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2021 Electrify Alaska Conference

October 25-28, Cordova, Alaska

Hosted by: Cordova Electric Cooperative in partnership with Beneficial Electrification League, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Monday, October 25
4:00 – 6:00 pmEarly Registration
6:00 – 6:15 pmElectrify Alaska Conference Kick Off
Moderator: Clay Koplin, Mayor of Cordova, Alaska

  • Sylvia Lange, Tribal Council Vice Chairman, Native Village of Eyak
  • Sheri Buretta, Interim President and CEO, Chugach Alaska
6:15 - 6:45 pmFireside Chat: Beneficial Electrification for Alaska
Moderator: Mike Pawlowski, Strategy North GroupElectricity is an often-misunderstood form of energy with a wide range of applications. It can be produced locally with natural and renewable resources: water, wind, sun, and geothermal. These natural and affordable energy resources can position communities to be safer, more secure, more environmentally sustainable, and more cost effective than alternatives. This panel considers the benefits of electricity, and the successes and challenges in tapping its full potential in our Alaskan and global communities.

6:45 – 7:15 pmOpen Community Dialogue about Energy

7:15 – 9:00 pmWelcome Reception
Guest: Mike Dunleavy, Governor, State of Alaska
Moderator: Clay Koplin, Mayor of Cordova, AlaskaFeaturing: Copper River Seafoods, 60° North Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Camtu Wild Alaska Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods

  • Greg Adam, Western Sales Manager, SAFT
  • Justin Dumas, Senior Account Manager, Northwest, Dragos
Tuesday, October 26
8:00 – 9:00 amRegistration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:45 amSpeakers Panel: The Future is Electric!
Moderator: Keith Dennis, Board Chairman, Beneficial Electrification LeagueNew electrical technologies have ushered in a new generation of affordable, commercial grade heating and transportation applications for customers and businesses. The renewable supply sources and storage of electricity including hydropower, wind power, solar power, and battery energy storage have become more affordable and commercially available. These opportunities pave the path to an affordable, clean, and sustainable Electric Future.

  • Greg Adam, Western Sales Manager, SAFT
  • Ben Longstreth, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council (virtual)
  • Electric Vehicles in Alaska: The Road Ahead, Tim Leach, Principal, SparkBox LLC and Adjunct Faculty, Alaska Center for Energy and Power
9:45 – 10:45 amWelcome Opening Keynote
Moderator: Mike Pawlowski, Strategy North Group

  • U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, United States Senate, Alaska (Virtual Keynote)
  • U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, United States Senate, Alaska (Video Keynote)
  • Sheri Buretta, Interim President and CEO, Chugach Alaska
  • Katie Jereza, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Electric Power Research Institute
10:45 – 11:00 amNetworking Break
11:00 – NoonSpeakers Panel: Beneficial Electrification – The Challenges and Opportunities
Moderator: George Roe, Director, Arctic Energy Office, U.S. Department of EnergySome communities in Southeast Alaska have among the highest adoption rates in the U.S. for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Air Source Heat Pumps. In other Alaskan coast communities with similar climates and opportunities, adoption rates have been low and strong interest in electrical maritime and aviation options have not resulted in deployments. This panel seeks to identify the opportunities and barriers to accelerating the adoption of beneficial electrical opportunities.

  • Robert Venables, Energy, Southeast Conference
  • EV Infrastructure Advancements and Lessons Learned, Maryline Daviaud Lewett, National Director of Business Development, Transformative Technologies, Black & Veatch
  • Digital Asset Mining, Eric Packer, Fifth Season Energy
  • Conner Erickson, Manager of Planning for the Alaska Energy Authority
Noon – 1:00 pmLunch
Keynote Speaker: Gwen Holdmann, Executive Director, ACEP, and Adam Low, Director, Upward Bound and T3
1:00 – 2:30 pmNetworking Breakouts

  • Beneficial Electrification
    Moderator: Keith Dennis, Vice President, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
  • Electric Vehicles, Ships and Planes
    Moderator: Christie Haupert, Project Manager, ACEP
  • Beneficial Electrification on Microgrids
    Moderator: Michelle Wilber, ACEP
2:30 – 3:00 pmNetworking Break
3:00 – 4:30 pmSpeakers Panel: Blue Economy
Moderator: Adam Low, Director, Upward Bound and T3The State of Alaska has most of the coastline in the United States and extensive seafood catching, processing, and shipment infrastructure which is largely underutilized. Prince William Sound has the fastest growth rate of new Aquaculture and Mariculture farm permit applications. This panel discusses the many opportunities for the energy and ocean economy nexus and opportunities for both a Green and Blue future.

