Legislature(2015 - 2016)SENATE FINANCE 532

03/16/2016 01:30 PM Senate FINANCE

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01:37:42 PM Start
01:39:00 PM Alaska Enterprise Agency Analysis: Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority
02:35:25 PM Alaska Enterprise Agency Analysis: Alaska Energy Authority
03:07:42 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Alaska Enterprise Agency Analysis: TELECONFERENCED
Alaska Industrial Development and
Export Authority
Alaska Energy Authority
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
                  SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                      
                       March 16, 2016                                                                                           
                          1:37 p.m.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:37:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   called  the  Senate  Finance   Committee                                                                  
meeting to order at 1:37 p.m.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Anna MacKinnon, Co-Chair                                                                                                
Senator Pete Kelly, Co-Chair                                                                                                    
Senator Peter Micciche, Vice-Chair                                                                                              
Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                            
Senator Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                           
Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                           
Senator Donny Olson                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
None                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ALSO PRESENT                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
John  Springsteen,   Executive  Director,  Alaska   Industrial                                                                  
Development   and  Export  Authority   (AIDEA);  Mike   Catsi,                                                                  
Director,  Business  Development  and  Communications,  AIDEA;                                                                  
Brenda  Applegate,   Controller,  AIDEA;  Sarah   Fisher-Goad,                                                                  
Executive  Director, Alaska  Energy  Authority, Department  of                                                                  
Commerce, Community and Economic Development.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
ALASKA ENTERPRISE AGENCY ANALYSIS:                                                                                              
     ALASKA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPORT AUTHORITY                                                                         
     ALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon discussed the schedule.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
^ALASKA   ENTERPRISE   AGENCY  ANALYSIS:   ALASKA   INDUSTRIAL                                                                
DEVELOPMENT and EXPORT AUTHORITY                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:39:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon directed  attention  to an  email sent  by                                                                  
her staff,  containing 12 questions  (copy not on  file) asked                                                                  
of the  enterprise agencies.  She explained  that each  agency                                                                  
had  taken   a  different   approach   when  considering   the                                                                  
questions.  She noted  that the presentation  being  discussed                                                                  
quoted the questions.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  SPRINGSTEEN,   EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR,  ALASKA   INDUSTRIAL                                                                  
DEVELOPMENT  AND  EXPORT  AUTHORITY (AIDEA),  stated  that  he                                                                  
would be  happy to answer questions  as he was discussing  his                                                                  
presentation.  He added that he  had additional staff  present                                                                  
to answer questions of the committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen   discussed   the   presentation   "Alaska's                                                                  
Development Finance Authority" (copy on file).                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  turned   to  slide  2,  "1a)  What  is  your                                                                  
Strategic Vision?"                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen addressed slide 3, "1a) Strategic Vision":                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        · Create an investment-ready project portfolio for                                                                      
          the state of Alaska.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
        · Develop     formal    project    finance     banking                                                                  
          relationships with strategic investment partners.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  informed  that  AIDEA was  a  recipient  and                                                                  
conduit    for   a    variety   of    Alaska-based    business                                                                  
opportunities  and  development  plans.  He furthered  that  a                                                                  
number  of sizeable  projects came  across  AIDEA's desk,  and                                                                  
the  authority  played  an  important   role  in  vetting  the                                                                  
projects  and working with  project proponents  to move  ideas                                                                  
from the  early stage  to being  investment-ready. He  thought                                                                  
that the  next step for  AIDEA was to  prepare a portfolio  of                                                                  
investment-ready   projects,  and   act  as  an   intermediary                                                                  
between   project   proponents    and   sources   of   project                                                                  
financing.   He    mentioned   banking   relationships    with                                                                  
strategic investment partners.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  continued to discuss  slide 3, and  specified                                                                  
that  AIDEA  had  existing  relationships  with  domestic  and                                                                  
foreign  financing  partners on  a  project-by-project  basis.                                                                  
He  thought  it  was  important   for  AIDEA  to  improve  and                                                                  
increase  regular access  to partner capital;  whether  it was                                                                  
through  private  equity,  pension   funds,  hedge  funds,  or                                                                  
foreign  banks.  He believed  AIDEA  would benefit  from  more                                                                  
formal  arrangements through  ongoing  cooperation  agreements                                                                  
with potential project financing partners.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop   asked  if  the  project  partners   included                                                                  
federal lending agencies.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen answered  in  the affirmative.  He  explained                                                                  
that  AIDEA engaged  federal agencies  for  funding for  large                                                                  
capital   projects  in   the  context   of  a   public-private                                                                  
