02/29/2024 10:15 AM House ENERGY

        HB 368-ELECTRICAL ENERGY & ENERGY PORTFOLIO STDS                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:16:43 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER  announced that the  first only order  of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 368  "An Act  relating to  clean energy                                                               
standards  and  a  clean  energy  transferable  tax  credit;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
 10:17:22 AM                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER  announced that Robert  Doyle from  the Regulatory                                                               
Commission of Alaska would respond  to questions pertaining to HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:18:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT  DOYLE,  Chair,  Regulatory  Commission of  Alaska,  ,  in                                                               
response  to Chair  Rauscher, outlined  the  requirements of  the                                                               
Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA).   He stated that there are                                                               
several pieces of  HB 368 that would require the  RCA to adopt or                                                               
amend  regulations  surrounding  energy  and  billing.    At  the                                                               
request of  the chair, he gave  an overview of how  the RCA works                                                               
to  ensure  that  the  interests  of  all  Alaskans  are  met  by                                                               
reasonable and just means.  He  moved on to discuss fiscal notes,                                                               
saying that  most of the  concerns presented by the  fiscal notes                                                               
are due to staffing  issues.  He said it could  be a 600-plus day                                                               
process to create a regulatory document from draft to finish.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:26:49 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE asked  what effect the bill  would have on                                                               
the power cost equalization (PCE) calculation.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. DOYLE  indicated there would  be no noticeable effect  on how                                                               
the  PCE is  calculated.   He  said the  intent is  to bring  the                                                               
statute in line with how business is conducted at the RCA.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:29:13 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY asked  if the RCA regulates  Fire Island and                                                               
a solar farm in Houston, Alaska.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  DOYLE  responded  that  all of  the  costs  associated  with                                                               
independent  power projects  are  negotiated  with the  utilities                                                               
companies.   In response to  a follow-up question, he  noted that                                                               
information  regarding the  amount  of  electricity generated  by                                                               
Fire  Island  and  Chugach  Electric   is  public.    To  further                                                               
questioning,  he said  the RCA  has a  neutral stance  toward the                                                               
bill, and he offered his  understanding that green energy credits                                                               
given through the regulation docket process.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:37:03 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER  asked Robert  Doyle  to  explain the  difference                                                               
between "net billing" and "net metering."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. DOYLE explained  that net metering is the  process of selling                                                               
power and energy back to  the energy company, whereas net billing                                                               
is  how  one  would  account  for the  cost  of  someone  who  is                                                               
generating more power  than is needed, like  a monthly settlement                                                               
to break the difference between cost  and energy sold back to the                                                               
company.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:40:15 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER  thanked Robert Doyle for  responding to questions                                                               
from the committee.