Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/08/1994 05:00 PM House TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 8, 1994
5:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Richard Foster, Chair
Representative Gary Davis, Vice-Chair
Representative Bill Hudson
Representative Al Vezey
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Eldon Mulder
Representative Curt Menard
Representative Jerry Mackie
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
*HB 330: "An Act relating to the use of natural gas as a
motor vehicle fuel in state owned vehicles."
HEARD AND HELD OVER
(* First public hearing.)
WITNESS REGISTER
JEFF LOGAN, Staff
Representative Joe Green
Alaska State Legislature
Room 114, State Capitol
Juneau, Alaska 99811
465-2283
Position Statement: Represented prime sponsor of HB 330
JEFFERY OTTESEN, Chief
Right-of-Way and Environment
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
3132 Channel Drive
Juneau, Alaska 99801
465-2985
Position Statement: Answered questions on HB 330
MEAD TREADWELL, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Environmental Conservation
410 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 301
Juneau, Alaska 99801
465-5050
Position Statement: Commented on HB 330
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 330
SHORT TITLE: FUEL STATE AUTO FLEET WITH NATURAL GAS
SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) GREEN,Sanders
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/03/94 2013 (H) PREFILE RELEASED
01/10/94 2013 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/10/94 2013 (H) TRANSPORTATION, FINANCE
01/12/94 2042 (H) COSPONSOR(S): SANDERS
02/23/94 (H) MINUTE(ECO)
03/08/94 (H) TRA AT 05:00 PM CAPITOL 17
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-10, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIR FOSTER called the meeting to order at 5:10 p.m., and
told the committee that, although the sponsor or sponsor's
staff was not present, the committee would consider HB 330.
HB 330 - FUEL STATE AUTO FLEET WITH NATURAL GAS
Number 002
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY proposed amending HB 330 so that
wherever the term "natural gas" shows up in the bill text
"or liquid petroleum gas" would be added.
Number 012
CHAIR FOSTER asked Jeffery Ottesen if he saw any problem
with the proposed amendment.
Number 013
JEFFERY OTTESEN, Chief of Right-of-Way and Environment,
Department of Transportation & Public Facility (DOT/PF),
stated that the proposed amendment made sense.
Number 019
REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved to adopt the CS for HB 330.
CHAIR FOSTER asked if there was objection. There was none,
and the CS for HB 330 was adopted.
Number 022
CHAIR FOSTER noted the arrival of Jeff Logan, staff to the
sponsor of HB 330, and asked him if he had any objection to
the proposed amendment.
Number 024
JEFF LOGAN, Staff, Representative Joe Green, Prime Sponsor
of HB 330, stated that not having asked Representative
Green, he could not make such a determination and it would
be up to the committee.
Number 046
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked Representative Vezey if liquid
petroleum gas (LPG) is what is typically called propane.
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY responded that LPG is propane or
butane.
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY stated that liquified natural gas is
under considerable pressure.
Number 071
MEAD TREADWELL introduced himself as Deputy Commissioner of
the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and made
the point that he could only speak for the DEC and that HB
330 binds only the Department of Transportation. He added
that air quality is very much a DEC mandate and the benefits
of switching either to natural gas or LPG would be positive,
although the change over is dictated by economics.
Number 091
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY commented that HB 330 doesn't allow for
economics to dictate because it mandates the use of natural
gas.
Number 099
MR. LOGAN made the point that the 1992 Federal Energy Policy
Act had been used by the sponsor's office as a guide.
Number 111
REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS proposed that in the amendment wherever
the word natural gas appears the words "or LPG, where
appropriate" should be added.
Number 134
CHAIR FOSTER asked if there was any objection to the
proposed wording. There was none.
Number 138
JEFFERY OTTESEN identified himself as Chief of Environment
for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and expressed the
position that the DOT is not opposed to natural gas, but
they are opposed to HB 330 in its present form because it
requires specific percentages and doesn't let the DOT look
at it from the standpoint of what makes sense.
Number 163
CHAIR FOSTER commented that he, too, was concerned over both
the mandate and the fiscal note.
Number 176
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON proposed that the bill be held over
since the prime sponsor wasn't even there.
Number 178
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY added that he felt the committee should
look at doing a committee substitute with a lower fiscal
note.
Number 180
MR. LOGAN commented that natural gas costs half as much as
gasoline, and so the fiscal note would be lower as time went
on.
Number 190
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY responded that natural gas does not
cost half as much as gasoline, and more needs to be looked
at.
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON asked the sponsor's aide if there was
some reason for the percentages contained in the bill.
Number 209
MR. LOGAN responded that the percentages were what the
sponsor thought were good benchmarks.
Number 242
CHAIR FOSTER appointed Representative Gary Davis to chair a
subcommittee in order to iron out some of the concerns over
HB 330.
Number 250
MR. OTTESEN expressed the concern that in many areas in
Alaska natural gas would not be an available fuel.
Number 262
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked Mr. Ottesen if it is difficult to
convert a vehicle from natural gas to LPG/LNG.
Number 275
MR. OTTESEN responded that different equipment is needed for
both kinds.
Number 277
MR. TREADWELL discussed Alaska's need for a refueling
infrastructure so that natural gas can be used, and added
that in the Anchorage bowl area natural gas is about half
the price of gasoline.
Number 300
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked what the difference is between
LPG and LNG.
Number 304
MR. TREADWELL explained the differences, concluding that
when you get down to burning them in your car, they're both
alike.
Number 399
CHAIR FOSTER said he hoped that Representative Davis could
have the bill ready to be brought back into committee by
next week.
Number 402
CHAIR FOSTER called the committee's attention to two new
pictures on the committee room wall -- the Port of
Bellingham and Lyndon -- and said the pictures had been
donated by those two organizations.
Number 406
CHAIR FOSTER appointed Representative Hudson to the special
Marine Highway subcommittee, which he added is formed every
year.
CHAIR FOSTER adjourned the meeting at 5:34 p.m.#
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