00Enrolled HJR 25                                                                                                         
01 Urging the United States Congress to classify hydroelectric power as a renewable and                                    
02 alternative energy source.                                                                                              
03                                           _______________                                                               
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
05      WHEREAS fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are important sources of                                 
06 energy for the electric power supply system of the United States; and                                                   
07      WHEREAS the cost of most fossil fuels, particularly oil, has increased dramatically                              
08 in recent years; and                                                                                                    
09      WHEREAS increases in the cost of fossil fuels such as oil have caused, and continue                              
10 to cause, substantial increases in the electric bills of residential, business, and governmental                        
11 rate payers at a time when the economy of the United States is in a major recession; and                                
12      WHEREAS the United States is dependent on foreign sources for a majority of its oil                              
13 supply; and                                                                                                             
14      WHEREAS oil and other fossil fuels are finite resources that contribute to growing                               
15 worldwide concerns over carbon and other environmental effects; and                                                     
16      WHEREAS Alaskans, particularly those in rural parts of the state, are dependent on                               
17 oil-fired electric generation with retail rates as high as $1 a kilowatt-hour; and                                      

01      WHEREAS hydroelectric power is a viable source of clean, renewable, and long-                                    
02 lasting electric energy in many areas of the state; and                                                                 
03      WHEREAS hydroelectric energy can be developed in Alaska using high-elevation                                     
04 lakes and run-of-the-river systems that have few or no negative environmental effects; and                              
05      WHEREAS it is the policy of the state to encourage development of its abundant                                   
06 hydroelectric potential and wind, geothermal, and other renewable and alternative energy                                
07 sources to reduce dependence on fossil fuels for electric power generation and to reduce the                            
08 cost of electricity to rate payers; and                                                                                 
09      WHEREAS some federal laws and federal renewable and alternative energy                                           
10 programs do not classify hydroelectric power as a renewable or alternative energy source; and                           
11      WHEREAS regions of the United States outside of Alaska have limited water                                        
12 supplies or water shortages that could lead to classifying hydroelectric power as                                       
13 nonrenewable, but many areas of Alaska have ample water supplies that are capable of                                    
14 providing a renewable energy source for hydroelectric projects in the state;                                            
15      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States                                         
16 Congress to take the necessary action to classify hydroelectric power as a renewable and                                
17 alternative energy source so that the state can participate in federal programs without                                 
18 restriction to facilitate development of the state's hydroelectric resources for the benefit of its                     
19 residents.                                                                                                              
20      COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of                              
21 the United States; the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and                          
22 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Harry Reid, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate;                             
23 the Honorable Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy                                  
24 Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and                              
25 the Honorable Mark Begich, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S.                                             
26 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.