03/27/2009 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

           SB  71-ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FOR PUBLIC WORKS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:15:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced the consideration of SB 71.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DAVID  STANCLIFF,  Staff,  to Senator  Therriault,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, said SB 71 is  an attempt to prepare for alternative                                                               
energy systems in  public facilities. For example,  the school in                                                               
Tok is about  to become the first school to  derive its heat from                                                               
wood biomass. The bill does  not bind designers to any particular                                                               
course  of   action,  but  it   recommends  that   they  consider                                                               
alternative resources and incorporate them  in the design if they                                                               
are available.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:18:41 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  STANCLIFF said  that the  Department  of Transportation  and                                                               
Public Facilities (DOTPF) asked the  sponsor to add two words. On                                                               
page  one, line  15,  after  "fire system  to"  insert the  words                                                               
"purchase,  install,".  Senator   Therriault  concurs  with  that                                                               
assessment.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STANCLIFF  noted  that  the  bill makes  it  clear  that  an                                                               
alternative energy  system is one  that is non-fossil  fuel fired                                                               
so it's  not necessary to  include the phrase  "renewable energy"                                                               
in the bill.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked where that definition comes from.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. STANCLIFF replied it came from legislative legal.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
JOEL St  AUBIN, Engineer/Architect, Department  of Transportation                                                               
and  Public Facilities  (DOTPF) said  he is  available to  answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:20:34 PM                                                                                                                    
PAUL KENDALL,  representing himself,  said he is  concerned about                                                               
the things  that no one is  addressing. Many of us  feel that the                                                               
local  economy  may  collapse  and  that  the  outside  may  have                                                               
unexpected unknowns, he said. Therefore,  we think that we should                                                               
move  our money  into Cook  Inlet to  develop renewable  electric                                                               
projects.  He mentioned  and  offered  suggestions regarding  the                                                               
water  body   adjacent  to   Galena,  channeling   water,  remote                                                               
communities  becoming all  electric, photo  technology, generator                                                               
manufactures,  and  electric  vehicles. There's  no  reason  that                                                               
within  six  years we  couldn't  be  world leaders  in  renewable                                                               
energy, he said.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:24:52 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR  MCGUIRE moved  to adopt  the committee  substitute (CS)                                                               
for SB  71, labeled 26-LS0343\E,  as the working  document. There                                                               
being no objection, version E was before the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MCGUIRE moved  to report  CS for  SB 71  from committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal  note(s).                                                               
There  being no  objection, CSSB  71(RES) moved  from the  Senate                                                               
Resources Standing Committee.