\nPlease be sure to register for the Monday forums by 5 the Thursday prior.
\n \;\n
\nAffordable energy is the lifeblood of any thriving economy. Today\, Alaska'\;s largest utilities are poised to make crucial decisions about where the Railbelt gets the energy it needs for homes\, business and industry. Mr. Rose will talk about some of the energy issues facing the Railbelt today\, including the region'\;s heavy dependence on Cook Inlet natural gas\, which is currently more than twice as expensive as natural gas in the Lower 48. Mr. Rose will also talk about the vast\, stably-priced renewable energy resources in the region\, and the barriers to developing them.
\n
\nPLUS\, a member presentation from \;Kenrick Mock\, \;Dean\, UAA College of Engineering and Professor of Computer Science.
\n \;\n
\n
Chris Rose \;is the founder and Executive Director of Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP)\, a non-profit coalition of diverse energy stakeholder organizations working to increase the development of renewable energy and promote energy efficiency across Alaska. Before establishing REAP in 2004\, Mr. Rose had a private law practice for over a decade that included work in remote Northwest Arctic villages and the mediation of a variety disputes around the state. He has written a monthly opinion column for Alaska&rsquo\;s only statewide newspaper and served on various energy-related boards\, committees and task forces over the last two decades\, including the state&rsquo\;s Renewable Energy Fund Advisory Committee. Since 2008\, that Fund has granted over $330 million to 100 renewable energy projects that displace the equivalent of 30 million gallons of diesel fuel each year. Since 1992\, he has lived on a homestead 65 miles northeast of Anchorage.