Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124

04/18/2023 10:15 AM House ENERGY

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Audio Topic
11:20:02 AM Start
11:21:27 AM HB154
11:40:11 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Delayed to a Call of the Chair --
+= HB 154 AK HOUSING FINANCE CORP: SUSTAIN ENERGY TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 154(ENE) Out of Committee
-- Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ENERGY                                                                              
                         April 18, 2023                                                                                         
                           1:20 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative George Rauscher, Chair                                                                                           
Representative Tom McKay                                                                                                        
Representative Stanley Wright                                                                                                   
Representative Mike Prax                                                                                                        
Representative Calvin Schrage                                                                                                   
Representative Ashley Carrick                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Josiah Patkotak                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 154                                                                                                              
"An Act relating to subsidiary corporations of the Alaska                                                                       
Housing Finance Corporation; and establishing the Alaska energy                                                                 
independence fund."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSHB 154(ENE) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 154                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: AK HOUSING FINANCE CORP: SUSTAIN ENERGY                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
04/05/23       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
04/05/23       (H)       ENE, FIN                                                                                               
04/13/23       (H)       ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124                                                                             
04/13/23       (H)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
04/13/23       (H)       MINUTE(ENE)                                                                                            
04/18/23       (H)       ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS ROSE, Director                                                                                                            
Renewable Alaska Energy Project                                                                                                 
Sutton, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Provided public testimony in support of HB
154.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ANNA YANCY, representing self                                                                                                   
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:   Provided public  testimony in  opposition to                                                            
HB 154.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:20:02 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GEORGE  RAUSCHER  called  the House  Special  Committee  on                                                            
Energy meeting  to order at 11:20  a.m.  Representatives  Prax and                                                              
Rauscher  were present  at  the call  to  order.   Representatives                                                              
Wright, Schrage,  Carrick, and  McKay arrived  as the  meeting was                                                              
in  progress.    [Before  the  committee,  adopted  as  a  working                                                              
document  on  4/13/2023,  was the  proposed  committee  substitute                                                              
(CS)  for   HB  154,  labeled,   33-GH1074\B,  Dunmire,   4/11/23,                                                              
("Version B").]                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
         HB 154-AK HOUSING FINANCE CORP: SUSTAIN ENERGY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:21:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER  announced that  the only  order of business  would                                                              
be HB  154, "An  Act relating  to subsidiary  corporations  of the                                                              
Alaska Housing  Finance Corporation;  and establishing  the Alaska                                                              
energy independence fund."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:21:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 11:21 a.m. to 11:26 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:27:22 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  moved Amendment  1, to HB 154,  Version B,                                                              
labeled, 33-GH1074\B.1, Dunmire, 4/12/23, which read as follows:                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 2:                                                                                                            
          Delete "and"                                                                                                        
          Following "fund":                                                                                                   
                Insert "; and providing for an effective                                                                      
     date"                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 5, following line 11:                                                                                                 
          Insert a new bill section to read:                                                                                    
          "*Sec.6. This Act takes effect immediately under                                                                    
     AS 01.10.070(c)."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
11:27:35 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK  explained that the amendment  would change                                                              
the effective date to be immediate.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:28:20 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER removed  his objection.   There  being no  further                                                              
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
11:28:29 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 11:28 a.m. to 11:29 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:29:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR RAUSCHER opened public testimony on HB 154.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
11:30:05 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS  ROSE, Director,  Renewable  Alaska  Energy Project,  stated                                                              
that  the Renewable  Alaska  Energy  Project (REAP)  supports  the                                                              
proposed  legislation.   He  expressed the  belief  that it  would                                                              
open  new  opportunities  to  use   renewable  energy;  therefore,                                                              
Alaskans would  save money on energy.   He said that HB  154 would                                                              
improve  energy  efficiency  in  buildings.    He  explained  that                                                              
natural  gas  is  decreasing in  supply,  and  alternative  energy                                                              
sources would allow natural gas to be saved for heating.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:32:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ANNA  YANCY, representing  self,  testified  in opposition  to  HB
154.    She  argued that  the  proposed  legislation  would  allow                                                              
funding to nonprofit  and quasi-public entities.   She argued that                                                              
this language should be removed from the bill.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:34:47 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  RAUSCHER, after  ascertaining  there was  no  one else  who                                                              
wished to testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:35:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCKAY  moved  to  report  HB 154,  Version  B,  as                                                              
amended,  out of  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                              
the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
11:36:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX  objected.  He  commented that the  bill would                                                              
cause  Alaska to become  more dependent  on federal  funding.   He                                                              
then removed  his objection.   There  being no further  objection,                                                              
CSHB  154(ENE)  was moved  from  the  House Special  Committee  on                                                              
Energy.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
11:37:09 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 11:37 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:40:11 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further business  before the committee,  the House                                                              
Special Committee on Energy meeting was adjourned at 11:40 p.m.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
2023.04.12.Amendment.HB154.pdf HENE 4/18/2023 10:15:00 AM
HB 154