Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
02/13/2024 11:00 AM House ENERGY
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Overview: Renewable Energy Fund, Round 16 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
February 13, 2024
11:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative George Rauscher, Chair
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Thomas Baker
Representative Stanley Wright
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Calvin Schrage
Representative Jennie Armstrong
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND~ ROUND 16
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
KAREN BELL, Manager of Planning
Alaska Energy Authority
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave the Renewable Energy Fund, Round 16
Overview.
ACTION NARRATIVE
11:00:36 AM
CHAIR RAUSCHER called the House Special Committee on Energy
meeting to order at 11:00 a.m. Representatives Schrage, McKay,
Baker, Prax, and Rauscher were present at the call to order.
Representatives Wright and Armstrong arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
^OVERVIEW: RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND, ROUND 16
OVERVIEW: RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND, ROUND 16
11:01:43 AM
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that the only order of business would
be the Renewable Energy Fund, Round 16 Overview.
11:02:23 AM
KAREN BELL, Manager of Planning, Alaska Energy Authority (AEA),
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
(DCCED), gave the Renewable Energy Fund, Round 16 Overview. She
began a PowerPoint [hard copy included in the committee packet],
on slide 2, where she gave a general overview of the renewable
energy fund (REF), including its history as a program and the
laws that relate to it. Moving to slide 3, she explained the
role REF has played in saving fuel, carbon emissions, and money.
She then showed slide 4, which highlights the statutory guidance
that an REF project must follow. Advancing to slide 5, she
explained in detail REF funding limits, exceptions for those
limits, and how they are governed by the cost of the area in
which they're constructed. Slide 6 offered a timeline of the
grant application and approval process.
11:10:35 AM
MS. BELL continued to slides 7 and 8, which described the first
and second stages of the REF evaluation process and the
technical and economic feasibility of a project. She turned to
slide 9 and spoke on the third stage of the REF evaluation
process related to project ranking, with many different
categories contributing to it. In response to Chair Rauscher,
she said the number of projects that fail on average varies by
round. Highlighting slide 10, she touched on the final stage of
the REF evaluation process, the final ranking and regional
spreading.
11:16:00 AM
MS. BELL continued to slide 11, which broke down the board and
it's makeup and how each position is appointed. Slide 12
explained REF's proposed capitalization. She continued to slide
13, which broke down the recommended applications. In response
to a question from Representative Schrage, she explained that
there must be a match in order to secure federal funding. In
response to a question from Representative Prax, she explained
that the amount of operating costs and federal grants fluctuates
from project to project.
11:23:13 AM
MS. BELL moved to slide 14, which elaborated on the summary of
recommended applications. In response to Chair Rauscher, she
confirmed that for the purposes of the REF program, biomass,
hydro, and storage are already defined as renewable energy. She
continued to slide 15, which showed a map of recommended
applications for the REF fund. Slide 16 listed each recommended
application forwarded to the legislature for funding. In
response to Chair Rauscher, she indicated that the Kenai
Peninsula Solar Farm is working with Clean Capital. In response
to Representative Schrage, she indicated that it was accurate to
predict that the Homer project would reduce gas consumption. In
response to Representative Prax, she explained the cost-to-
benefit column on the slide, stating that the projects are
sorted by rank determined by things other than just cost-benefit
ratio. In response to Representative Schrage, she explained
that a project with a zero cost-benefit ratio was in its
reconnaissance phase. In response to questions from
Representative McKay, she confirmed that AEA does verify and
guarantee that the pieces of equipment work; it issues quarterly
reports. She said bonding is dependent on the type of project.
11:41:23 AM
MS. BELL continued her presentation on slide 17, which was
another list of recommended projects for the legislature. Slide
18 provided recommended REF applications to the legislature.
That concluded the overview.
11:46:02 AM
MS. BELL, in response to Representative Schrage, explained that
all funding must be appropriated by the legislature. She
explained to Representative Prax that a "need" referred to
financial need. In response to further questions, she explained
that there are several projects that have been stalled for
various issues and other projects that have not even commenced
because they lack the necessary funding. She confirmed that the
purpose of the rankings was to relieve legislators of time spent
in evaluating each individual REF application. She indicated
that options such as downstream funding are all under
consideration.
11:56:09 AM
CHAIR RAUSCHER thanked Ms. Bell for the overview.
11:57:27 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Energy meeting was adjourned at 11:57 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| APA REF Support.pdf |
HENE 2/13/2024 11:00:00 AM |
Renewable Energy Fund |
| REF_Rd16_House_Energy_Committee_Final.pdf |
HENE 2/13/2024 11:00:00 AM |
REF Round 16 |