Green energy and education event to be held at UAFS

Sustainability, energy justice, and energy efficiency are some of the discussion topics in the second annual River Valley Green Energy and Education Program (RV-GEEP) seminar set for Oct. 3-4 at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) offices in the Bakery District.

The two-day event will begin with a reception and exhibit unveiling beginning at 6 p.m., Oct. 3, in the Bakery District Collection Room in downtown Fort Smith. The reception is hosted by the City of Fort Smith and is also sponsored by Entegrity Energy Partners, and Fort Smith-based Hanna Oil & Gas.

Partners in the seminar include UAFS, the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas Climate League, and CLEAResult: Energy Efficiency and Energy Sustainability Services.

“We aim to foster equitable and energy-efficient communities through education, energy-efficiency infrastructures, energy security, and energy resilience in Fort Smith, the River Valley, and beyond,” noted a statement from RV-GEEP. “We form partnerships to educate, create, and strengthen the equitable use of green energy and weatherization accessibility through advocacy, education, outreach, infrastructure programs, community leadership grant writing, and engagement. We seek to develop practical models of green energy infrastructure, education, awareness, and research to build an equitable and energy-resilient communities.”

Following are the four areas on which the seminar topics will focus.
• State coalition energy efficiency programs for homeowners through utility companies
• The energy industry and business propositions for the green and advanced energy efficiency programs they sponsor
• Bottom-line opportunities related to corporate sustainability and the City of Fort Smith’s Energy, Environment, and Innovation Plan
• Using local sustainability programs for businesses, including rebates for solar energy and weatherization, plus their access and impact on local communities.

Link here to register for the event.

EVENT SCHEDULE
Following is the schedule of seminars on Oct. 4.

8 a.m.: Registration, Breakfast, and Viewing of Exhibits

9 a.m.: Welcome and Remarks

9:15 a.m.: Activities and Opportunities for Green Energy and Education in the River Valley
Speaker: Dr. Paulette Meikle, associate dean/professor of sociology – UAFS College of Arts & Sciences

9:30 a.m.: Keynote Address – Empowering Fort Smith: Sustainability and Advanced Energy Workforce Collaboration
Speaker: April Ambrose, LEED fellow director of Workforce Development – Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation

10:30 a.m.: Session I – Powering Arkansas’s Future: Advocacy, Economics, and Energy Policy with exhibits, posters, and banners
Speaker: Lauren Waldrip, executive director – Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA)

11:45 a.m.: Keynote Address – Fostering Inclusive Community Partnerships and Local Community Engagement for Energy Efficiency and Cost Efficiency
Speaker: Charity Hallman, senior vice president of Community and Economic Development – HOPE Enterprise Corporation

12:30 p.m.: Session II – Local Community Response to Green Energy and Weatherization: How Arkansas Climate League is Collaborating Within the River Valley Community to Assist Those with Overlapping Needs
Speakers: Herbert McGill, director – Elizabeth McGill Drop-In Center outreach coordinator – Arkansas Climate League
Isaac Salazar, executive director – Antioch for Youth & Family
Tara McDaniel, writing consultant / graduate student – Arizona State University

1:15 p.m.: Session III – Corporate Social Responsiblity: The Bottom-line Opportunities Related to Corporate Sustainability
Keynote Address: What’s Next in Arkansas’s Energy Project Evaluation
Speaker: Parker Higgs, Arkansas/state director – Entegrity Energy Partners

2 p.m.: Session IV
Concurrent Session A – Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Plans: UAFS, the City of Fort Smith, and Local Communities

3 p.m.: Session V – Panel Discussion
A panel of experts discusses climate and energy strategies including infrastructure, education and training, local communities, energy efficiency, and clean energy opportunities for commercial, industrial, and public facilities in the River Valley and beyond.

4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Adjournment

For more information contact Dr. Paulette Meikle, organizer and program chair at 479-788-7247, [email protected]; or Jan Schaper, administrator, program and education director, Arkansas Citizens’ Climate League, [email protected], 479-253-1734.