01/24/2020 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        HR  12-HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:21:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LINCOLN announced  the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE RESOLUTION  NO. 12, Establishing a  House Special Committee                                                               
on Climate Change.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:21:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ANDY  JOSEPHSON,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as                                                               
prime  sponsor of  HR 12,  informed the  committee many  Alaskans                                                               
have spoken out  on the importance of  addressing climate change;                                                               
he recalled an event in  Anchorage where two hundred people urged                                                               
members  of the  legislature to  advance HR  12.   Representative                                                               
Josephson  said  the effects  of  climate  change on  Alaska  are                                                               
widespread,  although  the state  population  is  very small  and                                                               
Alaska's  carbon  emissions  are  low;  however,  due  to  Arctic                                                               
amplification,  northern  latitudes  are affected  more  severely                                                               
than elsewhere.  He referred  to extreme weather events and other                                                               
challenges in Alaska such as  coastal erosion, drought, and fire.                                                               
Conversely, there  are opportunities  created by change,  such as                                                               
new shipping  corridors through  the Arctic  Ocean for  cargo and                                                               
tourism  that will  result in  increased  shipping traffic  along                                                               
Alaska's coastline,  and additional  revenue from  Alaska's crude                                                               
oil.   The proposed resolution  would create a  special committee                                                               
on  climate  change  and  policy which  would  hold  hearings  on                                                               
referred  legislation,   engage  with  subject   matter  experts,                                                               
provide   a  forum   for  education   and  action,   and  propose                                                               
legislation.  Further, the committee  would be directed by public                                                               
interest.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:26:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON  advised climate  change and  policy are                                                               
topics that generate a lot  of research materials for review, and                                                               
numerous  media reports  of climate-related  events, and  he said                                                               
the  special committee  could make  reports and  review research,                                                               
but  maintain a  focus on  recommending constructive  legislative                                                               
action.   Also, he noted  entities of the federal  government are                                                               
currently  "non-participatory,"  and  the  state  government  has                                                               
disbanded  its Climate  Action for  Alaska Leadership  Team; even                                                               
though there  is a long  history of  interest in this  issue, the                                                               
legislature's  current efforts  in  this  regard are  incomplete,                                                               
which could be corrected by a special committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:28:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NATHANIEL GRABMAN,  Staff, Representative Andy  Josephson, Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  provided a PowerPoint  presentation entitled,                                                               
"HR  12,  Establishing  a  House  Special  Committee  on  Climate                                                               
Change."    Mr. Grabman  paraphrased  from  slide 2,  which  read                                                               
[original punctuation provided, with some formatting changed]:                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Climate change and Alaska                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
        • Temperatures in Alaska have trended upward for                                                                        
          decades, and 2019 was the hottest year in state                                                                       
          history                                                                                                               
        • Drought conditions have become more common and                                                                        
          more severe                                                                                                           
        • Higher temperatures with less precipitation lead                                                                      
          to greater fire danger                                                                                                
        • When possible, the natural ranges for plants and                                                                      
          animals change as flora and fauna attempt to                                                                          
          adapt to changing conditions. When this is not                                                                        
          possible, massive die offs may occur                                                                                  
        • Sea ice naturally acts as a buffer for high seas                                                                      
          and storms; reduced sea ice accelerates coastal                                                                       
          erosion                                                                                                               
        • Much of northern Alaska is underlain by                                                                               
          permafrost; as temperatures rise, permafrost                                                                          
          thaws, causing structural foundations to weaken                                                                       
        • Reduced sea ice opens new pathways for ships                                                                          
        • Alaskans are world leaders in Arctic research and                                                                     
          innovation                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRABMAN referenced  a 2007 report published  by the Institute                                                               
of  Social and  Economic  Research (ISER),  University of  Alaska                                                               
Anchorage, which  predicted billions  of dollars in  future costs                                                               
related  to  the effect  of  climate  change on  Alaska's  public                                                               
infrastructure [slide  3].  Slide  4 illustrated  Arctic shipping                                                               
routes in  2018; slide 5 listed  reports of fires in  Alaska.  He                                                               
noted  acreage burned  during the  2019 fire  season was  not the                                                               
greatest, but smoke  and fires affected many Alaskans  due to the                                                               
location  of  fires;  the  cost of  firefighting  was  over  $300                                                               
million [shared  between the state  and FEMA].  Mr.  Grabman said                                                               
erosion, permafrost thaw, and  relocation are interconnected, and                                                               
recalled  the  climate  change   [subcabinet]  formed  by  former                                                               
governor  Sarah  Palin  identified  six communities  in  need  of                                                               
