JON KUMIN: .....so staff can bring them to the head table, we'll try to get to as many of your questions as we can. Today we've assembled a panel of experts to discuss the future of Renewable Energy in Alaska. I would like to thank ACS for underwriting today's forum. Thank you, Maryann.

Before we get to introductions and business we have some brief Commonwealth North business to attend to before we get into the program. In April we elect members of the board. Our by-laws require that we announce the proposed slate of directors in April which is about to happen. We will also solicit nominations from the floor, then we will send ballots to our members and the results will be announced at our annual meeting on Tuesday May 17th. So at this time I'd like to call Commonwealth North Secretary Mort Plumb to the podium to announce nominations and solicit any nominations from the floor. Thank you, Mort.

MORT PLUMB: The nominating committee has nominated the following slate, Dr. Alice J. Galvin, Jewel Jones, Mike Sexton, Jeff Staser, and Mead Treadwell. This would be for a three year term ending in 2008.

For the one year terms ending in 2006 Joe Farrel, Pat Gamble, Greta Goto, Marvin Swenk, Melinda Taylor and Eric Wohlforth.

Now, I will open the floor to any other nominees. Is there anyone that would like to make a nomination on the floor? Hearing none and seeing none we will consider the nominations closed.

MR. KUMIN: Thank you, Mort. While we're on the topic of the annual meeting I invite everyone to mark your calendars for Tuesday May 17th 12:00 noon at the Marriott, Marriott remember that. We're having a special program which introduces the Creating Alaska project to the Anchorage community. The Creating Alaska project is led by the University of Alaska and it commemorates the 50th anniversary of Alaska's Constitutional Convention sharing the real meaning of Alaska's Constitution and Statehood. The idea is to provide Alaskans with an understanding of how the state came to be and to help raise the level of public debate on many of the difficult issues that Alaska faces today. Something we strive to do here every day at Commonwealth North. I hope you're all able to attend.

Now on with the program. I'd like to introduce our head table. From your left on the far end, Mort Plumb. Mort is the director of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, an active member of Commonwealth North serving both on the executive committee and the board of directors.

Next to him is Governor Walter J. Hickel, twice Governor of Alaska, former Secretary of Interior under the Nixon administration, and co-founder of Commonwealth North.

Mary Ann Pease, vice president of corporate communications for ACS, another active member. She's a board member and has recently taken over as chair of our membership committee. Thank you, Mary Ann, for ACS's generous contribution today. And also I'd like to thank you for ACS's past support over the years. It's very appreciated.

Next to Mary Ann we have our first panelist, Nick Goodman. Nick is CEO of TDX Power, one of our speakers today, and I believe someone who's been active in looking at some of the renewable energy issues around the state which we'll learn more.

Next to Nick, Joe Griffith, president and CEO of Chugach Electric Association. Joe is a past president of Commonwealth North, lifetime member of our board, and will also take part in today's discussion.

And our last panelist on my immediate right is Chris Rose, an attorney and executive director of Renewable Energy Alaska Project.

Chris is going to start by giving us an overview of renewable energy. We actually have three brief presentations. The intent is to keep them brief so that we do have time for questions and answers, and so we're going to flip fairly quickly through some slides to give people an overview of some of the things that have been happening with renewable energy in Alaska. I guess I will just say in introducing Chris and this whole topic that clearly high oil prices have been a boon to the state treasury, but they are putting a huge squeeze on our smaller communities in a time of general fiscal crisis. And the question is to what extent can renewable energy help with this issue. And to some extent it's already helpful and we're going to learn more about that today. Thank you. Chris.