03/24/2011 03:00 PM House ENERGY

          HJR 23-HYDROELECTRIC POWER; RENEWABLE ENERGY                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:09:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FOSTER announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  JOINT RESOLUTION  NO.  23,  Urging the  United  States                                                               
Congress  to  classify hydroelectric  power  as  a renewable  and                                                               
alternative energy source.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FOSTER  reminded the committee of  the discussion during                                                               
the  House  Special  Committee  on  Energy  meeting  on  3/22/11,                                                               
regarding a conceptual amendment offered by Representative Tuck.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:10:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK moved to adopt Amendment 1, which read:                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 17, following "source":                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
        Insert ", as long as there is no other economic                                                                         
     competition for the water resource,"                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER objected for discussion purposes.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  urged the committee to  forward a meaningful                                                               
resolution to  Congress.  He said  there is no reason  that water                                                               
and hydroelectric  (hydro) are not  a renewable  energy resource,                                                               
and pointed out  that Alaska is unable to take  full advantage of                                                               
the tax credits that are  available for renewable and alternative                                                               
sources  of  energy.     Representative  Tuck  recalled  previous                                                               
discussions on  how to protect  interests so that  the resolution                                                               
will pass,  and opined  that the  addition of  the aforementioned                                                               
amendment will assuage the concerns of other states.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:12:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETERSEN  added  that  the  amendment  makes  the                                                               
language in  the resolution compatible  with the  definition that                                                               
the  U.S. Senate  Committee on  Energy and  Natural Resources  is                                                               
considering;   in  addition,   it   would   support  the   Alaska                                                               
Congressional delegation's efforts.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  questioned  the  need  to  carve  out  a                                                               
special   exception  because   the  resolution   makes  a   clear                                                               
statement.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PRUITT expressed his concern  that the amendment creates                                                               
redundancy; for example,  in order to receive a  license from the                                                               
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission  (FERC) a hydro project must                                                               
prove  through the  environmental  impact statement  that it  has                                                               
water rights, will not affect  the economics of a water resource,                                                               
and will not degrade a fishery.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:14:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK  assured the committee  he was not  trying to                                                               
hold  back  the  resolution,  but to  make  the  resolution  more                                                               
attractive for other states to support.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN expressed his support of the amendment.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:15:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was  taken.  Representatives Petersen, Tuck, and                                                               
Lynn voted  in favor  of Amendment  1.   Representatives Saddler,                                                               
Foster,  and Pruitt  voted against  it.   Therefore, Amendment  1                                                               
failed by a vote of 3-3.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:16:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PRUITT moved to report  HJR 23, Version 27-LS0660\M, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying fiscal note.   There being no objection,  HJR 23 was                                                               
reported from the House Special Committee on Energy.