Today, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced Alaska’s energy independence as a key focus of the inaugural Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage this May. ASEC will bring together energy experts and pioneers to showcase how Alaskans and communities around the world are harnessing emerging energy technologies.
“The Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference is a chance to join visionaries, researchers, and policymakers from all corners of the globe to explore the technologies that will change everything,” said Governor Dunleavy. “From the fast tides of Cook Inlet, to the vast, untapped deposits of critical minerals needed to power the coming energy revolution, to the renewable microgrids that dot the far north, the Last Frontier is the ideal location to unveil the future of sustainable energy.”
ASEC will be held from May 24 through May 26 at the Dena’ina Center, featuring more than 50 expert speakers, including former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. Each conference day aims to address specific themes including innovations in distributed energy, the evolution of the modern power grid, and the future of energy.
Leading up to the event, the Alaska Center for Energy & Power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will continue hosting a pre-event virtual workshop series. The “Alaska Energy Futures” workshops, which are already underway, cover topics like tidal energy, hydrogen exports, electric airplanes, and much more. Registration for these free workshops can be found here.
This conference is a part of a larger initiative to address the future of energy in Alaska. Recently, Governor Dunleavy introduced three new bills relating to energy independence in Alaska.
- HB 301/SB 179 seeks to diversify Alaska’s energy portfolio and drive down consumer costs by committing the Railbelt to reaching 80% renewable power by 2040.
- HB 170/SB 123 will create the Alaska Energy Independence Fund – an initiative aimed at making rooftop solar and weatherization projects affordable for Alaskans.
- HB 299/SB 177 will allow interested communities in Alaska to explore exciting new opportunities related to microreactors – a new and extraordinarily safe form of energy that could provide relief from high diesel and heating oil costs.
To register or read more about ASEC, visit alaskasustainableenergy.com.
