REAP Monthly Forums 

May 12 Forum: How to Make Your Business More Energy Efficient

Come hear how Alaska Waste and Alaska Green Waste Solutions’ large-scale biodiesel plant in Anchorage is turning recycled cooking oil into fuel for their fleet of refuse trucks. Opened in June, the plant is the first of its kind in Alaska. It is currently collecting about 12,000 gallons of used cooking oil each month from more than 200 restaurants, grocers and other businesses between Girdwood, Anchorage, and the Mat-Su. Alaska Green Waste Solutions Manager Jeff Jessen will talk about the plant’s operation, plans for using the estimated 200,000 plus gallons a year of biodiesel and the benefits of biodiesel economically and environmentally. More information at 929-7770 or s.nowers@REalaska.org

May 12 Forum: How to Make Your Business More Energy Efficient

Thanks to our presenters and their excellent presentations on how to make businesses more energy efficient. There were lots of practical suggestions, and an emphasis on the need to invest in energy efficiency because it makes business sense and pays off in the long run. While there’s room for debate on lots of issues, the consensus was electricity rates are going to go only one way — UP! So investing now to reduce energy use means saving in the future. We will be posting the presenters PowerPoints and a podcast of the forum soon.

Presenters:
Eric McCallum, Owner, Arctic Wire Rope & Supply
Nancy Harbour, Exec. Dir., Performing Arts Center
Sean Skaling, Energy Efficiency & Conservation Program Manager, AK Energy Authority

May 2010 Forum podcast

Eric McCallum PowerPoint
Nancy Harbour PowerPoint
Sean Skaling PowerPoint

April 14 Forum: Solar Thermal power for your home and business with Andy Baker of YourCleanEnergy

A great presentation last night with a great turnout of people who braved our springtime blizzard to hear about solar thermal systems. Andy Baker of YourCleanEnergy LLC explained how these systems work, and talked about how they are evaluated, installed, and operated in our cold northern climate. He also showed examples of systems in Alaska and discussed an amazing system in Saskatchewan, Canada where residents use a large storage area to store hot water that they heat in the summer and then tap that heated water in the winter.

April 2010 Forum Podcast
April 2010 Forum PowerPoint

Mar. 10 Forum: How to cut AK electricity use by 50% by 2025

Elizabeth Outten, of the Alaska Conservation Alliance, gave a great presentation on their “Railbelt Electricity Efficiency Landscape” report on how Alaskans can cut electricity use in the Railbelt by 50%. The report maps out a guide to achieving energy savings with new policies and changes in existing practices. The 50% figure is a goal not a hard and fast number, she said. It gives Alaskans something  to strive for. That said, Alaskans can do many things to reduce our energy use that don’t require a lot of work, she said. We can switch to energy efficient lighting and appliances. We can put our TVs and computers on power strips so they don’t draw energy when they’re turned off. We can also better insulate our homes to save on heating costs. She said the report found most homes in Anchorage were built before 1980, which typically means they are not well insulated. There was a lot of discussion about hurdles, particularly in financing energy efficiency improvements, which in some cases can have high up-front costs. Among the possible solutions talked about were financing schemes that allow energy efficiency upgrades to be tied to property taxes,  or tied to a specific electric meter and then repaid through utility bills on the property.

To learn more, listen to the podcast of Elizabeth’s presentation download her PowerPoint, or read the report by clicking on the links below.

Read the full REEL report here
Read a summary of the REEL report here

March 2010 Forum Podcast
March 2010 Forum PowerPoint

Learn what you can do to make your home more energy efficient!

Feb. 10 Forum: Tapping Alaska Rivers for Power

Tom Ravens gave a great presentation on Alaska’s hydro-kinetic (in-river) power potential and work he and his students did last summer looking at 17 potential sites for turbines on the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. A demonstration project in Ruby on the Yukon River has already shown that hydro-kinetic turbines can be placed in the river and generate electricity. The work done by Ravens and his students will be made available to the public and could encourage energy developers and villagers to seriously consider hydro-kinetic energy as a renewable energy source. Hydro-kinetic power could be particularly useful for residents of rural Alaska, who face some of the highest electricity rates in the United States and, in many cases, live next to large, fast flowing rivers.

February Forum Podcast
February Forum PowerPoint

Jan. 13 Forum: Renewable Energy Policy Proposals for Alaska

Thanks to REAP Executive Director Chris Rose who gave a great presentation on the rising use of renewable power in Alaska and pending legislation to secure more clean energy for our state.We’ve posted a podcast of his presentation as well as his PowerPoint below  Due to a technical problem, the recording cut off just before the end of his presentation. But there’s still lots to listen to on the prospects for renewable energy in Alaska, the many existing projects, and what the rest of the world is doing in regards to renewable energy.

January 2010 Forum podcast
January 2010 Forum PowerPoint

Dec. 9: Southcentral Energy Problems and Solutions

Jim Strandberg, of the Alaska Energy Authority, gave a very informative presentation on the Regional Integrated Resource Plan, a state-funded study that analyzes energy options for Southcentral Alaska over the long term. One of the study’s findings was that mandating 50 percent renewable power by 2025 would not add any extra cost.

The report will be a key guide for legislators trying to decide which energy options to fund and what are the right choices over the long term. The issue is critical because the supply of cheap, available natural gas is dwindling in Cook Inlet, and the Railbelt has tough choices to make to secure power for our homes and businesses for the coming decades. So where should that power come from and how do we ensure we make the right choices now to secure the best energy future?

*Southcentral Energy Forum Podcast
*RIRP PowerPoint presentation by Jim Strandberg
*Link to Draft Regional Integrated Resource Plan (.pdf)

Media Coverage:
KTVA report on Southcentral Energy Forum
Alaska Dispatch: Keeping the lights on won’t come cheap

Also to see a 2009 Powerpoint summarizing the Cook Inlet natural gas situation, click here

Nov. 11: Commuter Rail

A big thank you to Bruce Carr, Director of  Strategic Planning for the Alaska Railroad, who gave an excellent update on plans for commuter rail service between Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough. Progress has been made on commuter rail. But there is still much work to do, including getting a Regional Transit Authority established, which the currently proposed Senate Bill 152 seeks to do.

Bruce made several interesting points, including noting that while commuter rail will need to be subsidized, the alternative – our road system – is also heavily subsidized with the federal government paying 90 percent of the cost of roads like the Glenn Highway. He also noted commuter rail in Anchorage dates back to at least 1979 and talk then of installing light rail along C Street and on Northern Lights Boulevard. Imagine where we would be now if we had put in such service, he said.

Commuter Rail PowerPoint Presentation by Bruce Carr

Oct. 7: The dos and don’ts of energy efficient lighting

Many thanks to David Badger, of Brown’s Electrical Supply, for his presentation on the dos and don’ts of energy-efficient lighting. We had many folks unable to attend. REAP has posted the PowerPoint from his presentation below as well as two information sheets that cover the basics of energy-efficient lighting and what to look for on lighting bulb labels. David made some key points during his presentation. We can’t cover them all. But in the category of never, never do this, he said: Read more

PowerPoint Presentation by David Badger

Aug. 12: SmartPower in Anchorage

Many thanks to Carol Heyman, the Manager of Commercial & Community Relations for Chugach Electric Association, Inc., for her presentation. Carol talked about Chugach’s energy efficiency work, their Smart Power program, their rebate coupons for energy efficient light bulbs and plans for the future. Discussion was lively about how best to spread the message of energy efficiency and encourage people to be energy efficient. Anyone with ideas can send them to Carol at carol_heyman@chugachelectric.com.

SmartPower presentation by Carol Heyman of Chugach Electric Association