Fossil fuel evangelist headlines Gov. Dunleavy's ‘Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference'
The Trans Alaska Pipeline is seen on Sept. 19, 2022, in Fairbanks. This portion of the pipeline, 450 miles south of Prudhoe Bay, has been transformed into a visitor pullout and is a tourist attraction. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
At his third annual sustainable energy conference last year, Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy featured a relatively straight-laced group of scientific experts and Biden administration officials.
At this year's conference in June, with President Donald Trump promoting American 'energy dominance' and trying to boost oil production, the conference's agenda has taken a sharp righthand turn: One of the 'featured speakers' at the June event is Alex Epstein, a fossil fuel evangelist from California and author of a 2022 book titled 'Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas — Not Less.'
Epstein's website lists a standard $37,000 fee to speak at an in-person event. He did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday; a Dunleavy spokesman, Grant Robinson, said that the conference's speaker agreements 'are not public information.'
If there's a fee, Robinson said, it would be negotiated between the speaker and the contractor that's helping to organize the energy conference, and it would be 'paid with conference sponsorships and ticket revenue.'
Epstein, a self-described 'philosopher and energy expert,' has testified multiple times before U.S. Congress and asserts that policies to reduce fossil fuel use among developing countries are 'immoral.' His arguments and talking points on behalf of expanded fossil fuel consumption have made him a favorite speaker for some conservative elected officials and their ideological allies.
Also joining Epstein as a featured speaker is Daniel Turner, whose national group, Power the Future, has aggressively promoted expanded extraction of Alaska's coal, oil and natural gas and says 'renewables are not the answer.' Turner describes his work as fighting 'to protect American energy workers from the eco-Left' and from 'Hollywood phonies.'
In a press release Tuesday, Dunleavy's office said the conference would explore the future of energy in Alaska and on a global scale. Its focus will include artificial intelligence and the electricity needed to power data centers, advancements in renewable and nuclear power and the 'continued responsible development of Alaska oil, gas, and mineral resources,' the release said.
Nathaniel Herz welcomes tips at natherz@gmail.com or (907) 793-0312. This article was originally published in Northern Journal, a newsletter from Herz. Subscribe at this link.
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