Powering Arizona Forum- June 2008



POWERING ARIZONA

A Forum on Arizona's Energy Future

June 11, 2008 - Arizona State University
Phoenix Campus

Sponsored by
Arizona State University - W.P. Carey School of Business
University of Arizona - School of Engineering
Thomas R. Brown Foundations - The Communications Institute
in association with
Arizona Republic - Arizona Daily Star - Arizona Capitol Times

                         

Co-Chairs
Rep. Phil Lopes, Democrat Leader
Arizona House of Representatives
Commissioner Gary Pierce
Arizona Corporation Commission

        Powering Arizona, a forum on Arizona's Energy Future was held June 11, 2008 in Phoenix attended by 75 leaders and experts from throughout Arizona and the nation. The forum presented a new indepth research study that reviews the energy future of the state of Arizona sponsored by the Institute and Arizona State University. This is the first project by TCI on an individual state's energy supply and demand. Our hope that it will be useful for other states and the nation as a whole in considering options to provide for our energy needs. The study evaluates various options to meet the states electricity demand based upon the addition of one millions new homes in the state.

       The forum was an interactive discussion involving top national energy experts with leaders from the Governors Office/Administration, Arizona State Legislature, utilities, business, universities, public interest organizations, and the news media. The three news organizations are also helping to communicate the results of the forum to the public through their own independent coverage.

Read coverage of the forum: Arizona Republic and the Arizona Daily Star.

       The study was conducted by Timothy Considine, Ph.D., Professor of Natural Resource Economics, Pennsylvania State University and Dawn McLaren, Research Economist, Arizona State University. The study in a draft form was released at the forum. The final version will be released later this summer. However, the Arizona Republic carried a preliminary summary of study at the lead front page story in their June 8th edition. Click here for the story. The Arizona Daily Star also carried a column on the study too.



Expert Panel:
Craig Cornelius, Craig Smith, Joseph Strakey, Juan Torres and Joe Simmons

 
Faculty - A faculty of top energy experts provided expertise to the discussion on the state's energy decision making, including:

* Timothy Considine, Ph.D., Professor of Natural Resource Economics, Pennsylvania State University
* Craig Cornelius, Former Program Manager, United States Department of Energy Solar Programs; Principal, Hudson Clean Energy Partners
* Joseph P. Kalt, Ph.D., Professor of Political Economy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
* Dawn McLaren, Research Economist, Arizona State University
* Craig Smith, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Nuclear Energy Expert
* Joseph Simmons, Ph.D., Director, Solar Energy Programs, University of Arizona
* Joe Strakey, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, National Energy Technology Laboratory
* Juan Torres, Project Manager, Sandia National Laboratories

                              


Faculty - Harvard's Professor Joseph Kalt (right) and Craig Cornelius, former US Department of Energy Solar Programs Director, Craig Smith, nuclear expert for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Joseph Strakey, Chief Technology Officer, National Energy Technology Laboratory (right to left)

                     
Participants - (Right) Arizona House Member John Kavanagh, Eric DeBonis, Vice President, Southwest Gas Company and William Post, CEO Pinnacle West-Arizona Public Service (Left) Jan Lesher, Director, Arizona Department of Commerce (right).