Institute Webinars
The Institute holds webinars on a regular basis to provide information and insight on a series of topics. The schedule of webinars is provided below. Please scroll further down for webinar details and registration links.
Energy Outlook - 10:00 AM EST Friday, March 20, 2026
Long Duration Energy Storage - 10:00 AM EST Friday, March 27, 2026
Utility Rates - 10:00 AM EST Friday April 3, 2026
Carbon Credits - 10:00 AM EST Friday April 10, 2026
Decarbonizing Aviation and Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Decarbonizing Shipping
Understanding Innovation
Evaluating Risk and Uncertainty in Capital and Investment Decision Making
Energy and The Data Centers
INstitute Webinars
Impact of the Iran War on Energy
Friday, March 20, 2026, 10:00 AM - 11:00 EST
This webinar provides a high-level strategic assessment of the ongoing conflict involving Iran (as of March 2026) and its cascading effects on global supply chains. We move beyond simple "oil price spikes" to examine the structural damage to regional infrastructure, the forced "shut-in" of production due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the severe impact on non-energy commodities like urea, ammonia, and sulfur. The session concludes with a recovery timeline and a comparison to historical energy shocks, offering participants a roadmap for navigating the "new normal" of 2026.
Part 1: The Logistics Lockdown - The Strait of Hormuz and the "Production Shock"
The Chokepoint Status: Analysis of the current effective closure of the Strait, which normally handles 21 million b/d of oil and 20% of global LNG.
From Transit to Production: How the shipping standstill has evolved into a production crisis. With regional storage (approx. 343 million barrels) hitting capacity, producers like Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia have been forced to "shut in" wells.
Alternative Routes: The limitations of the East-West Pipeline (Saudi Arabia) and Abu Dhabi’s Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which can only offset a fraction (roughly 3.5–4M b/d) of the disrupted volume.
Part 2: Infrastructure & Damage Assessment - Assessing the Physical Toll on Energy Assets
Upstream vs. Downstream Damage: Differentiating between temporary stoppages and structural damage to refineries (e.g., Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia and Bapco in Bahrain) and export terminals like Iran’s Kharg Island.
The South Pars/North Field Factor: Impact of strikes on the world’s largest gas field; assessment of QatarEnergy’s force majeure and the fallout for global natural gas liquidity.
Recovery Timelines: * Short-term (Weeks): Clearing mines and restoring shipping lanes.
Mid-term (Months): Repairing specialized refinery units and desalting plants.
Long-term (Years): Re-pressurizing oil fields that were shut down abruptly, which can cause permanent reservoir damage.
Part 3: The "Silent" Commodity Crisis - Beyond Oil—The Fertilizer and Chemical Fallout
The Nitrogen Link: How the loss of Qatari and Iranian natural gas has paralyzed global Ammonia and Urea production, driving prices up by 35%+ in the first week.
Global Food Security: The timing of the conflict relative to the spring planting season in the Northern Hemisphere and the monsoon season in India.
The Sulfur Shortage: The Middle East provides nearly half of seaborne Sulfur. Analysis of the impact on African copper leaching and Chinese phosphate production.
Petrochemical Stoppages: Force majeure declarations in the Styrene, PVC, and Methanol markets across Asia.
Part 4: Historical Context & Market Outlook - How 2026 Compares to 1973, 1979, and 2022
Historical Echoes: Comparing the current price action ($100–$120+ Brent) to the 1970s oil shocks and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine disruption.
The "IEA Response": Analysis of the 400-million-barrel emergency stock release (the largest in history) and why strategic reserves alone cannot fix a closed Strait.
Shift in Global Alliances: The role of Russia as a primary beneficiary/substitute supplier and the vulnerability of Asian economies (China/India) that rely on the Gulf for 50%+ of their energy.
Closing Forecast: Summary of the "Best Case" (Hormuz opens in 4 weeks) vs. "Worst Case" (prolonged conflict and structural damage).
SPEAKERS
Brad Bradshaw
President, Velerity LLC
Brad leads Velerity, providing clients winning strategies associated with designing, engineering, investing in, and building and operating clean energy projects and solutions. Brad has twenty years of expertise in innovative energy, fuel and carbon projects covering renewable energy, synthetic fuel production and carbon reduction. Expertise in identifying worthwhile investments evaluating multiple technologies, configurations, economics and suppliers. Technical, economic and market analyses have covered hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, methane, renewable natural gas and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Brad has MBA from Babson College, and an engineering degree from Dartmouth College.
