Legislature(2003 - 2004)

02/05/2004 02:10 PM House EDT

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
        HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,                                                                      
                INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TOURISM                                                                               
                        February 5, 2004                                                                                        
                           2:10 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Cheryll Heinze, Chair                                                                                            
Representative Lesil McGuire, Vice Chair                                                                                        
Representative Pete Kott                                                                                                        
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom                                                                                                  
Representative Harry Crawford                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Vic Kohring                                                                                                      
Representative Sharon Cissna                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
^HEARING   ON  THE   JOINT  ENERGY   POLICY  TASK   FORCE  REPORT                                                               
(continued)                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
04-5, SIDE(S) A & B                                                                                                             
04-6, SIDE(S) A                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CHERYLL HEINZE  called the  meeting of  the House  Special                                                             
Committee  on  Economic   Development,  International  Trade  and                                                               
Tourism, which  had been  recessed on February  3, 2004,  back to                                                               
order at  2:10 p.m.  Representatives Heinze,  Kott, and Dahlstrom                                                               
were present at the call  back to order.  Representatives McGuire                                                               
and Crawford arrived as the meeting was in progress.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BECKY  GAY, Project  Manager, Alaska  Industrial Development  and                                                               
Export  Authority  (AIDEA)  and Alaska  Energy  Authority  (AEA);                                                               
Staff, Joint  Energy Policy Task  Force, closed the  task force's                                                               
testimony on its report on the Railbelt.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ERIC YOULD, Alaska Power Association,  discussed the structure of                                                               
the Railbelt and the costs of upgrading the system.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
JOE  GRIFFITH,   Chugach  Electric  Association,   discussed  the                                                               
structure of the Railbelt and the costs of upgrading the system.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
TUCKERMAN   BABCOCK,   Matanuska  Electric   Association   (MEA),                                                               
endorsed the task force's report.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
JAMES POSEY, Matanuska Electric  Association, discussed the tools                                                               
recommended  by the  report and  how those  would facilitate  the                                                               
upgrade of the Railbelt system.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
WILL  NEBESKY,  Division of  Oil  &  Gas, Department  of  Natural                                                               
Resources, discussed gas supplies  in Cook Inlet and Southcentral                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
STEVE  HAAGENSON,  Golden  Valley  Electric  Association  (GVEA),                                                               
discussed joint  action agencies  (JAAs) and their  importance to                                                               
the future of the Railbelt.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RICK ECKERT, Homer Electric Association,  discussed the impact of                                                               
gas  supplies on  the  economy  of the  Kenai  Peninsula and  the                                                               
reappropriation of the Railbelt energy fund.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JACK EKSTROM, Director,  Government Affairs, Evergreen Resources,                                                               
Inc., Denver, Colorado, discussed  potential coal bed methane and                                                               
gas supplies in Southcentral Alaska.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
BRUCE  DAVISON,  Vice  Chairman,   Board  of  Directors,  Chugach                                                               
Electric  Association,  spoke  about redundancy,  the  utilities'                                                               
financial health, and cyber security within the Railbelt.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
H.A.  "RED"  BOUCHER,  Chairman,   Board  of  Directors,  Chugach                                                               
Electric  Association; Vice  Chairman, Joint  Energy Policy  Task                                                               
Force, also spoke  about redundancy, the financial  health of the                                                               
utilities, and cyber-security concerns within the Railbelt.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Special  Committee on  Economic Development,  International Trade                                                               
and Tourism meeting was adjourned at an unspecified time.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment  of the  second  session  of the  Twenty-Third                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.                                                                 

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