immediate action, as depicted on slide  6.  Also shown on slide 6                                                               
was  a map  of  near-surface permafrost  sited  along the  Trans-                                                               
Alaska  Pipeline System.    He pointed  out  many communities  in                                                               
Alaska  are not  located near  large-scale power  grids and  thus                                                               
utilize  microgrids  to  provide power  and  integrate  renewable                                                               
energy  sources into  remote  diesel grids;  in  fact, Kodiak  is                                                               
almost 100  percent renewable, powered  by wind, and  Igiugig has                                                               
installed  a river  turbine which  will provide  approximately 50                                                               
percent of its energy [slide 7].                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:33:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRABMAN  continued to slide  8 which described  the Renewable                                                               
Energy  Grant  Fund program  that  has  developed many  different                                                               
renewable  energy sources  while  utilizing  leveraged funds;  he                                                               
estimated  the program  has saved  approximately  $50 million  in                                                               
fuel costs  annually.  He then  paraphrased from slides 9  and 10                                                               
which read  as follows [original punctuation  provided, with some                                                               
formatting changes]:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Previous Legislative Efforts                                                                                               
     1990  HCR 56: Relating to climate change.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
        • Resolved to ask the governor to investigate state                                                                     
          policies   and   procedures  to   determine   best                                                                    
          practices  to  combat  climate change.  Failed  on                                                                    
          House floor 17-10                                                                                                     
        • 1995  HJR 39: Relating to the Northern Sea                                                                            
          Route. Resolved to push  for research and planning                                                                    
          to examine  shipping routes in the  Arctic. Passed                                                                    
          House 35-0, Passed Senate 19-0                                                                                        
        • 1999  HJR 33: Urging the US Senate to decline to                                                                      
          ratify  the  UN  Framework Convention  on  Climate                                                                    
          Change adopted  in December 1997 at  Kyoto, Japan.                                                                    
          Passed House 29-7, died in Senate committee                                                                           
        • 2006  HCR 30: Creating an Alaska Climate Impact                                                                       
          Assessment  Commission. Created  commission tasked                                                                    
          with  studying and  evaluating impacts  of climate                                                                    
          change  around  the  state,  suggesting  policies,                                                                    
          examine  alternative measures,  etc. Passed  House                                                                    
          28-0, Passed Senate  17-0. Final commission report                                                                    
          produced March 17, 2008                                                                                               
        • 2015  HB 1: Declaring the Arctic policy of the                                                                        
          state.  Outlines   policies  of  the   state  with                                                                    
          respect to the Arctic,  stating that is the policy                                                                    
          of  the state  to  'sustain  current, and  develop                                                                    
          new,  approaches  for  responding  to  a  changing                                                                    
          climate, and  adapt to  the challenges  of coastal                                                                    
          erosion,     permafrost     melt,    and     ocean                                                                    
          acidification.' Passed the  House 32-2, Passed the                                                                    
          Senate 19-1                                                                                                           
        • 2016  HB 233: Establishing the Climate Change                                                                         
          Commission  and 2017    HB  173: Establishing  the                                                                    
          Alaska Climate  Change Response  Commission. Would                                                                    
          have  created commission  to advise  the governor,                                                                    
          consult  with   experts,  liaise   with  non-State                                                                    
          entities,   recommend   actions,  provide   annual                                                                    
          report. Died in committee                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Previous Administrative Efforts                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
        • 2007  Administrative Order 238: Governor Palin                                                                        
           "establish[ed]  a Climate  Change Sub-cabinet  to                                                                    
           advise  the   Office  of  the  Governor   on  the                                                                    
           preparation  and  implementation   of  an  Alaska                                                                    
           climate   change   strategy."   Sub-cabinet   was                                                                    
           dissolved  by  Gov.  Parnell,   and  AO  238  was                                                                    
           rescinded and replaced by Gov. Walker's AO-289.                                                                      
        • 2017  Administrative Order 289: Governor Walker                                                                       
           created  a 20-person  Climate  Action for  Alaska                                                                    
           Leadership  Team  and an  Alaska  Climate  Change                                                                    
           Strategy  to  advise  on   'critical  and  timely                                                                    
           actions to address climate change challenges that                                                                    
           will  safeguard   Alaska  now   and  for   future                                                                    
           generations.' AO  289 Rescinded by  Gov. Dunleavy                                                                    
           in 2019.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:36:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON  turned attention to the  vision for the                                                               
committee  and explained  that by  creating a  special committee,                                                               
the House, with  a simple majority vote, can  independently set a                                                               
path  to: capture  the  imagination of  the  public; reflect  the                                                               
public's  support;  create  a  direct  and  open  forum  for  the                                                               
legislature;  create  recommendations   for  legislative  action;                                                               