partnership.  He continued  that AIDEA  considered the  public                                                                  
benefit  of  a  public  funding  source,  and  qualified  that                                                                  
AIDEA  was  geared more  toward  private  funding  sources  to                                                                  
drive state development.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop asked  if Mr.  Springsteen  was familiar  with                                                                  
the federal program involving new market tax credits.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  stated                                                                  
that AIDEA had the ability to offer new market tax credits.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:43:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy referred to the second bullet on slide 6:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA provides affordable, long-term asset financing                                                                     
        for growing and diversifying Alaska's economy, and                                                                      
        for expanding job opportunities for Alaskans.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator Dunleavy  wondered if Mr.  Springsteen could  point to                                                                  
projects  that   were  successful   and  that  functioned   to                                                                  
diversify the economy.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  referred  to  the  Red  Dog  Mine  road  and                                                                  
ports;   the  Skagway   Ore   terminal,   and  the   Ketchikan                                                                  
shipyard.  He  relayed  that  AIDEA  had  partnered  with  the                                                                  
federal  government on  the Camp Denali  Readiness Center,  at                                                                  
the joint  base Elmendorf-Richardson.  He summarized  that the                                                                  
examples were  projects that AIDEA  had invested in,  and were                                                                  
providing  returns  and jobs  for  the state.  He  went on  to                                                                  
list   the  loan   participation  program,   which   supported                                                                  
commercial  and industrial  businesses  throughout the  state.                                                                  
He  added  that  AIDEA had  the  ability  to  offer  different                                                                  
types  of conduit  bonds, whereby  it accessed  financing  and                                                                  
facilitated   financing   for   different    businesses.   The                                                                  
activity  was similar  to AIDEA  functions  in the  beginning,                                                                  
when it did not have a budget of its own to invest.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy asked  what  Mr. Springsteen  considered  to                                                                  
be the  largest, most  successful project  that gave  a return                                                                  
on investment.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  gave  the example  of the  Red Dog Mine  road                                                                  
and port.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy  asked if  the  road  was developed  in  the                                                                  
1980s or 1990s.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  informed  that the  Red  Dog Mine  road  was                                                                  
built in  the mid to  late 1980s,  and was operating  starting                                                                  
in the 1990s.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  turned to  slide 5, "1b)  Value to the  state                                                                  
of Alaska":                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     AIDEA's   mission   is  established   by   Statute.   The                                                                  
     Authority  was created  by the legislature  as a  "public                                                                  
     corporation"  to  advance   the  economic  prosperity  of                                                                  
     Alaskans   by  diversifying   the   Alaska  economy   and                                                                  
     promoting  the  creation and  retention  of Alaskan  jobs                                                                  
     (See AS 44.88.070)                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     With this  background in mind,  staff believes  the Board                                                                  
     must counterbalance two competing interests:                                                                               
          -Provide an adequate financial return to the                                                                          
          State in the form of a cash dividend, as                                                                              
          contemplated by the Statute, versus                                                                                   
          -Ensure the Authority retains the financial                                                                           
          capability to achieve its economic development                                                                        
          mission of the State.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  showed slide  6, "1b) Value  to the  state of                                                                  
Alaska (cont'd)":                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     ·  AIDEA provides  a sustainable  and objective  economic                                                                  
        development platform on which all opportunities are                                                                     
        vetted for their economic and financial feasibility.                                                                    
     ·  AIDEA provides affordable,  long-term asset  financing                                                                  
        for growing and diversifying Alaska's economy, and                                                                      
        for expanding job opportunities for Alaskans.                                                                           
     ·  AIDEA  is  a  prudent   caretaker  of  the   state  of                                                                  
        Alaska's financial assets, growing the state's                                                                          
        initial revolving fund investment of $332.5 million                                                                     
        into $1.67 billion.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked what tools  were used to  consider a                                                                  
purchase price when AIDEA valued an asset.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  qualified that  AIDEA  went  through a  due-                                                                  
diligence process,  and carried  the value on its  books under                                                                  
generally  accepted   accounting  principles   (GAAP);  so  if                                                                  
there was  orderly divestiture  or acquisition,  it would  use                                                                  
fair market value metrics.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked if  realized earnings were  captured                                                                  
on an annual basis, or if AIDEA booked unrealized earnings.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen   relayed  that   under   the   Governmental                                                                  
Accounting  Standards  Board  (GASB),  AIDEA was  required  to                                                                  
