Alex Epstein, a highly persuasive, pro-fossil fuel philosopher will be the keynote speaker for the June 3-5 Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in Anchorage.
“Alex Epstein has been a champion of energy from the fossil fuel perspective, and we are excited that he will be speaking at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference,” Gov. Dunleavy announced, Feb. 12, on Facebook. “With the world facing energy shortages, discussions are shifting from merely ‘energy transition’ to ‘energy addition,’ and Mr. Epstein’s perspective will no doubt move the conversation forward.”
Epstein is the author of the bestselling book, “Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas – Not Less.” He is also the creator of EnergyTalkingPoints.com – a source of powerful, well-referenced talking points on energy, environmental, and climate issues.
Widely recognized as a master of persuasion and debate on energy issues, Epstein has spoken at dozens of Fortune 500 companies and dozens of prominent universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Duke (his alma mater).
By inviting Epstein to be the keynote speaker for the fourth annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, Dunleavy appears to be signaling that his administration aims to take the argument to radical environmentalists, who tirelessly work to stifle and undermine natural resource development in Alaska.
“[N]et-zero policy, if actually implemented, would certainly be the most significant act of mass murder since the killing of one hundred million people by communist regimes in the twentieth century – and it would likely be far greater.” – Alex Epstein
While the upcoming conference will explore the future of energy in Alaska on a global scale, including the impact of artificial intelligence, supercomputing, advancements in renewable and advanced nuclear power, transmission issues and energy storage, Epstein’s presence will undoubtedly underscore the vital importance of continued and robust expansion of responsible oil, gas, and mineral resource development.
Epstein’s 2022 book forcefully argues that opponents of oil, coal and natural gas exaggerate their case by ignoring the benefits and inflating the costs of fossil fuels – while doing the exact opposite for so-called green “renewable energy sources.”
In reviewing Epstein’s book, Robert Whaples, of Wake Forest, notes that Epstein fills a huge cultural and philosophical void by demonstrating that fossil fuels are “so naturally abundant that even for scarcer fossil fuels, oil and natural gas, there is still more than ten times as much in the ground as has been used in the entire history of civilization”
“Epstein argues that this cost effectiveness of fossil fuels has been the primary source of modern economic growth, rising standards of living, increased life expectancies, and the overall flourishing of humanity in the past couple centuries,” Whaples writes. “Without fossil fuels, none of these gains would have been achieved.”
While Epstein praises nuclear power, he views solar and wind initiatives as unreliable “parasites” on reliable energy sources, only serving to drive up the cost of electricity.
“To the extent that a grid is committed to using solar and wind whenever sunlight or wind increases, the grid has to cycle down controllable power plants, and whenever sunlight or wind decreases or disappears, it has to cycle up controllable power plants,” Epstein argues in his book. “Rapidly cycling power plants up and down is an efficiency killer, just as stop-and-go traffic kills your car’s fuel efficiency.”
Whaples notes that solar and wind power can only ever become game changers if it is possible to store enormous amounts of electricity cheaply. He adds that the cost of such a system currently would “exceed a quarter of global GDP.”
Below are a few excerpts that Whaples pulls from Epstein’s book.
— “The government’s subsidizing and mandating of solar and wind has caused massive destruction around the world. Solar and wind, while sometimes good for remote locations that need very little electricity, have been a disaster when applied to the massive and dynamic electricity needs of the empowered world. Adding wasteful, unreliable solar and wind infrastructure to the grid has increased costs and decreased reliability … But I have shocking evidence that there are some unimaginable breakthroughs that will cause this destructive energy parasite to become a superior substitute. I know you have no reason to believe this, but here’s the evidence.”
— “net-zero policy, if actually implemented, would certainly be the most significant act of mass murder since the killing of one hundred million people by communist regimes in the twentieth century – and it would likely be far greater.”
Whaples closes his review by highlighting Epstein’s closing arguments.
“He urges that we need to argue for more fossil fuel use, not less,” Whaples writes. “He urges you to avoid saying, ‘I agree with your goal of a carbon-free energy supply, but …’ Instead, explain – as gently but firmly as possible – that the idea simply won’t work by backing up your case with numbers like those found in Fossil Future. Ironically, Epstein ultimately embraces solar energy – the energy that was emitted by the sun millions of years ago and is now embedded in fossil fuels.
The 2024 Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference drew more than 120 speakers and upwards of 850 attendees from Alaska, 22 states, and four continents. To learn more about the 2025 conference, or to register, click here.
