Legislature(1999 - 2000)
03/08/2000 08:12 AM House URS
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON UTILITY RESTRUCTURING
March 8, 2000
8:12 a.m.
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: Energy Alternatives
TAPES
00-4A, SIDES A AND B
00-4B, SIDES A AND B
CALL TO ORDER
CHAIRMAN BILL HUDSON called the House Special Committee on
Utility Restructuring meeting to order at 8:12 a.m.
PRESENT
Committee members present were Representatives Hudson, Cowdery,
Davies, Rokeberg, Porter, Berkowitz and Kott.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION
MICHAEL KELLY, President, Golden Valley Electric Association,
explained that the Healy Clean Coal Project lawsuit is close to a
settlement and could be signed today. He responded to questions
from the committee.
RANDY SIMMONS, Executive Director, Alaska Industrial Development
and Export Authority (AIDEA), Department of Community and
Economic Development, talked about AIDEA's goals for the Healy
Clean Coal Project and said that AIDEA believes the lawsuit
settlement will be satisfactory to all parties. He also
responded to questions from the committee.
PERCY FRISBY, Manager, Rural Energy Programs, Department of
Commerce and Economic Development, talked about the status of
energy programs in rural Alaska and his department's efforts to
reduce the need for separate power systems and the high cost of
fuel. He answered questions from the committee.
RON JOHNSON, Director, Energy Center, University of Alaska-
Fairbanks, explained that throughout the world and in Alaska
there is a move toward using more renewable fuels. Energy
conservation is key, and UAF is now spending up to $1 million per
year to study fuel cell and reformer technology for applications
in Alaska. Several questions from the committee were answered.
CHARLES WALLS, President and CEO, Alaska Village Electric
Cooperative (AVEC), explained that 51 villages belong to that
cooperative. They still experience high KWh costs and support
the notion of energy alternatives toward lowering costs. He
supports wind technology in appropriate locations in Alaska, as
has been done in Wales. He answered questions from the
committee.
RICHARD GLENN, Director of Energy management, North Slope
Borough, has looked at all kinds of alternative energy options.
North Slope Borough is presently taking advantage of waste heat
and energy audits. He supports more use of natural gas and
encourages collaborations that could share the expense of
drilling to lessen financial risks. He believes solid oxide fuel
cells have potential and should be tested in rural Alaska.
BRAD REEVE, General Manager, Kotzebue Electric Association,
talked about a wind energy program in Kotzebue and how wind
energy is the fastest-growing energy alternative in the world.
Winter winds in Kotzebue closely match those needed for
generating power to meet peak load needs. A project there has
proven wind to be a viable technology and has reduced
Kotzebue's's per KWh cost to .13 cents.
[There was not sufficient time remaining for a presentation by
Scott Newlun, Administrator, Yakutat Power, Inc., who was
prepared to talk about the Yakutat Salt Chuck Tidal Project.]
COMMITTEE ACTION
The committee took no action.
ADJOURNMENT
CHAIRMAN HUDSON adjourned the House Special Committee on Utility
Restructuring meeting at 9:53 a.m.
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 129 6th Street, Suite 229, Juneau,
Alaska 99801-2197, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the
second session of the Twenty-first Alaska State Legislature this
information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative
Reference Library at 129 6th Street, Suite 102, Juneau, Alaska
99801, (907) 465-3808.
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