04/23/2024 10:15 AM House ENERGY

             HB 349-RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT LEASES                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:56:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER   opened  public  testimony  on   HB  349.  After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:58:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX gave  his understanding  that  the lease  as                                                               
defined in HB 349 must provide for recreational activities.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:58:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLIFF GROH,  Alaska  State Legislature,  Answered                                                               
committee  questions  on HB  349.  He  directed the  question  to                                                               
Cameron Ebersold.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:58:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CAMERON  EBERSOLD,  Staff,   Representative  Groh,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  Answered committee  questions  on HB  349. He  said                                                               
that Representative  Prax's observation  is correct, that  HB 349                                                               
preserves access for other kinds of public uses.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX asked  if  the threat  of  vandalism to  the                                                               
renewable energy  infrastructure had  been taken to  account when                                                               
funding a project.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:59:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. EBERSOLD  asked for clarification  because HB 349  relates to                                                               
licensing of  the state  land, determining  the feasibility  of a                                                               
project and establishing lease terms.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  cited  a  windmill  project  in  Fairbanks,                                                               
Alaska  that he  believed  was under  threat  from vandalism  and                                                               
asked  how HB  349 would  protect the  renewable energy  projects                                                               
that it leases from vandalism.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:00:52 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GROH answered  that he  has never  worked with  a                                                               
lease  contract   for  renewable   energy,  but  he   thinks  the                                                               
individual  contracts to  develop the  project would  address the                                                               
threat of vandalism, not the bill.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  confirmed  that  the  protection  would  be                                                               
addressed in the lease.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GROH said  he thinks so but  directed the question                                                               
to Mr. Ebersold for additional clarification.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.   EBERSOLD   cited   an  experience   from   his   childhood,                                                               
highlighting that there  is nothing that would  stop someone from                                                               
shooting or damaging  the turbine. He said it would  be up to the                                                               
company to protect their property,  not the Department of Natural                                                               
Resources (DNR).                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:03:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE gave  a comment that the  wind turbines on                                                               
Kodiak are fenced  off from access and added  that Alaskans would                                                               
rather shoot road signs before versus energy infrastructure.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:04:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER said  people shoot  the pipeline,  so people  can                                                               
shoot  a wind  turbine.  He  said people  are  going  to do  what                                                               
they're going to do.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:05:18 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that HB 349 was held over.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:05:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Special Committee on Energy meeting was adjourned at 11:05 a.m.