report mark to market value.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:47:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  read  slide  7,  "2)  When  was  the  Agency                                                                  
created and how much state funds were invested?"                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  showed  slide  8, "2)  AIDEA  Creation."  He                                                                  
recounted that  AIDEA had been  created in 1967, and  hoped it                                                                  
would reach its 50th anniversary the following year.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  showed slide  9,  "2) AIDEA  Revolving  Fund                                                                  
Initial Capitalization (cont'd)":                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        · AIDEA was funded in the early 1980s with a $166                                                                       
          million loan portfolio and $23 million cash,                                                                          
          which provided initial funding for what is now                                                                        
          known as the Loan Participation Program.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
        · In the mid-1980s, to assist in the development of                                                                     
          the  Red Dog Mine,  the Project Development  Program                                                                  
          was  created  and AIDEA  received  a loan  portfolio                                                                  
          and   cash  totaling   $143.5  million  to   support                                                                  
          financing   the   DeLong   Mountain   Transportation                                                                  
          System.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read slide 10,  "3)What is the current  level                                                                  
of funding from the Legislature?"                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  addressed slide  11, "3) Current  Legislative                                                                  
Funding,":                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        · Operating Budget - $0.00                                                                                              
          -AIDEA    has    historically     self-funded    its                                                                  
          operations.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        · Current Legislatively Assigned Projects                                                                               
          -Interior Energy Project ($57.5 M)                                                                                    
          -Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Project                                                                     
          ($17.0 M)                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
        · Other Recent Capital Appropriations                                                                                   
          -Ketchikan Shipyard ($1.18M)                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen   added  that   AIDEA  was  subject   to  the                                                                  
Executive  Budget  Act. He  detailed  that  the  appropriation                                                                  
for  the Ketchikan  Shipyard  was  to relocate  an  electrical                                                                  
substation.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read  slide 12,  "4) What  is the  management                                                                  
structure of the Agency?"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen  turned   to   slide  13,   "4)   Management                                                                  
Structure,"   which  depicted   a  flow   chart  that   showed                                                                  
different areas  of program  functions, management,  and board                                                                  
and  executive functions.  He  explained  that staff  reported                                                                  
to  the AIDEA  Board of  Directors,  which  consisted of:  the                                                                  
commissioner  of Department  of Revenue;  the commissioner  of                                                                  
the   Department   of   Commerce,   Community   and   Economic                                                                  
Development    (DCCED);    and   five    successful    Alaskan                                                                  
businesspeople.  He  continued   that  he  was  in  charge  of                                                                  
administering  and overseeing the  authority on behalf  of the                                                                  
board on a  day to day basis.  The finance and operations,  or                                                                  
"back  office"  unit,  provided  administrative  services  and                                                                  
support  services   for  AIDEA,   including:  accounting,   IT                                                                  
support,   human  resources,   procurement,  compliance,   and                                                                  
treasury.  He   described  the  "front  office"   unit,  which                                                                  
included:  business development,  commercial finance,  project                                                                  
development,    asset    management,     and    infrastructure                                                                  
development.  Additionally,  the front  office leaders  played                                                                  
key   roles   in   suitability   committees   and   investment                                                                  
committees.  He specified  that  the Chief  Financial  Officer                                                                  
was critical in all bond issuances for the authority.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  turned  to  slide  14,  "4) AIDEA  \  AEA  &                                                                  
Consolidated  Shared Services." He  relayed that AIDEA  shared                                                                  
its back  office with  the Alaska Energy  Authority (AEA).  He                                                                  
noted  that AIDEA covered  30 percent  to 40  percent of  back                                                                  
office  costs, while  AEA covered  60 percent  to 70  percent;                                                                  
and the ratio  was equivalent to  the use of the resource.  He                                                                  
added   that  shared   services  provided   benefits  to   the                                                                  
organizations  in terms  of  managing schedules,  providing  a                                                                  
broader  knowledge  base,  and  separating  duties  to  combat                                                                  
fraud.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read slide  15, "5)  How many employees  work                                                                  
for  the Agency?  How  are they  funded?"  and  noted that  he                                                                  
would  discuss   three  consecutive  slides  to   address  the                                                                  
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  showed slide  16, "5) Organizational  Chart,"                                                                  
and  shared   that  AIDEA   had  17   (filled)  front   office                                                                  
positions which were self-funded.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  reviewed slide  17, "5) Organizational  Chart                                                                  
