04/30/2021 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

          SB 17-ENERGY EFFICIENCY & POLICY: PUB. BLDGS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:30:12 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration  of SENATE BILL NO. 17                                                               
"An  Act   relating  to  the   retrofitting  of   certain  public                                                               
facilities and community facilities;  relating to the performance                                                               
of energy  audits on schools  and community  facilities; relating                                                               
to  the duties  of the  Alaska  Energy Authority  and the  Alaska                                                               
Housing Finance  Corporation; creating a rapid  economic recovery                                                               
office   in  the   Alaska  Industrial   Development  and   Export                                                               
Authority; and  relating to  the state  energy policy  and energy                                                               
source reporting by state agencies."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
[CSSB 17(CRA) was before the committee.]                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:31:31 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  TOM BEGICH,  Alaska State  Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska,                                                               
sponsor  of  SB  17  recapped  that  the  bill  has  two  primary                                                               
components.   It   expands   an  existing   state   program   for                                                               
retrofitting public  buildings 10,000  square feet and  larger to                                                               
include 5,000 square feet and  larger public school buildings and                                                               
community  facilities   that  may   be  subject  to   power  cost                                                               
equalization  (PCE)).  Second,  the  bill  revises  policies  and                                                               
establishes  goals to  obtain 50  percent of  the state's  energy                                                               
needs from renewable energy by  2025. He noted that the committee                                                               
considered a Governor's bill that  creates an energy independence                                                               
investment fund and  expressed hope that elements of  SB 17 would                                                               
be added  to that bill. He  advised that an expert  was available                                                               
online to  talk about  the $40 million  the existing  program had                                                               
saved the state in the last decade.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO   asked  members   if  they  had   questions  for                                                               
Christopher  Hodgin from  the  Department  of Transportation  and                                                               
Public  Facilities (DOTPF),  which  is the  department that  will                                                               
help facility  owners pay for  the audits. She asked  the sponsor                                                               
if he was aware of any opposition to the legislation.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH answered that he was not aware of any opposition.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO  asked  Mr.  Hodgin  whether  the  administration                                                               
supported or had comments on SB 17.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:34:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHRISTOPHER  HODGIN,  Energy  Program Manager,  Statewide  Public                                                               
Facilities,   Division  of   Facility  Services,   Department  of                                                               
Transportation  & Public  Facilities, Anchorage,  Alaska, offered                                                               
his understanding that the  administration supported the concepts                                                               
in SB 17.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:35:00 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:35:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened  the meeting and solicited  the will of                                                               
the committee.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:35:46 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GRAY-JACKSON moved  to report  the committee  substitute                                                               
(CS)  for SB  17,  work order  32-LS0187\B,  from committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COSTELLO found  no objection and CSSB  17(CRA) was reported                                                               
from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.