00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18                                                                     
01 Urging the Alaska delegation in Congress to implement a renewable energy testing                                        
02 program in the state; supporting the development and testing of renewable energy                                        
03 resources in the state; and encouraging entrepreneurs to develop renewable energy                                       
04 projects in the state.                                                                                                  
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS, to achieve economic security and satisfy the continuous rise in demand                                 
07 for energy, the United States must reduce its long-term dependence on nonrenewable energy                             
08 sources; and                                                                                                            
09       WHEREAS the future of the economy of the United States is dependent on access to                                
10 cheap, clean energy resources; and                                                                                      
11       WHEREAS the economic value of a renewable energy industry is enormous; and                                      
12       WHEREAS employment in renewable energy is exponentially increasing while other                                  
13 energy industries are struggling; and                                                                                   
14       WHEREAS the renewable energy industry provides employment opportunities,                                        
15 including employment opportunities in manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance,                              

01 research and development, construction, and transport; and                                                              
02       WHEREAS the state has vast renewable energy potential from resources that include                               
03 wind, hydro energy, biomass, tidal energy, solar power, geothermal energy, and biofuels; and                            
04 WHEREAS the state suffers from high energy costs, particularly in communities that                                    
05 are not on the road system and where costs are among the highest in the nation; and                                     
06       WHEREAS, along with the highest energy prices, the state also has the greatest                                
07 variety and abundance of renewable energy resources in the country; and                                                 
08       WHEREAS investing in renewable energy development in the state would result in                                  
09 technology that has been demonstrated to function in the most extreme environments in the                               
10 nation; and                                                                                                             
11 WHEREAS the high cost of diesel electrical generation in rural areas of the state                                     
12 creates an opportunity for renewable energy projects that may not be economically viable                                
13 elsewhere; and                                                                                                          
14 WHEREAS the state has hundreds of isolated, remote microgrids that provide a                                          
15 unique opportunity to test integration of renewable and nonrenewable generation resources;                              
16 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the development and                                         
17 testing of renewable energy resources in the state to ensure the energy independence and                                
18 security of the nation; and be it                                                                                       
19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the state's                                               
20 Congressional delegation to recognize the state as the most suitable region for the testing and                         
21 development of renewable energy in the nation and to direct resources to the state for these                            
22 purposes; and be it                                                                                                     
23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes that the state                                          
24 has the opportunity to become a leader in renewable energy development and that renewable                               
25 energy development could bring new revenue streams to the economy of the state; and be it                               
26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes that the state                                          
27 has the opportunity to become a viable renewable energy development center that has the                                 
28 potential to export cutting edge technology around the world; and be it                                                 
29 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports economic                                                  
30 development through innovation in renewable energy resources in the state and encourages                                
31 entrepreneurs to develop renewable energy projects in the state.                                                        

01       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the                                 
02 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative,                                
03 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.