03/20/2014 01:30 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE

         SB 183-EXTEND EMERGING ENERGY TECHNOLOGY FUND                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:39:06 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR MICCICHE announced the consideration of SB 183."An                                                                  
Act extending the termination date of the emerging energy                                                                       
technology fund and grant program." This was the first hearing.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
JESSE  LOGAN,   Staff,  Senator   Lesil  McGuire,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, sponsor  of SB 183,  introduced the                                                               
legislation on  behalf of the  sponsor speaking to  the following                                                               
sponsor statement: [Original punctuation provided.]                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     The Alaska  Sustainable Energy Act of  2010 established                                                                    
     the Emerging Energy Technology  Fund (EETF). The Alaska                                                                    
     Energy  Authority (AEA)  administers the  fund and  the                                                                    
     Alaska  Center for  Energy  and  Power (ACEP)  performs                                                                    
     data collection.  Together with  a matching  grant from                                                                    
     the  Denali  Commission,  the fund  made  $8.9  million                                                                    
     available  to develop  emerging energy  technologies in                                                                    
     Alaska.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     EETF   grants  are   for   demonstration  projects   of                                                                    
     technologies  that  have  a reasonable  expectation  of                                                                    
     becoming  commercially  viable  within five  years.  An                                                                    
     EETF  technology is  one  that  promotes, enhances,  or                                                                    
     expands  the  diversity   of  available  energy  supply                                                                    
     sources  or  means  of transmission,  increases  energy                                                                    
     efficiency,   or    reduces   negative   energy-related                                                                    
     environmental effects. Energy  technologies can include                                                                    
     technologies  related to  renewable sources  of energy,                                                                    
     conservation   of    energy,   enabling   technologies,                                                                    
     efficient  and   effective  use  of   hydrocarbons  and                                                                    
     integrated  systems.  Projects  from  Round  1  saw  an                                                                    
     impressive  diversity.  Priority  is  given  to  Alaska                                                                    
     businesses,  utilities,  non-profits, tribal  or  local                                                                    
     governments or other organizations.                                                                                        
     Projects can either:                                                                                                       
        · Test emerging energy technologies or methods of                                                                       
          conserving energy                                                                                                     
        · Improve an existing technology                                                                                        
        · Deploy an existing technology that has not                                                                            
          previously been demonstrated in the state.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     The  EETF  is   not  an  angel  fund,   but  rather  an                                                                    
     opportunity  for   the  state  of  Alaska   to  support                                                                    
     projects that  are near commercialization and  that can                                                                    
     help  communities  who  are  facing  increasing  energy                                                                    
     costs. This is not a fund  for projects that are in the                                                                    
     research  and development  phase,  but  a program  that                                                                    
     creates  synergy with  the business  community and  the                                                                    
     State of  Alaska to create an  environment for economic                                                                    
     growth.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     It is for  these reasons that I have  introduced SB 183                                                                    
     with the sole intention  of extending the program which                                                                    
     still  has  considerable  funding available  under  the                                                                    
     original  appropriation  and  the  Denali  Commission's                                                                    
     generous match.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:40:09 PM                                                                                                                    
EMILY  FORD, Public  Outreach  Liaison,  Alaska Energy  Authority                                                               
(AEA),  Anchorage, Alaska,  explained  that  the Emerging  Energy                                                               
Technology  Fund provides  an infusion  of  capital for  projects                                                               
that anticipate being commercially  viable within five years. The                                                               
EETF  supports renewable  projects,  energy conservation,  energy                                                               
efficiency,  hydrocarbons, and  integrated systems.  The enabling                                                               
legislation  was passed  in 2010  with a  January 1,  2015 sunset                                                               
date, and SB 183 would extend  the sunset to January 1, 2020. She                                                               
noted that  the packets contained  summaries and  funding amounts                                                               
of the initial projects and the status of the next steps.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEDMAN stated support for the legislation.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:42:19 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE-CHAIR  MICCICHE   found  no   questions  or   testimony  and                                                               
announced he  would hold  SB 183  in committee.  Public testimony                                                               
was open.