(cont'd),"  and reiterated  that AIDEA  used and  paid for  30                                                                  
percent  to 40  percent  of back  office shared  services.  He                                                                  
expanded  that  there  were  32  (filled)   positions  in  the                                                                  
shared services group.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:50:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon asked for the total number of positions.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  explained  that on  slide 17,  there were  21                                                                  
authorized positions  for the front  office, 17 of  which were                                                                  
filled. He  continued that for  shared services there  were 38                                                                  
authorized positions, 32 of which were filled.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  turned  to  slide  18,   "5)  Organizational                                                                  
Chart  (cont'd),"  which  showed  a  combined  flow  chart  of                                                                  
AIDEA and  AEA that illustrated  shared services.  Between the                                                                  
two  authorities,   there   were  85   filled  positions,   21                                                                  
vacancies, and 106 total authorized positions.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Bishop  asked   if  the   authority  was   currently                                                                  
recruiting or was fully staffed.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  stated  that there were  two positions  AIDEA                                                                  
wanted  to  fill in  the  front  line staff  area,  while  two                                                                  
others might go unfilled.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   asked  if   there  was  a  way   to  re-                                                                  
prioritize  agency functions  or  eliminate  programs so  that                                                                  
the positions did not have to be filled.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  commented  that there  was a balance  between                                                                  
doing  as  much  as  possible  with  what  was  available,  or                                                                  
cutting and  doing less.  He wondered  if there was  incentive                                                                  
as enterprise  development  to have  a full  staff to  execute                                                                  
the mission of the authority.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  pointed  out  the 21  vacancies  at  the                                                                  
authority,  and he thought  there was  potentially $2  million                                                                  
in  savings during  a  difficult time  in fiscal  history.  He                                                                  
wondered  why there  was  not a  substantive  reduction  being                                                                  
considered  until  the  state budget  had  an  opportunity  to                                                                  
recover.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen believed  that  AIDEA could  execute cuts  on                                                                  
behalf of  the legislature.  He continued  that the  authority                                                                  
was  seeking  direction  regarding budget  cuts.  He  expanded                                                                  
that if  the judgement  of the legislature  was to focus  more                                                                  
on enterprise  development,  he would  request more  staffing;                                                                  
however,  if  the judgement  was  to  curtail  some  authority                                                                  
activities then AIDEA would adjust accordingly.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  thought the  matter would be addressed  in                                                                  
a later slide.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:54:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read slide 19,  "6) Does the Agency  generate                                                                  
revenue?"                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  discussed slide  20, "6) Excerpt  from Annual                                                                  
Report,"  which showed  a page  from the  AIDEA annual  report                                                                  
entitled "FY15 Financials".                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  showed slide  21,  "6) Excerpt  from  Annual                                                                  
Report (cont'd),"  which showed  an enlarged section  from the                                                                  
previous  slide titled,  "Revenues,  Expenses  and Changes  in                                                                  
Net  Position." He  detailed  that AIDEA's  revenue  consisted                                                                  
of   loan   interest,   development    project   income,   and                                                                  
investment  interest  in  other  income.  He  highlighted  the                                                                  
line  "Snettisham  Project restricted  income,"  which  showed                                                                  
the  project interest  expense paid  to  bondholders, and  AEA                                                                  
reimbursement  for costs borne by  AIDEA to cover  AEA payroll                                                                  
and shared services costs.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked  Mr.  Springsteen  to look  at  the                                                                  
line  entitled,  "Net increase/(decrease)   in fair  value  of                                                                  
investments."  She  acknowledged  that  it  had been  a  tough                                                                  
return  year, particularly  in the  third  and fourth  quarter                                                                  
of 2015,  and wondered if Mr.  Springsteen could speak  to the                                                                  
loss of almost $5 million in funds.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen pointed  out that  the  net decrease  related                                                                  
to the  GASB provision  of mark to  market, and was  primarily                                                                  
driven  by  AIDEA's   investment  portfolio  of   cash  as  it                                                                  
evaluated a  project for investment.  He was unsure if  he was                                                                  
using the  correct accounting terms,  but elaborated  that the                                                                  
difference  was  due  to realized  but  unrecognized  gain  or                                                                  
loss. He  clarified that there  were not actual cash  gains or                                                                  
losses,  rather the  figure  was just  a reflection  of  where                                                                  
the  portfolio  was. He  added  that  AIDEA  had not  sold  or                                                                  
bought anything to recognize the gain or loss.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  remarked  that  in the  past  year,  GASB                                                                  
required  cities  and states  to  start  recognizing  unfunded                                                                  
pension  liabilities.  She wondered  if such  information  was                                                                  
