Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
04/15/2014 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB156 | |
| SB166 | |
| SB167 | |
| SB183 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 156 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 166 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 167 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 183 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 183-EXTEND EMERGING ENERGY TECHNOLOGY FUND
4:50:47 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced that the final order of business would be
SENATE BILL NO. 183, "An Act extending the termination date of
the emerging energy technology fund and grant program."
4:51:04 PM
JESSE LOGAN, Staff, Senator Lesil McGuire, Alaska State
Legislature, stated that SB 183 would extend the sunset date of
the Emerging Energy Technology Fund (EETF) from January 1, 2015
to January 1, 2020. The EETF grant program was established in
AS 42.45.375 in the Alaska Sustainable Energy Act of 2010. The
grants available, including the matching grant from the Denali
Commission, totaled $8.9 million. Round one of the grant awards
has commenced and was awarded in 2012 and round two is currently
underway. He pointed out that the EETF is not an "angel fund"
but is designed specifically for technologies that have a
reasonable expectation of being commercially viable within five
years. Without the extension of this sunset date, the Alaska
Energy Authority will still need to manage these grants but will
lack the statutory authority to do so.
4:52:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON asked for the future of these grants if
the Denali Commission is moribund.
MR. LOGAN indicated about $2 million is available for the second
round for projects that must be commercially viable in five
years.
4:52:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT referred to round one of $8.9 million
but only a small amount has been committed consisting of 10-12
projects. He recalled round two consists of $2 million. He
asked when those projects were due to be awarded.
MR. LOGAN agreed. He indicated that the second round of
projects has been selected. He reported that five projects have
been selected for the remaining $2 million in the grant fund.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT asked him to identify the five projects.
MR. LOGAN indicated that he was aware of four projects from the
Alaska Energy Authority.
4:53:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked him to also identify the EETF's
best successes. He further asked him to identify the projects
he was most proud of thus far.
MR. LOGAN cautioned he was not at liberty to say since the
projects have not been deployed for the full five-year
timeframe. He could say that in the first round the projects
included increasing energy efficiency for diesel generators to
enhanced wind turbines. Prior to his employment at the
legislature, he was a recipient of EETF funds for several
projects from the Denali Commission, which this program is
modeled after, and he was about to deploy technologies in Alaska
that had only been used in the Lower 48.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for further clarification on which
technologies.
MR. LOGAN answered that he deployed the first solar thermal
heating projects above the Arctic Circle in Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT asked how much was available for loans.
MR. LOGAN responded that a matching grant from the Denali
Commission and a total of $8.9 million was available.
4:55:18 PM
EMILY FORD, Public Outreach Liaison, Alaska Energy Authority,
stated that in round one, $8.9 million was available for a 50
percent matching grant via the Denali Commission. She reported
that $8,127,568 was awarded to projects, which left
approximately $416,000 carried over to "round two." Last year's
capital budget also included a $2 million appropriation, which
was combined with the $416,000. Additionally, about $345,000 of
the Denali Commission funds were used for data collection,
leaving nearly $11,000 remaining from the Denali Commission
funds. These funds were specifically allocated for the "round
one" projects, so the AEA has been working with the Denali
Commission to reappropriate that funding to new projects.
4:56:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT said it appears that $2.4 million is
remaining. He asked whether anything is in the current capital
budget to use for matching funds.
MS. FORD answered there aren't any funds in the FY 15 capital
budget.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said it didn't sound like much money
remains.
CHAIR OLSON, after first determining no one wished to testify,
closed public testimony on SB 183.
4:57:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER stated he learned a great deal about this
program when he previously served on the House Special Committee
on Energy. He said he is looking forward to the technologies
that the EETF incubates and the wider application of utility for
Alaskans, and he supports it.
CHAIR OLSON said he supports the bill since it could be used for
some small projects.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said he thinks the projects have been
worthy, the sunset date should be extended, and he hoped the
legislature could recapitalize the fund.
4:58:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved to report SB 183 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
note. There being no objection, SB 183 was reported from the
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.