The 4th biennial 2017 Arctic Energy Summit is a multi-disciplinary event expected to draw several hundred industry officials, scientists, academics, policy makers, energy professionals and community leaders together to collaborate and share best practices as they relate to a comprehensive array of Arctic energy issues.

The 2017 Arctic Energy Summit builds on the Sustainable Development Working Group’s legacy efforts to address energy as a fundamental element of the sustainable development of the Arctic, and occurs during Finland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council (2017-2019). 

The three-day Summit will focus on a diverse set of topics, including: oil and gas; geothermal, solar, wind, hydro and tidal energy; utilities; microgrids; energy policy and regulation; community impacts; energy finance and investment; climate change; and energy security. Hosted by Alaska’s Institute of the North, in collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Arctic Energy Summit will highlight the Arctic as a leader in renewable energy development and integration, and exporter of world-class knowledge and expertise.

We invite subject matter experts to submit expressions of interest in speaking at the Arctic Energy Summit. The organizing committee welcomes abstracts for technical presentations, workshops, or moderated panel discussions at the 2017 Arctic Energy Summit. Potential speaking topics include:

Small Community Energy Solutions

. Energy efficiency – smart grids, housing, storage, etc.
. Effective micro-grids and off-grid utilities
. Reducing use of diesel fuel for power generation
. Local use of natural gas

Oil and Gas

. Low-cost, low-carbon approaches
. Potential, projects and technology
. Safety, oil spill response and risk management
. Supply chain management, logistics, transportation
. Stakeholder engagement and community impact

Renewable Energy

. Resource potential and current projects - tidal, solar, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal
. Energy storage technologies
. Integration of renewables into power supply

Regulation and Financing

. Arctic National and sub-national energy policies and strategies; local government initiatives
. Indigenous and tribal governments’ role
. Public-private partnerships, Co-investment and Tax credits
. Renewable energy funds
. Public procurement
. Energy efficiency contracts

Community Impact

. Environmental protection
. Stakeholder engagement and capacity-building
. Science and traditional/indigenous knowledge
. Economic growth in rural communities

Keep in mind, too, that the organizing committee is especially interested in presentations that showcase:

. Specific collaborations between academia, industry and government
. Building on what we know and learning from experience
. Evaluating differences and working toward common approaches

Expressions of interest should be submitted no later than January 18, 2017 (and earlier as possible) for inclusion in the program. Speakers will be notified of acceptance no later than March 15. A draft agenda will be developed and shared with presenters in April. Inquiries should include:

. Principal speaker and associated speakers (if others are included in the presentation, depending on format) – name, title, organization/company, contact information
. Proposed title and (presentation, workshop, panel, poster)
. Short description (fewer than 200 words) - this will appear in the conference program

Format (concurrent sessions will be 1.5 hours in length)

. Presentation Proposals - Technical presentations will each be scheduled for a 15-minute presentation with 5 minutes for questions. These presentations can meet any one of the following formats: Original Research; Work in Progress; or New Ideas.
. Panelist Proposals – Speakers who wish to be included in a panel discussion should describe their area of expertise and its application to trending and challenging topics and paradigms. Panelists will have between 5-7 minutes of introductory remarks followed by moderated panel discussion.
. Workshop Proposals - The proposed workshop should be interactive in nature and designed to engage participants in advancing a topic. Organizers encourage a format that includes presentation of an issue or challenge and encourages solution-oriented thinking within small groups.

Poster Presentations - A poster presentation session will begin during the first evening’s reception and will be on display until the end of the Summit. Posters should convey specific technology, research or policy innovation. Posters will be displayed in the form of PowerPoint slides and limited to three slides.

Submit inquiries/abstracts to Hanna Eklund at Institute of the North (heklund@institutenorth.org