Alaska: Tony Knowles

From Erika Bolstad in Washington D.C. –

Former Gov. Tony Knowles was one of nearly a dozen Alaskans in Washington D.C. today to talk alternative energy at an Interior Department conference.

Knowles, a Democrat who was Alaska governor from 1994 to 2002, was invited to the event in his capacity as the head of the Tulsa, Okla.-based National Energy Policy Institute. The institute is working with the Washington D.C.-based think tank Resources for the Future to develop a ranking system for various energy alternatives. When they’re finished with their work next year, Knowles said they hope to have a standard for assessing the cost-effectiveness for various types of energy – as well as their potential for reducing imported oil and greenhouse gas emissions.