04/24/2001 03:45 PM Senate STA

                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN GENE THERRIAULT called the Senate State Affairs Committee                                                            
meeting to order at 3:45 p.m. Present were Senators Davis, Pearce,                                                              
Phillips and Chairman Therriault.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
The first order of business was HCR 1.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
           HCR  1-STATEWIDE COMP ENERGY PLAN TASK FORCE                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
PATRICK FLYNN,  staff to Representative Berkowitz,  introduced HCR 1                                                            
because  the sponsor  was in  another meeting.  He  explained HCR  1                                                            
would establish  a task force to develop  a statewide comprehensive                                                             
energy  plan.  There  is  no  all-inclusive   document  that  offers                                                            
development  of   Alaska's  energy  resources  to   the  benefit  of                                                            
Alaskans.   He offered to go over  the membership of the  task force                                                            
or simply answer questions.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PEARCE  asked why the Regulatory Commission  of Alaska (RCA)                                                            
was not included in the task force.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. FLYNN  said they were  included in the  original version  of the                                                            
legislation  but they  did not respond  to the  letter sent  to them                                                            
asking for  their comments. It was  decided to include a  member who                                                            
would represent  consumer interests  specifically as opposed  to the                                                            
more  general  responsibilities  of  the  RCA.  The  Alaska  Village                                                            
Electric   Cooperative  and   Alaska  Rural   Electric  Cooperative                                                             
Association are  represented and provide balance that  is similar to                                                            
having a member of RCA on the task force.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT  thought  lack of  response  probably  reflects                                                            
their busy schedule.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. FLYNN said they took no offense.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  THERRIAULT  asked  Mr.  Flynn  to speak  to  the  proposed                                                            
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  FLYNN  said  it is  a  cleanup  amendment  whereby  the  Alaska                                                            
Industrial Development  and Export Authority (AIDEA) may appoint the                                                            
person  as opposed to  the chair  of AIDEA  making the appointment.                                                             
They have no complaints with the change.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT said  it is more than that. Currently on page 2,                                                            
line  20  it says,  "one  member  of  the export  authority  who  is                                                            
appointed by  the chair of the authority;".  The new language  says,                                                            
"one member appointed  by the Alaska Industrial Export  Authority;".                                                            
The member  does  not actually  have to  be a member  of the  export                                                            
authority. He asked if that was okay.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. FLYNN said  it was. Most members are not required  to be members                                                            
of the organizations that are appointing them.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked  Senator Davis to sponsor the amendment on                                                            
behalf of Representative Berkowitz.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS said she would be happy to move amendment 1.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  asked for objections  and there were  none.  He                                                            
called for further testimony.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
STEVE   CONN,  Executive   Director   of  AkPIRG,   testifying   via                                                            
teleconference  said the  list of petition  signatories included  in                                                            
committee  packets came from  individuals who  passed by the  AkPIRG                                                            
table  during  the   Anchorage  Earth  Day  event.   He  said  these                                                            
individuals  are interested  in emerging energy  technology  and the                                                            
role it might  play in the state. They would like  to participate in                                                            
hearings and  dialogs that would translate  into the development  of                                                            
an energy  plan. It is encouraging  to see  there is no fiscal  note                                                            
accompanying  the concurrent resolution.  AkPIRG would like  to be a                                                            
part of the endeavor and thinks the timing is appropriate.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT  proposed dropping  "any" on page 1,  line 13 in                                                            
honor  of wordsmith,  Kay  Brown.  There  was  no objection  to  the                                                            
adoption of amendment number two.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DAVIS moved  SCS CSHCR  1(STA)  and zero  fiscal note  from                                                            
committee with  individual recommendations. There  was no objection.