05/07/2019 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

          HJR 10-SUPPORTING ROAD BELT ELECTRICAL LINE                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:30:23 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BISHOP   announced  the   consideration  of   House  Joint                                                               
Resolution 10 (HJR 10).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:30:34 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE DAVE  TALERICO, Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor  of  HJR  10,   explained  that  the  resolution                                                               
supports the  development of a road  belt electrical transmission                                                               
line and  urges the  members of the  Alaska delegation  to pursue                                                               
the  development  of the  electrical  transmission  line for  the                                                               
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
He detailed that Alaska has a  rail belt intertie which runs from                                                               
Homer  to Fairbanks  and down  to Delta  Junction. For  years the                                                               
road  belt  electrical  transmission  line has  been  studied  to                                                               
complete what  is called a  bus loop that  would go up  the Glenn                                                               
Highway  and  the  Richardson  Highway   and  complete  a  looped                                                               
electrical  system that  would provide  contiguous power  and the                                                               
ability to have redundancy along the road system.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
He said  one of  the reasons  for interest  in having  the Alaska                                                               
congressional  delegation   support  the  road   belt  electrical                                                               
transmission line  is due  to the  state's developments  with the                                                               
U.S. Department of  Defense at Eielson Air Force  Base, Clear Air                                                               
Force Station  Base, and  Fort Greely Army  Base. The  main theme                                                               
behind  HRJ 10  is  to  support the  national  defense system  by                                                               
making sure power is available.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He  explained  that as  projects  proceed  at military  bases  in                                                               
Alaska, the  state's economic base  and population base  are also                                                               
expanded.  Along the  road  belt corridor  there  are 17  smaller                                                               
communities that  will benefit from  lower cost  energy. Economic                                                               
development  will   be  improved  for  communities,   mines,  and                                                               
agriculture.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
He said the  first phase of  the project will start with a study.                                                               
Concerns regarding an underground  alternative for overhead lines                                                               
in certain areas will be addressed.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:31:35 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOFFMAN joined the committee meeting.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:34:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP  noted that the  committee received  a comprehensive                                                               
overview of the  road belt electrical transmission  line on March                                                               
14,  2019.  He  said  Representative  Talerico  reemphasized  the                                                               
importance  and  need  in  support   of  the  resolution  to  the                                                               
congressional delegation.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:34:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:34:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CRYSTAL  ENKVIST, Executive  Director, Alaska  Power Association,                                                               
Anchorage, Alaska, testified  in support of HJR 10.  She said the                                                               
association  supports  the  deployment of  electric  transmission                                                               
infrastructure that  brings reliable electricity to  Alaskans and                                                               
stimulates economic development.  Should the transmission project                                                               
receive   the  necessary   funding  support   from  the   federal                                                               
government,  the reliability  of Alaska's  electric system  would                                                               
increase.   More  renewable   energy  will   be  allowed,   power                                                               
reliability   to  military   installations   will  increase,   an                                                               
alternate power  route for the Anchorage-Fairbanks  intertie will                                                               
be  provided,  and  economic  development  opportunities  in  the                                                               
Greater Cooper Valley Region will be enabled.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:37:08 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:37:29 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BIRCH  moved  to report  [CSHJR  10(RES)],  version  31-                                                               
LS0596\S,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:37:43 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  BISHOP found  no objection  and CSHJR  10(RES) moved  from                                                               
Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.