00                            HOUSE BILL NO. 177                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to critical and essential minerals and the global energy transition."                                  
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                          
04 to read:                                                                                                                
05 PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL MINERALS. (a)                                                            
06 The Office of the Governor shall consider emerging technologies for renewable energy and                                
07 the technologies' necessary components, consider mineral economics and development and                                  
08 production regulatory frameworks at all levels of government, and develop a strategic plan for                          
09 the state to encourage mineral exploration, development, production, refining, and value-                               
10 added manufacturing of critical and essential minerals in the state. The plan must identify                             
11            (1)  strategies to position state production of critical and essential minerals at                           
12 the center of United States production and manufacturing to implement the global energy                                 
13 transition;                                                                                                             
14            (2)  the state's ability to develop renewable energy emerging technologies and                               
15 the technologies' required components;                                                                                  

01 (3)  the impacts of different regulatory frameworks on mineral development;                                             
02 and                                                                                                                     
03 (4)  strategies to attract industry investment to the state and to enhance success                                      
04 in exploration and increase discovery of critical and essential minerals.                                               
05 (b)  Not later than the first day of the Second Regular Session of the Thirty-Fourth                                    
06 Alaska State Legislature, the Department of Natural Resources shall provide a report to the                             
07 legislature comparing the state's current production and potential future production to national                        
08 and global production of critical and essential minerals, including lithium, copper, tin, gold,                         
09 uranium, platinum, palladium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, silver, zinc, manganese, molybdenum,                            
10 and chromium. When developing the report, the Department of Natural Resources may                                       
11 consult with appropriate state and federal agencies, the University of Alaska, industry                                 
12 representatives, and advocacy organizations. The report must identify strategies to increase                            
13 industry exploration for and state production and development of critical and essential                                 
14 minerals in the next three, five, and 10 years. The report must compare the state's permitting                          
15 timelines and exploration incentives with the permitting timelines and exploration incentives                           
16 in other jurisdictions. The commissioner of natural resources shall submit the report to the                            
17 senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that                        
18 the report is available.                                                                                                
19 (c)  Not later than the first day of the Second Regular Session of the Thirty-Fourth                                    
20 Alaska State Legislature, the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic                                           
21 Development shall provide a report to the legislature identifying the state's role in innovation,                       
22 manufacturing, and transportation to support the global energy transition. The report must                              
23 analyze the potential role of state goods in supply chains critical to the global energy                                
24 transition, including the potential use of state goods in electric batteries, solar panels, wind                        
25 turbines, and connected consumer devices. When developing the report, the Department of                                 
26 Commerce, Community, and Economic Development may consult with appropriate state and                                    
27 federal agencies. The report must evaluate whether the state's location is valuable in the                              
28 global supply chain and identify strategies for the next three, five, and 10 years to develop                           
29 state innovation, manufacturing, and transportation. The commissioner of commerce,                                      
30 community, and economic development shall submit the report to the senate secretary and                                 
31 chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is                               

01 available.