04/01/2003 01:35 PM Senate L&C

           SB 151-REGULATION OF NATURAL GAS PIPELINES                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR BUNDE announced SB 151 to be up for consideration.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  MARY JACKSON,  staff to  Senator Wagoner,  sponsor, said  at                                                               
last  week's hearing,  two issues  were outstanding:  the sponsor                                                               
asked the committee to insert  an immediate effective date, which                                                               
the committee substitute (CS) does;  and the second issue was the                                                               
fiscal note from  the Department of Natural  Resources (DNR). She                                                               
handed members a  revised fiscal note from DNR and  a fiscal note                                                               
from the Department of Community  and Economic Development (DCED)                                                               
that reflects the  impact on the Regulatory  Commission of Alaska                                                               
(RCA). She pointed  out that the change in the  fiscal note is on                                                               
the very last line on the second page and reads:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
       "...for the Kenai Kachemak Pipeline. However these                                                                       
     dynamics are unlikely as only 63% of the line's total                                                                      
     capacity has been contracted for."                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  SEEKINS moved  to adopt  the CS  to SB  151, Version  D.                                                               
There were no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  asked if  the CS  contains any  other differences                                                               
than the two the Ms. Jackson mentioned.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. JACKSON said there were none.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS  asked if all  this bill  does is to  allow other                                                               
natural  gas   pipeline  carriers   to  piggyback   onto  current                                                               
statutes.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  JACKSON replied  that is  correct. The  bill removes  "North                                                               
Slope" so that the Act can apply statewide.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS moved to pass  CSSB 151 (L&C) from committee with                                                               
individual recommendations.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The  roll was  called. SENATORS  SEEKINS, DAVIS,  STEVENS, FRENCH                                                               
and BUNDE voted yea, and CSSB 151(L&C) moved out of committee.