Long Duration Energy Storage
Friday, March 27, 2026, 10:00 AM - 11:00 EST
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As the global power grid moves beyond the initial phase of renewable integration, the transition from short-term flexibility to long-term reliability has become the defining challenge for 2026. This webinar addresses the critical shift from 4-hour lithium-ion dominance toward Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES)—technologies capable of discharging for 10 to 160+ hours to secure the grid against multi-day weather events and seasonal shifts. We will examine industry best practices for prioritizing LDES investments, utilizing a "Value-Stacking" framework to evaluate solutions based on Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS), geographic feasibility, and material scarcity. Through real-world case studies, such as the deployment of Iron-Air batteries for 100-hour firming and Liquid CO₂ systems for high-efficiency diurnal shifting, we will demonstrate how LDES creates tangible value. Beyond mere energy arbitrage, the value proposition of these technologies lies in their ability to provide "Non-Wires Alternatives" for transmission deferral and to serve as a low-carbon replacement for fossil-fuel peaker plants. Join us to explore how a diversified portfolio of thermal, mechanical, and electrochemical solutions is being implemented today to build the resilient, 24/7 carbon-free grid of tomorrow.
SPEAKERS
Brad Bradshaw
President, Velerity LLC
Brad leads Velerity, providing clients winning strategies associated with designing, engineering, investing in, and building and operating clean energy projects and solutions. Brad has twenty years of expertise in innovative energy, fuel and carbon projects covering renewable energy, synthetic fuel production and carbon reduction. Expertise in identifying worthwhile investments evaluating multiple technologies, configurations, economics and suppliers. Technical, economic and market analyses have covered hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, methane, renewable natural gas and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Brad has MBA from Babson College, and an engineering degree from Dartmouth College.
Utility Rates
Friday, April 3, 2026, 10:00 AM - 11:00 EST
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Public utility commissions, state energy offices and government officials are under significant pressure to address fast evolving critical electric rate issues including accelerating electricity rates, increasing imbalances between customer classes, challenges interconnecting renewable energy systems, and meeting the power and transmission needs of data centers.
Residential rates have surged by approximately 37% since 2020, outpacing general inflation. Utilities are building-out and upgrading transmission and distribution systems to relieve capacity constraints for renewable energy interconnections and provide capacity to new loads, especially data centers. Complicating utility efforts are the temporal mismatches between near term market needs and longer-term supply chain and construction timing. Utilities also have to deal with significant sources of risk and uncertainty including the potential for stranded assets when attempting to align build-out plans with customer interconnect requirements.
This webinar will examine the emerging regulatory "playbook" for 2026, including the shift toward "Large Load Tariffs" and upfront financial collateral designed to prevent residential customers from subsidizing Big Tech’s energy needs. By addressing the "stranded asset" risks of the AI boom and the strategies being used to decouple electricity rates from runaway inflation, this session provides a contextual roadmap for rate making that attempt to balance the multiplicity of conflicting demands and uncertainties.
SPEAKERS
Brad Bradshaw
President, Velerity LLC
Brad leads Velerity, providing clients winning strategies associated with designing, engineering, investing in, and building and operating clean energy projects and solutions. Brad has twenty years of expertise in innovative energy, fuel and carbon projects covering renewable energy, synthetic fuel production and carbon reduction. Expertise in identifying worthwhile investments evaluating multiple technologies, configurations, economics and suppliers. Technical, economic and market analyses have covered hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, methane, renewable natural gas and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Brad has MBA from Babson College, and an engineering degree from Dartmouth College.
Carbon Credits
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:00 AM - 11:00 EST
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In 2026, the carbon credit landscape has undergone a structural transformation, moving from a fragmented "wild west" toward a mature, high-integrity financial market. This webinar provides an essential roadmap for navigating this evolving ecosystem, where the "flight to quality" is now the primary market driver. We will explore the foundational purpose and mechanics of carbon credits—the tradeable units representing one metric tonne of CO2 and delve into the critical technical distinctions between emissions avoidance and carbon removal projects. Attendees will gain deep insights into the latest verification protocols, including the widespread adoption of the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) and the shift toward Digital MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification). We will clarify the converging paths of voluntary and compliance markets, examine the economics of 2026, where top-tier removals command significant premiums, and address the pressing risks and uncertainties of "greenwashing" and regulatory shifts. Finally, we will provide a practical due diligence checklist to help your organization evaluate project integrity and identify the true value propositions of credits—not just as offsets, but as strategic assets in a comprehensive net-zero transition.
SPEAKERS
Brad Bradshaw
President, Velerity LLC
Brad leads Velerity, providing clients winning strategies associated with designing, engineering, investing in, and building and operating clean energy projects and solutions. Brad has twenty years of expertise in innovative energy, fuel and carbon projects covering renewable energy, synthetic fuel production and carbon reduction. Expertise in identifying worthwhile investments evaluating multiple technologies, configurations, economics and suppliers. Technical, economic and market analyses have covered hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, methane, renewable natural gas and Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Brad has MBA from Babson College, and an engineering degree from Dartmouth College.