:24.990 align:middle line:90% here in the next few years. 00:13:24.990 --> 00:13:27.150 align:middle line:90% So I'll stop there. 00:13:27.150 --> 00:13:29.400 align:middle line:84% I may or may not be able to be on there for questions. 00:13:29.400 --> 00:13:30.983 align:middle line:84% I'm not sure how that's going to work. 00:13:30.983 --> 00:13:33.810 align:middle line:84% But if anyone's interested in getting in touch with me, 00:13:33.810 --> 00:13:37.700 align:middle line:84% we'll make sure that you all have my contact information. 00:13:37.700 --> 00:13:42.450 align:middle line:84% I'm happy to follow up and be supportive as I am able. 00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:44.785 align:middle line:84% And I do hope to connect with folks 00:13:44.785 --> 00:13:46.910 align:middle line:84% and hear more and learn more about what you all are 00:13:46.910 --> 00:13:49.100 align:middle line:90% doing all across this country. 00:13:49.100 --> 00:13:52.150 align:middle line:90% [END PLAYBACK] 00:13:52.150 --> 00:13:58.000 align:middle line:90%