  • Marine Renewable Energy Projects and Aquaculture: Opportunities for Collaboration in Alaska, Tommy Sheridan, Owner, Sheridan Consulting LLC
  • Justin Sternberg, Director, Alaska Blue Economy Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Katrina Hoffman, Director, Prince William Sound Science Center
4:30 – 5:00 pmClosing Session: Day One Wrap Up
Clay Koplin, CEO, Cordova Electric Cooperative
5:00 pmReception
Introductory Speaker: Gwen Holdmann, Executive Director, ACEP

  • Michael Valore, Senior Director, Advanced Reactor Commercialization, Westinghouse Electric Company Sponsored
  • Pioneering the Energy Transition Together, John Glassmire, Senior Advisor for Grid Edge Solutions, Hitachi Energy
Wednesday, October 27
8:00 – 9:00 amContinental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 amElectrify Alaska Conference Day 2 Kick Off
Clay Koplin, Chief Executive Officer, Cordova Electric Cooperative
9:10 – 10:30 amSpeakers Panel: Electric Ships, Vehicles and Storage
Moderator: Erin Whitney, Research Associate Professor, Alaska Center for Energy and PowerElectric Vehicles and charging infrastructure are rapidly expanding in some regions of Alaska and more slowly in others. New smart and fast charging options create opportunities to better manage Electric Vehicles on our grids and this panels discusses these new developments. Many other countries and states have started to adopt hybrid or all-electric boat and ship designs. Right here in Alaska the first of the all-electric boats are already serving coastal communities. This panel showcases electric boats already in the water in Alaska and frames the path to the future for electrified boating.

  • Taylor Asher, Assistant Project Manager, Alaska Energy Authority
  • Navigating the EV and Battery Energy Storage Landscape, Brent Burger, Senior Vice President, Director of Global Battery Energy Storage, Black & Veatch
  • What’s to an Electric Boat Conversation?, Robert Varness, President and General Manager, Tongass Rain Electric Cruise LLC, Juneau, Alaska (virtual)
10:30 – 10:45 amNetworking Break
10:45 – NoonSpeakers Panel: Beneficial Electrification on Microgrids
Moderator: Gwen Holdmann, Executive Director, ACEPMicrogrids are the most common energy system in Alaska which boasts 1/6th of the worlds microgrids that operate with at least partial renewable generation. Microgrids are in a unique position to grow local sources of renewable energy to achieve 100% electrification of their grid to replace fossil fuels. Another compelling technology for microgrids is new generation nuclear power which utilizes a relatively microscopic fuel source to deliver energy for decades and includes both electricity and heat.

Noon – 1:00 pmLunch
Keynote Speaker: Derk DeVries, Vice President, Black & Veatch
1:00 – 2:30 pmSpeakers Panel: Electric Planes
Moderator: Douglas Johnson, Founder and CEO of Development DesignsAlaska is an aviation pioneering state, and Cordova was an early aviation pioneering community. This panel will discuss exciting new designs and developments in electric aviation that are providing the opportunity to get this new electric transportation platform off the ground!

  • Launch Alaska’s Merrill Field Aerospace Innovation Center, Rob Roys, Chief Innovation Officer, Launch Alaska
  • Recent Accomplishments and Commercialization Opportunities, Kevin Noertker, Co-founder & CEO, Ampaire (virtual)
  • eFlyer 2 Program Advances, George Bye, Chief Executive Officer, Bye Aerospace (virtual)
2:30 – 3:00 pmNetworking Break
3:00 – 4:30 pmSpeakers Panel: Air/Water/Ground Source Heat Pumps
Moderator: Brian Reggiani, Assistant Director, Upward BoundWhile this panel discusses a technology that does not draw as much attention or excitement as other beneficial electrification opportunities, they can address what for many Alaskans is their largest energy bill: home heating. For the many communities that heat with fuel oil, new efficient options for using electricity to harvest ambient heat from air and water can dramatically reduce the cost while benefitting the environment.

  • Heat Pump Technologies Updates, Sam Beeson, METUS
  • Energy Harvest Season in the Arctic. The Case for Heatpumps & PCE in Rural Alaska, Ingemar Mathiasson, Northwest Arctic Borough
  • Sea Water Heat Pump Performance Analysis & The High Value of Electric Heat Sourcing, Erin Whitney, ACEP, copresenting with Clay Koplin, CEO, Cordova Electric Cooperative
4:30 – 5:00 pmClosing Session: Day Two Wrap Up
Keith Dennis, Board Chairman, Beneficial Electrification League
6:00 – 8:00 pmConference Banquet (Orca Lodge)
Sponsor Address: John Glassmire, Senior Advisor for Grid Edge Solutions, Hitachi Energy
Thursday, October 28
8:00 – 9:00 amContinental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:10 amElectrify Alaska Conference Day 3 Kick Off
Clay Koplin, Chief Executive Officer, Cordova Electric Cooperative
9:10 – 10:15 amNetworking Breakouts

  • Electric Air/Water/Ground Source Heat Pumps
    Moderator: Ingemar Mathiasson, Northwest Arctic Borough
  • Blue Economy
    Moderator: Tommy Sheridan, Owner, Sheridan Consulting LLC
10:15 – 10:30 amNetworking Break
10:30 – NoonClosing Conference Session: Leadership Roundtable
Moderator: Robert Venables, Executive Director, Southeast ConferenceChallenges of financial headwinds, global competition, and climate change confront Alaska. On the other hand, beneficial electrification, expansion of the blue economy, and other emerging strategies provide new tools meet these challenges. Alaskan leaders converge to discuss their perspectives of Alaska’s future roles and opportunities as a State and as an International stakeholder in the Arctic.

  • Clay Koplin, Mayor of Cordova, Alaska
  • Louise Stutes, Alaska Speaker of the House
  • Mead Treadwell, Former Lt. Governor, Treadwell Development
  • Katie Jereza, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Electric Power Research Institute
Noon – 1:00 pmLunch
1:00 – 3:00 pmElectrify Alaska Conference Tours

  • CEC Battery Energy Storage Project (BESS) Tour
  • Power Creek Hydroelectric Project Tour