reflected in the slide.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen  referred   the   question   to  the   AIDEA                                                                  
controller.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:56:46 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:57:01 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read slide 22,  "7) Does the Agency  return a                                                                  
dividend to the state? How much?"                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  discussed  slide 23,  "7) Dividend  History."                                                                  
He recounted  that  since 1995  AIDEA had  returned an  annual                                                                  
dividend  to the state,  and the  total declared  to date  was                                                                  
approximately $380 million.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   MacKinnon   asked   if  Mr.   Springsteen   had   a                                                                  
percentage  to  quantify the  dividend  total  as compared  to                                                                  
total assets invested by the state.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  recalled that there  had been $332.5  million                                                                  
dollars  originally  invested  by  the  state,  and  estimated                                                                  
that  the total  dividends  constituted  130 percent  of  what                                                                  
was  originally  invested.  He  communicated  that  there  was                                                                  
another view  of how AIDEA had  used the original  investment,                                                                  
grown  the  net  asset  base,  and  returned  a  dividend.  He                                                                  
considered  that  after  the  original  investment  of  $332.5                                                                  
million,  current net assets  of roughly  $1.3 billion,  and a                                                                  
return of  $380 million in dividends  to the state;  there was                                                                  
a  total  of  $1.68  billion,  which  equated  to  about  a  5                                                                  
percent annual return.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if the  state  owned the  projects,                                                                  
or  did an  entity  borrow money  under  the umbrella  of  the                                                                  
state and own the projects.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen   stated   that  there   was  a  variety   of                                                                  
structures  and  arrangements;  and the  net assets  at  AIDEA                                                                  
included  investments, loan  portfolio, and  projects that  it                                                                  
had directly  financed. He added  that the net assets  did not                                                                  
include conduit issuances.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if the $1.3  billion in net  assets                                                                  
were owned by the state.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  commented that  it  would be  interesting  to                                                                  
see  the total  generation of  cash throughout  the  different                                                                  
projects.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche stated  he was  enormously supportive  of                                                                  
the  mission of  AIDEA,  and surmised  that  the dividend  had                                                                  
returned  about  3 percent  if  averaged  over ten  years.  He                                                                  
wondered  if  there was  a  way of  quantifying  the  ultimate                                                                  
value  of  jobs  and  revenue  that  trickled  down  from  the                                                                  
projects  that AIDEA  had sponsored.  He  recognized that  the                                                                  
calculation would be a huge task.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen   deferred  the  question  to   the  business                                                                  
development  and   communications  officer,  who   would  have                                                                  
statistics regarding employment and economic multipliers.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:00:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE    CATSI,    DIRECTOR,    BUSINESS     DEVELOPMENT    AND                                                                  
COMMUNICATIONS,   AIDEA,  stated  that  the  authority   could                                                                  
generate  the   data  after  a  comprehensive   evaluation  of                                                                  
investments  that  had been  made  over  the years.  He  noted                                                                  
that  multipliers  changed each  year,  for each  region,  and                                                                  
for each type of project and industry.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche remarked  that  AIDEA was  created for  a                                                                  
much  larger  purpose  than  returning  a  3  percent  average                                                                  
dividend  over   ten  years.  He  wanted  to   understand  the                                                                  
history  of  the  value  of  AIDEA,   and  how  the  authority                                                                  
quantified the value.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Catsi  specified that  the agency  considered direct  jobs                                                                  
created  and retained (permanent  and temporary),  as  well as                                                                  
indirect and  induced jobs from  each project. He  thought the                                                                  
impact  of every  job  created  and  impact of  every  million                                                                  
dollars  invested  was  considerable,  and  created  a  ripple                                                                  
effect.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  referred to  slide  21, and  pointed  out                                                                  
the  net  decrease of  $4.9  million.  She  asked if  the  new                                                                  
recording  of unfunded  pension  liabilities  was included  in                                                                  
the amount.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BRENDA  APPLEGATE, CONTROLLER,  AIDEA, stated  that AIDEA  had                                                                  
implemented  the new  accounting standards  regarding  pension                                                                  
obligation  in FY 15  along with  the rest  of the state.  She                                                                  
specified  that the pension  obligation  was reflected  in the                                                                  
net income  reported  for the year,  but was  not included  in                                                                  
the $4.9  million decrease in  fair value of investments.  She                                                                  
noted  that the  pension obligation  was  included in  general                                                                  
and  administrative  expense,  and furthered  that  AIDEA  had                                                                  
recognized a  total pension expense  of $1.249 million  for FY                                                                  
