Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
04/25/2023 10:15 AM House ENERGY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Overview: Arctic Energy Office | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
April 25, 2023
10:12 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
PRESENTATION: OVERVIEW: ARCTIC ENERGY OFFICE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
ERIN WHITNEY, PhD, Director
Arctic Energy Office
U.S. Department of Energy
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"Artic Energy Office Introduction."
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:15:50 AM
CHAIR GEORGE RAUSCHER called the House Special Committee on
Energy meeting to order at 10:12 a.m. Representatives Prax and
Rauscher were present at the call to order. Representatives
McKay, Wright, Carrick, and Schrage arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
^PRESENTATION: OVERVIEW: ARCTIC ENERGY OFFICE
PRESENTATION: OVERVIEW: ARCTIC ENERGY OFFICE
10:17:06 AM
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that the only order of business would
be a presentation, titled "Overview: Artic Energy Office."
10:18:12 AM
ERIN WHITNEY, Ph.D., Director, Arctic Energy Office, U.S.
Department of Energy (DoE), presented the PowerPoint, titled
"Artic Energy Office Introduction" [hard copy included in the
committee packet.] She gave a brief overview of the context for
the Artic Energy Office (AEO). She stated that natural,
economic, and political environments in the Artic region are
changing, and many different national, commercial, and
indigenous stakeholders are involved. She said that AEO's
vision is to connect the Artic with DoE to meet the energy,
scientific, and security needs of the U.S. and its Artic allies.
She stated that DoE seeks to combat climate change, promote
energy justice, facilitate an energy transition, and create
clean energy jobs in the Artic.
10:22:00 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving to slide 4 and slide 5, stated that AEO had
been re-established in 2019 so it could advertise for domestic
energy, science, and national security issues in the Artic. She
stated that in 2021 the omnibus funding bill directed DOE to
continue focusing on issues in the Artic. She stated that AEO
is comprised of experts in engineering, international relations,
scientific research, military relations, and tribal
consultations. She added that AEO supports DOE policies and
programs by working with Artic stakeholders to advance Artic
energy transition.
10:24:04 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving to slide 6 through slide 8, stated that AEO
is advancing research in several different areas of energy
generation. She pointed out that research for the increased
efficiency in microgrids is ongoing, in addition to upcoming
projects using fossil fuel, geothermal, nuclear, solar, and wind
generation. She said that funding has been awarded to Launch
Alaska to advance electric vehicle usage in the state. She
stated that AOE supports the efforts of several DOE projects in
Alaska, including atmospheric radiation measurement, the
Exascale Earth System Model and the Next-Generation Ecosystem
Experiments. She stated that a February 2023 report on the
Artic found that the infrastructure needs to be modified to fit
changing conditions and advance the understanding of how the
Artic impacts the global economy.
10:28:24 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving to slide 9 and slide 10, gave a brief
overview of the security focuses of AEO. She noted that AEO
supports national energy security by promoting science,
technology, engineering, and math initiatives in the Artic by
collaborating with the U.S. State Department's Artic coordinator
and the White House Arctic Executive Steering Committee. She
said that in 2022 a National Strategy for the Artic Region
(NSAR) was created. She highlighted that the plan had
significant input from AEO and emphasized the increasing
economic and national security importance of the Artic.
10:30:32 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT questioned who is involved in NSAR.
DR. WHITNEY answered that it is a multi-agency effort headed by
the White House Arctic Executive Steering Committee. She
offered to follow up to the committee with the list of the
approximately 40 people on the committee. In response to a
follow-up question, she said most federal departments have some
involvement, including DoE, the U.S. Department of the Interior,
the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce,
and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In response to a
follow-up question, she expressed uncertainty about whether
there are other Alaskans on the committee.
10:32:56 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving to slide 11 and slide 12, continued her
overview of NSAR. The strategy promotes sustainable economic
development, including a deep draft harbor in Nome, Alaska. It
also supports the development of renewable energy sources and
improving access to affordable energy. She said that DoE seeks
to advance decarbonization while increasing resilience, and it
seeks to advance scientific understanding of the challenges
being faced in Alaska's Artic region, which in turn will
increase national security in the Artic.
10:36:11 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving to slide 13 and slide 14, stated that DoE
awarded $221,441 for state energy programs from 2015 through
2018, and an additional $1,220,420 was awarded for state energy
programs from 2018 through 2022. She said that grants for the
Weatherization Assistance Program resulted in 1,299 homes
becoming weatherized, 289 jobs being created or retained, and
14,489 people being impacted by energy efficiency improvements.
She displayed a list showing the various interagency and
international agencies and organizations that DOE is working
with to meet its Artic goals.
10:39:31 AM
DR. WHITNEY, moving from slides 15 to 17, stated that AEO's
presence in Alaska has opened research opportunities with
national labs. She stated that in order to improve research in
Alaska, AEO tracks the expertise and resources of other labs
relative to the needs in the state. She stated that AEO has
responsibility for a small amount of airspace near Oliktok,
which is the site of an important Artic research center. The
future priorities of AEO include facilitating partnerships with
other federal agencies, organizing and working toward DoE
funding opportunities, and communicating the value of Artic
energy projects in regard to national security priorities. She
added that AEO has facilitated webinars to spread awareness of
those federal funding opportunities.
10:45:02 AM
CHAIR RAUSCHER asked what role AEO has in maintaining the
Oliktok airspace.
DR. WHITNEY answered that it simply monitors activity. In
response to a follow-up question, she answered that it is not
her personal role. Concerning DoE's budget, she expressed
uncertainty of its overall budget. She added that AEO has a
budget of $2 million annually.
10:48:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether AEO is considering Alaska's
coal resources.
DR. WHITNEY answered that AEO is taking an "all of the above
approach" to energy, including fossil fuels. She said that AEO
seeks to pair coal with environmental management technologies.
In response to a follow-up question, she said that AEO is
Alaska's voice within DoE. She stated that AEO communicates the
needs and challenges of Alaska with the department. She added
that some of those needs are specific to different tribal
entities.
10:54:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked how DoE is involved in infrastructure
projects, such as the harbor in Nome.
DR. WHITNEY answered that DoE provides advice to these projects,
and its role is continuing to evolve. In response to a follow-
up question, she said that DoE continues to have discussions
with other departments and agencies in order to create a defined
role.
10:57:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT expressed concern over the lack of input
from Alaskans on NSAR.
DR. WHITNEY expressed the same concern and said that she would
gather a list of individuals who had worked on creating the
plan.
11:00:18 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Energy meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Erin Whitney State House Energy Committee March 28 2023.pdf |
HENE 4/25/2023 10:15:00 AM |
DOE Arctic Energy |