Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
04/18/2024 10:15 AM House ENERGY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB349 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 349 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
April 18, 2024
3:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative George Rauscher, Chair
Representative Tom McKay
Representative Stanley Wright
Representative Calvin Schrage
Representative Jennie Armstrong
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Thomas Baker
Representative Mike Prax
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 349
"An Act relating to leases of public land for renewable energy
projects; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 349
SHORT TITLE: RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT LEASES
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GROH
02/20/24 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/20/24 (H) RES, ENE, FIN
03/08/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/08/24 (H) Heard & Held
03/08/24 (H) MINUTE(RES)
03/11/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/11/24 (H) Heard & Held
03/11/24 (H) MINUTE(RES)
03/22/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/22/24 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
03/25/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/25/24 (H) <Bill Hearing Rescheduled to 03/27/24>
03/27/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
03/27/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
04/01/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/01/24 (H) Heard & Held
04/01/24 (H) MINUTE(RES)
04/05/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/05/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
04/08/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/08/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
04/09/24 (H) ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
04/09/24 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/11/24 (H) ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
04/11/24 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/15/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/15/24 (H) Scheduled but Not Heard
04/16/24 (H) ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
04/16/24 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/17/24 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/17/24 (H) Moved CSHB 349(RES) Out of Committee
04/17/24 (H) MINUTE(RES)
04/18/24 (H) ENE AT 10:15 AM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE CLIFF GROH
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, gave introduction of CSHB
349(RES).
CAMERON EBERSOLD, Staff
Representative Cliff Groh
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Representative Groh, prime
sponsor, gave a sectional analysis of CSHB 349(RES).
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:01:48 PM
CHAIR RAUSCHER called the House Special Committee on Energy
meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. Representatives Wright, Schrage,
Armstrong, McKay, and Rauscher were present at the call to
order.
HB 349-RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT LEASES
3:02:55 PM
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 349 "An Act relating to leases of public land
for renewable energy projects; and providing for an effective
date." [Before the committee was CSHB 349(RES).]
3:04:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CLIFF GROH, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, gave an introduction of CSHB 349(RES). He explained
that the proposed legislation would give a path towards
renewable energy development through a regulatory structure. It
aims to assist renewable energy products going forward
particularly through leases on state lands.
3:06:37 PM
CAMERON EBERSOLD, Staff, Representative Cliff Groh, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Groh, prime sponsor,
gave a sectional analysis of CSHB 349(RES). Before continuing,
he made clear that the sectional analysis, although drafted to
the original bill version, is largely unchanged by the
amendments adopted to HB 349 in the House Resources Standing
Committee. The sectional analysis [available in committee
packet], read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Section 1. Conforming change to AS 38.05.035(a)(8).
Section. 2. Conforming change to AS 38.05.070 (e).
Section. 3. Conforming change to AS 38.05.075(a).
Section. 4. Enacts four new sections of the Alaska
Statutes under Chapter 05. Alaska Land Act: AS
38.05.091 094, which creates a licensing and leasing
structure for renewable energy projects on
state-owned land analogous to the process found in AS
38.05.131 134, Oil and Gas Exploration
Licenses; Leases.
AS 38.05.091 Applicability; determination;
regulations.
Provides the provisions and authorities for the
Department of Natural Resources to offer feasibility
licenses. It provides the Commissioner with the
authority to adopt necessary regulations to
implement licensing and sets the maximum acreage any
licensee may hold at any time.
AS 38.05.092 Feasibility licenses for renewable energy
projects.
The DNR Commissioner may issue feasibility licenses to
encourage energy production on stateowned
land. These licenses give the licensee the exclusive
right to explore the surface estate on state
land and evaluate that land's potential for a
renewable energy project. The term of this license
cannot
exceed 10 years.
A feasibility license must be conditioned on an
obligation to perform a specified work commitment
and make progress on this work commitment by certain
intervals during the life of the license, post
of bond or other security, and be subject to annual
review. The Commissioner may terminate the
license early if the licensee has not made sufficient
progress on their work commitment.
2
It provides the option to convert the license for all
or part of the land into a lease of state-owned land
for a renewable energy project upon fulfillment of the
work requirements contained in the feasibility
license. The licensee does not have this option if the
lease is terminated.
The land and water included within an area subject to
a feasibility license must, to the extent practicable,
remain open to the public for hunting, fishing, and
other generally allowed uses, and to mineral
exploration and development.
AS 38.05.093. License procedures.
This section contains the procedures to issue a
feasibility license. The process is initiated by an
interested party issuing a proposal describing a
specific piece of land and project.
Within 180 days after receiving a proposal, the
Commissioner shall either reject the proposal in a
written decision or give public notice of the intent
to evaluate the acceptability of the proposal. The
Commissioner shall solicit comments on the proposal
for which public notice is given, and they shall
request competing proposals.
The Commissioner must issue a written finding,
including any modifications to the proposal necessary
to make the license conform to the best interests of
the state. This section also contains provisions for
soliciting a competitive bid in the event of multiple
interested parties.
AS 38.05.094. Conversion to lease.
Upon request by licensee and if the Commissioner
determines that the work commitment obligation has
been met, the Commissioner shall convert all or part
of the area described in the feasibility license into
a lease of that state land to develop the renewable
energy project described.
The Commissioner would be required to produce an
annual report to the Legislature describing leases
entered into under this section. This report must
contain the number of total leases entered into each
fiscal year, a complete list of information for each
ongoing lease, a list of expired or terminated leases
during the preceding or current fiscal year with the
reason the lease expired or was terminated; and a
description of the cumulative revenue received from
leases, the revenue received by the State from leases
during the preceding fiscal year and anticipated
revenue the State will receive in the current fiscal
year.
Section 5. Conforming change to AS 38.05.102.
Section 6. Conforming change to AS 38.05.945(a)(6).
Section 7. Conforming change to AS 38.05.945(e)
Section 8. Adds a definition of "renewable energy
project" to AS.38.05.965.
Section 9. Provides an immediate effective date.
3:12:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GROH offered to answer committee questions.
3:13:21 PM
CHAIR RAUSCHER made a committee announcement that there would be
public testimony on CSHB 349(RES) on Tuesday.
3:14:00 PM
CHAIR RAUSCHER announced that CSHB 349(RES) was held over.
3:15:10 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Energy meeting was adjourned at 3:15 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB0349B.pdf |
HENE 4/18/2024 10:15:00 AM |
HB 349 |
| HB349.Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HENE 4/18/2024 10:15:00 AM |
HB 349 |
| CSHB349.HRES.D.sectional.history.pdf |
HENE 4/18/2024 10:15:00 AM |
HB 349 |