03/14/2005 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

HCR 3-RENEWABLE ENERGY ALASKA PROJECT                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION  NO.  3,  Relating to  renewable                                                               
energy resource development.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM  POUND,  Staff to  Representative  Jay  Ramras, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,  introduced  HCR  3, which  recognizes  that  Alaska                                                               
needs to move forward with  its energy needs.  Alternative energy                                                               
is  the  wave  of  the  future,  he  said,  and  wind,  hydrogen,                                                               
geothermal, biomass,  hydroelectric, and  tidal energy  are being                                                               
considered around  the world, and  Alaska has the  opportunity to                                                               
be out  front in  their production.   HCR  3 recognizes  this and                                                               
urges  the governor  to work  on the  development of  alternative                                                               
energy.  Mr.  Pound highlighted that alternate  sources of energy                                                               
are  important  for  rural  areas.     He  said  that  Bethel  is                                                               
considering wind generation and  Kotzebue has some wind turbines,                                                               
which  can   save  money  on   Alaska's  subsidized   Power  Cost                                                               
Equalization program.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:04:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS  ROSE, Director,  Renewable Energy  Alaska Project  (REAP),                                                               
said  REAP  is  a  statewide   coalition  of  utility  companies,                                                               
environmental  groups, consumer  groups,  businesses, and  Native                                                               
groups  who  would  like  to  see  the  increased  production  of                                                               
renewable energy  in Alaska.  He  urged the panel to  move HCR 3.                                                               
"We have an  opportunity to be a leader in  this field," he said.                                                               
He added that Alaska has  resources that other states and nations                                                               
would give a lot for: wind, geothermal, and biofuel sources.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:06:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SAMUELS  said he  drove  a  hydrogen-powered car  while                                                               
attending the Energy Council, and the exhaust was water vapor.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON said  he is pleased that tidal  power is in                                                               
HCR 3.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  RAMRAS  said  Alaska  can  be  a  leader  in  not  only                                                               
producing fossil fuel energy but also alternative sources.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  moved  to   report  HCR  3,  labeled  24-                                                               
LS0648\G, out  of committee  with individual  recommendations and                                                               
the accompanying fiscal  notes.  Hearing no objection,  it was so                                                               
ordered.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:09:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:09 p.m. to 1:14 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:14:08 PM