Sustainability student represents UAF at Energy Policy Working Group

March 28, 2011

University Relations

Garrett Evridge, an Office of Sustainability student, attended the Energy Policy Work Group in Anchorage last month with Sustainability Director Michele Hebert, and John Davies and Nate Moat, researchers at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Participants at the meeting developed energy policy information to share with legislators. All of the ideas raised will be compiled with help from the consultant group Information Insights and presented to the legislature next month.

Discussions included the current weatherization and rebate program, need for a statewide energy code that would require Alaskans to build to a certain standard, and public education to help reduce energy consumption.

"It was good for me to see how policy actually gets started in the whole process," said Evridge. "It was interesting to realize that policy comes from a person having an idea. It seemed like there are many talented people that are all concerned with the future of energy policy in Alaska."