04/23/2024 10:15 AM House ENERGY

             HB 349-RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT LEASES                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:56:54 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 349 "An Act relating to  leases of public land                                                               
for  renewable energy  projects; and  providing for  an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER  opened  public  testimony  on  HB  349.    After                                                               
ascertaining there  was no one  who wished to testify,  he closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:58:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX gave  his understanding  that  the lease  as                                                               
defined in HB 349 must provide for recreational activities.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:58:23 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CLIFF GROH,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor, directed the question to Cameron Ebersold.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:58:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CAMERON EBERSOLD, Staff, Representative  Cliff Groh, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Groh, prime  sponsor,                                                               
answered  committee   questions  on  HB   349.    He   said  that                                                               
Representative  Prax' observation  is correct  that HB  349 would                                                               
preserve access for other kinds of public uses.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether the  threat of vandalism to the                                                               
renewable energy  infrastructure had  been taken to  account when                                                               
funding a project.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
10:59:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. EBERSOLD  asked for clarification  because HB 349  relates to                                                               
licensing of  the state  land, determining  the feasibility  of a                                                               
project, and establishing lease terms.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  cited  a  windmill  project  in  Fairbanks,                                                               
Alaska,  that he  believed was  under threat  from vandalism  and                                                               
asked  how HB  349 would  protect the  renewable energy  projects                                                               
from vandalism.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:00:52 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GROH answered  that he  has never  worked with  a                                                               
lease  contract   for  renewable   energy,  but  he   thinks  the                                                               
individual  contracts to  develop the  project would  address the                                                               
threat of vandalism, not the bill.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX  asked for  confirmation that  the protection                                                               
would be addressed in the lease.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GROH said  he thinks so but  directed the question                                                               
to Mr. Ebersold for additional clarification.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.   EBERSOLD   cited   an  experience   from   his   childhood,                                                               
highlighting that there  is nothing that would  stop someone from                                                               
shooting or damaging the turbine.  He  said it would be up to the                                                               
company to  protect its property,  not the Department  of Natural                                                               
Resources (DNR).                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:03:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE  commented  that  the  wind  turbines  on                                                               
Kodiak are fenced  off from access and added  that Alaskans would                                                               
rather shoot road signs versus energy infrastructure.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:04:10 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER said  people shoot  the pipeline,  so people  can                                                               
shoot  a wind  turbine.   He  said people  are going  to do  what                                                               
they're going to do.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
11:05:18 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that HB 349 was held over.