create  public  engagement;  establish groundwork  for  the  next                                                               
legislature; and  avoid difficult political questions  that would                                                               
prevent  the creation  of  the committee.    The committee  would                                                               
engage in  factfinding and  "would not reinvent  the wheel."   It                                                               
would be dedicated  to one purpose.  He noted  that the committee                                                               
would be recreated every two years.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:38:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RASMUSSEN observed the  legislature does not often                                                               
adjourn  within its  allotted 90-120  days; she  pointed out  the                                                               
House Special  Committee on Arctic Policy,  Economic Development,                                                               
and Tourism, and other committees,  are in place to hold hearings                                                               
and take legislative action on climate change if needed.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOSEPHSON suggested  the House  Special Committee                                                               
on Climate Change would meet  monthly during session; he said the                                                               
committee staff's  time may be  extensive, and  noted legislators                                                               
have some  time available  during interim.   Although  HAET could                                                               
[address climate  change in the  Arctic], many facets  of climate                                                               
change do not  occur in the Arctic, such as  fires in the Tongass                                                               
National  Forest;  further,  other   committees  do  not  have  a                                                               
dedicated  focus  on the  adaptation  and  mitigation of  climate                                                               
change.  He  referred to previous [failed]  legislation to create                                                               
a  state  climate  change  commission   and  stated  the  current                                                               
administration  has no  interest in  this issue.   Representative                                                               
Josephson expressed  his personal foreboding about  the summer of                                                               
2020.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   RASMUSSEN  questioned   how  an   [Alaska  state                                                               
government] policy to fight climate  change could affect areas of                                                               
the  world  outside  of  Alaska.   She  then  asked  whether  the                                                               
proposed committee would require a budget for staff.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON, in  response to staffing, said  no.  In                                                               
2021, he  acknowledged the committee  may require a  small budget                                                               
for  travel  to rural  Alaska.    In response  to  Representative                                                               
Rasmussen's  first question,  he  gave the  example  of the  U.S.                                                               
states and  [two territories] that  have joined the  U.S. Climate                                                               
Alliance  to   oppose  U.S.  withdrawal  from   the  [2015  Paris                                                               
Agreement  on  climate  change   mitigation],  and  observed  the                                                               
committee  may explore  this action.   Finally,  he characterized                                                               
the issue as "a moral responsibility."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:44:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR recalled  the House  Resources Standing  Committee                                                               
experienced  difficulty scheduling  the  presentation on  climate                                                               
change; she  suggested members of  a dedicated  special committee                                                               
would be more focused on this topic.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RASMUSSEN  inquired as to why  the sponsor prefers                                                               
a special committee to forming a climate change caucus.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TARR advised a caucus cannot hear bills.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON  added that bills  can be referred  to a                                                               
special  committee; further,  the deliberative  committee process                                                               
provides a certain structure for members.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:47:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ told of  her personal experience related                                                               
to the heat and smoke suffered  by Alaskans [in Summer 2019], and                                                               
of  the health  issues  related  to climate  change.   She  asked                                                               
whether the sponsor considered creating a taskforce.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOSEPHSON  said  he  did not;  he  opined  people                                                               
envision a taskforce as temporary and ephemeral.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ  directed attention to the  bill on page                                                               
3, lines 2 and 3, which read [in part]:                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
      to explore policy options relating to climate change                                                                      
     effects, mitigation, resilience, and adaptation in the                                                                     
     state                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ pointed out  Alaska also has an economic                                                               
opportunity in  relation to climate  change.  She said  there has                                                               
been entrepreneurism in  the last few years  that has capitalized                                                               
on Alaska's  need to adapt.   As  an example, she  mentioned BP's                                                               
set up of the solar array in Willow, Alaska.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TALERICO  questioned  whether appointments  to  a                                                               
special  committee  are  required  to  follow  the  legislature's                                                               
uniform rules of procedure.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
[REPRESENTATIVE TUCK] said yes.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON,  in further response  to Representative                                                               
Talerico, said  he had  no opinion  as to  the number  of members                                                               
appointed to the proposed committee.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN   asked  whether   there  are   any  funds                                                               
remaining in the Renewable Energy  Grant Fund [described on slide                                                               
8].                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:52:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON advised members  of the [former] Climate                                                               
Action for  Alaska Leadership Team  (CAALT) have  inquired [about                                                               
the status of the fund] of  the fund's manager, the Alaska Energy                                                               
Authority,   Department  of   Commerce,   Community  &   Economic                                                               
Development;  he  opined  the fund  needs  to  be  recapitalized.                                                               
Representative  Josephson closed  by reading  a statement  from a                                                               
CAALT document [document not provided].                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[HR 12 was held over.]