15 (which did not include medical benefits).                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:04:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair   MacKinnon   asked   if  the   amount   of   pension                                                                  
obligation   would   be   decreasing,   and   if   AIDEA   was                                                                  
contributing towards the obligation in a different way.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Applegate  conveyed  that the authority  contributed  a 22                                                                  
percent  pension obligation  to  the state  every pay  period.                                                                  
She  relayed that  there  was a  cost  sharing  plan. She  was                                                                  
unsure if  the amount would go  up or down, but hoped  that it                                                                  
would  go  down.  She  thought  that   AIDEA  would  get  more                                                                  
information  on its allocated portion  from the state  plan at                                                                  
the end of the year.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon referred back to a bullet on slide 6:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
        · AIDEA is a prudent caretaker of the state of                                                                          
          Alaska's financial assets, growing the state's                                                                        
          initial revolving fund investment of $332.5                                                                           
          million into $1.67 billion.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  wondered if  a different number  than what                                                                  
was  reflected on  the  slide had  been discussed  at  another                                                                  
point in the presentation.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  clarified  that the  $1.67 billion  indicated                                                                  
on  the slide  included  both  the  net  assets and  the  $380                                                                  
million that  had been given in  dividends to the  state. When                                                                  
looking  at  an  enterprise,  AIDEA  considered   the  initial                                                                  
capital  provided;   then  the  return  on  capital   employed                                                                  
included the growth, assets, and dividend.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair   Micciche   asked  for   a  description   of   the                                                                  
difference between  the dividend  in 2005 versus the  dividend                                                                  
in 2011.  He wondered  what kinds of  factors had resulted  in                                                                  
the 300 percent difference.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  stated that  multiple factors influenced  the                                                                  
dividend   amount,  including   mark   to  market   accounting                                                                  
provisions.  He remarked that AIDEA  had not had a  write-down                                                                  
of  assets  for  an  AIDEA-approved  project  since  2000.  He                                                                  
added  that  general  market  conditions   also  impacted  the                                                                  
dividend.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked  if  taking  on new  risks  or  new                                                                  
projects affected the dividend.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen answered in the affirmative.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen read  slide  24, "8)  Is the  Agency able  to                                                                  
receive  Federal  funds?  Is  the   Agency  able  to  leverage                                                                  
Federal funds?"                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  addressed  slide  25,  "8)  Use  of  Federal                                                                  
Funds":                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA has the statutory authority to receive federal                                                                     
        funds  (see  AS 44.88.080  -  In  furtherance  of  its                                                                  
        corporate purposes,  the authority  has the  following                                                                  
        powers  in  addition  to  its  other  powers:  (9)  to                                                                  
        accept gifts,  grants, or loans  from, and enter  into                                                                  
        contracts or other  transactions regarding  them with,                                                                  
        a federal  agency,  an  agency or  instrumentality  of                                                                  
        the state,  a municipality,  a  private  organization,                                                                  
        or other source).                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     · Importantly, AIDEA also has the ability to leverage                                                                      
        federal tax-exempt  financing  as well  as tax  credit                                                                  
        programs (e.g. New Markets Tax Credits, Investment                                                                      
        and Production Tax Credits).                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read  slide 26,  "9) What  are your  Agency's                                                                  
capital assets?"                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  presented slide  27,  "9) Audited  Net  Book                                                                  
Values at 6/30/15":                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     · Development projects - $296,528,000                                                                                      
     · Other assets - $37,002,000                                                                                               
     · Snettisham Project assets - $78,419,000                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  summarized that  AIDEA's net value  of assets                                                                  
totaled  approximately  $411  million.  With the  addition  of                                                                  
the  loan   portfolio,  the   total  was  approximately   $600                                                                  
million.  He  added  that  the numbers  given  were  net  book                                                                  
value;  and  in  the case  that  an  orderly  liquidation  was                                                                  
considered, fair market value would need to be applied.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:08:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked about  AIDEA's total available  bond                                                                  
debt capacity.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  stated that the  question would be  addressed                                                                  
later in the presentation.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen read slide 28:                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     10a) Does the Agency have bonding authority?                                                                               
     10b) What are bonds issued for?                                                                                            
     10c) What is the current outstanding Debt?                                                                                 
