On her Alaska Energy Blog (AlaskaEnergy.org), Erin McKittrick shares engaging write-ups on research and analysis she has conducted on important Alaska energy issues. In two of her more recent pieces, Ms. McKittrick considers policy options for incentivizing the increased adoption of distributed energy generation (e.g., rooftop solar) that have been adopted or proposed for Alaska’s Railbelt region and summarizes her quantitative analysis on the potential impact that increased distributed generation could have on the Railbelt energy system as a whole.

Ms. McKittrick’s first such piece, titled “Energy conservation is good. And raises electric rates. What does that mean for net metering reforms?” can be accessed here. And her most recent write-up titled, “What would we get with the Annual Net Metering bill?” is available here.

Against the backdrop of impending shortfalls in supply of Cook Inlet natural gas and the resulting need to source an increasing portion of the Railbelt’s energy from alternative sources, Governor Dunleavy has introduced House Bill 164. As Ms. McKittrick writes, “this bill would change the Railbelt’s rules governing net metering, which is the way that electric bills work for homes and businesses with grid-connected solar panels.” The changes would include the establishment of Annual Net Metering, which would incentivize people to install more distributed solar generation by allowing them to roll over credits for their excess generation from summer to winter.

In this pivotal moment for energy in the Railbelt, REAP is proud to host Ms. McKittrick for the third installment in our 2025 Spring Energy Speaker Series. She has graciously agreed to present on the concept of Annual Net Metering, pending legislation to establish it in Alaska’s Railbelt region, and the potential impacts of such a policy solution. We hope you will join us for this enlightening presentation!

Event Details

What: An in-depth presentation from Erin McKittrick – Owner and Author, AlaskaEnergy.org – on the concept of Annual Net Metering and its potential impacts in the Railbelt. Audience Q&A will follow Ms. McKittricks’s presentation.

Where: Zoom – register to attend this free webinar here

When: This free webinar will be held from Noon to 1:00pm on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Email REAP’s Outreach Director, Donovan Russoniello, at drussoniello@realaska.org with any questions.