     10d) What is the bonding capacity?                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  presented  slide 29, "10a)  Does Agency  have                                                                  
bonding authority?":                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     · Yes, taxable and tax-exempt revenue bonds, such as                                                                       
        Industrial Development Bonds, 501(c)(3) Bonds, and                                                                      
        Private Activity Bonds.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA also issues general obligation (GO) bonds.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  thought  it was  important to  note that  the                                                                  
AIDEA general  obligation bonds  were solely backed  by AIDEAs                                                                  
assets, which were (by statute) separate from the state.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  asked if there  was a moral obligation  by                                                                  
the state.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen answered in the negative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen looked  at  slide 30,  "10b)  What are  bonds                                                                  
issued for?":                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA may issue bonds to pay the cost of a project                                                                       
        or development projects or in order to provide money                                                                    
        for   the   authority's    purposes   under    statute                                                                  
        (AS44.88.080 (7)).                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  discussed slide  31,  "10b)  What are  bonds                                                                  
issued for (cont'd)?":                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA has issued 317 conduit revenue bonds for a                                                                         
        total of $1.36 billion. Bonds issued under this                                                                         
        program include:                                                                                                        
        -Aircraft/Aircraft facilities                                                                                           
        -Bulk Fuel storage and distribution                                                                                     
        -Hotels, motels, and lodges                                                                                             
        -Office space                                                                                                           
        -Warehousing/storage                                                                                                    
        -Retail                                                                                                                 
        -Hospitals/clinics                                                                                                      
        -Processing/manufacturing facilities                                                                                    
        -Car rental facility                                                                                                    
        -Hydroelectric dams                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     · Project Revenue Bonds                                                                                                    
        -Snettisham Hydroelectric facility                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     · AIDEA General Obligation Bonds                                                                                           
        -Delong Mountain Transportation System                                                                                  
        -Water and wastewater facility                                                                                          
        -Fedex Hangar                                                                                                           
        -Skagway Ore Terminal                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen commented  that  for conduit  revenue  bonds,                                                                  
AIDEA was  neither an  owner nor guarantor,  and was  solely a                                                                  
facilitator.  Bonds  were  backed  only  by  the  project,  or                                                                  
facility  revenue  and assets.  He  discussed  the  Snettisham                                                                  
Hydroelectric  facility,  which  was owned  by  AIDEA but  had                                                                  
bonds backed  by project  revenues and  assets. He added  that                                                                  
for AIDEA  general obligation  bonds,  the authority's  assets                                                                  
and  revenues   secured  bondholders,   and  the  bonds   were                                                                  
separate from the state.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  turned  to slide  32, "10c)  What is  current                                                                  
outstanding debt?":                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     · Outstanding Debt as of 6/30/2015:                                                                                        
        -Total Bonds - $134,655,000                                                                                             
          o Snettisham Hydro                                                                                                    
          o Red Dog Port Facility (Refunding)                                                                                   
          o Loan Participation                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if there were  figures to  quantify                                                                  
the foreclosure  rate or lack of  payment rate on some  of the                                                                  
instruments the authority held.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  stated that  AIDEA  had  a default  rate  on                                                                  
loans  that  was below  that  of  the current  market  in  the                                                                  
state.  He offered  to provide  the committee  with the  exact                                                                  
figure. He  added that AIDEA  had not  had a write-down  on an                                                                  
AIDEA-approved project since 2000.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson   asked  about  the   Red  Dog  Port   Facility                                                                  
"refunding" that was indicated on slide 32.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen explained  that  the bonds  for  the Red  Dog                                                                  
Port Facility  were refunding bonds.  He continued  that AIDEA                                                                  
did  an early  bond issuance  with  a high  rate; after  which                                                                  
someone  would  issue  a  refunding   bond  to  pay  down  the                                                                  
original  bondholders  in  order  to  lower the  rate  on  the                                                                  
bond.  The   reference   to  "refunding"   on  slide   32  had                                                                  
pertained  to  refunding  high  rate  bonds  with  lower  rate                                                                  
bonds.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  asked  what  the affect  would  be  on  people                                                                  
within the borough who were involved in the facility.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  clarified that the  agreement for the  use of                                                                  
the Red  Dog Mine  Road and  Port was separate  from the  bond                                                                  
issuances.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:12:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop   asked  when   the  Snettisham  bonds   would                                                                  
mature.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  relayed  that   AIDEA  had  recently  issued                                                                  
refunding  bonds  to  save  money   for  Snettisham  users  in                                                                  
Juneau.  He offered  to prepare  a schedule  of bond  maturity                                                                  
for the committee.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  addressed   slide  33,  "10d)  What  is  the                                                                  
bonding capacity?":                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     · AS 44.88.095 places a statutory ceiling of $400                                                                          
        million per twelve month period on AIDEA bond                                                                           
        issuances, excluding refunding bonds.                                                                                   
     · Bonds over $25 million require legislative approval.                                                                     
     · Bonds over $10 million require local support.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  used the  examples of  the Bokan and  Niblack                                                                  
mining projects  in Southeast as  instances of bonds  over $25                                                                  
million requiring legislative approval.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked  for  clarification  regarding  the                                                                  
statute referenced  on slide 33  (AS 44/88.095). She  wondered                                                                  
if  AIDEA  could  issue  $400  million   within  any  12-month                                                                  
period, or if there was a cap of $400 million.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  stated  that  within  any  12-month  period,                                                                  
AIDEA could issue only up to $400 million in bonds.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked if  AIDEA  had a  ceiling,  and if  so,                                                                  
what it was.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  stated  that   the  ceiling  was  a  "moving                                                                  
target"  and dependent  upon what projects  had been  provided                                                                  
with  direct  finance,  and  what  amount  of  collateral  and                                                                  
assets were on hand.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  thought she  understood that there  was no                                                                  
ceiling limit,  but rather  $400 million  in authority  over a                                                                  
rolling 12-month period.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  thought he  understood  the same  thing,  but                                                                  
suggested that Mr. Springsteen had provided a caveat.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  referred  to a  debt/credit  report  that                                                                  
had been  presented to  the committee,  which had indicated  a                                                                  
total  bond debt  calculation of  around $7  billion. She  was                                                                  
trying  to  understand  if  the  state's  enterprise  agencies                                                                  
were  committing   the  state,   while  Mr.  Springsteen   had                                                                  
suggested  AIDEA's debt was  not an  obligation of the  state.                                                                  
She  wanted to  ascertain what  the enterprise  agencies  were                                                                  
doing with  credit and how  it might or  might not affect  the                                                                  
state's credit rating.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  thought part of  the value of AIDEA  was that                                                                  
it had  some  independence and  provided  obligations only  on                                                                  
its assets, rather than those of the state.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche asked  to address  slide 32, and  thought                                                                  
that  the   outstanding  liability   on  Snettisham   was  $78                                                                  
million.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen answered in the affirmative.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  asked  for  a  breakdown  of  the  other                                                                  
items  in  the outstanding  debt  category,  to  include  Loan                                                                  
Participation, and the Red Dog Port Facility.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:16:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Applegate  provided  details  on  the  total  outstanding                                                                  
bond debt  of $134,655,000  on  slide 32. She  stated that  as                                                                  
of  June  30,  2015;  outstanding   debt  for  the  Snettisham                                                                  
Hydroelectric  project  was $69,955,000.  She  clarified  that                                                                  
there  were   other  non-bond   liabilities  related   to  the                                                                  
project   that  brought   the  total  to   $79  billion.   She                                                                  
continued  that  the Red  Dog Port  Facility  refunding  bonds                                                                  
were  in the  amount  of  $52,185,000;  and bonds  related  to                                                                  
Loan Participation were in the amount of $12,515,000.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read  slide 34,  "11a) Can  you identify  any                                                                  
other state  entities or private  corporations in  Alaska that                                                                  
may provide the same or similar services as your Agency?"                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen showed slide 35, "11) Similar Agencies":                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
        · There are no state agencies or authorities that                                                                       
          provide the same set of financing tools as AIDEA.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
        · On a national basis, AIDEA is unique in its                                                                           
          ability to:                                                                                                           
          -Work with banks                                                                                                      
          -Issue its own bonds                                                                                                  
          -Participate    in    public-private    partnerships                                                                  
          through multiple methods                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  elaborated  that AIDEA  had a limited  amount                                                                  
of overlap  with AEA's  Power Project  Loan Fund (PPF),  under                                                                  
which  it made  energy-related  loans. He  continued that  PPF                                                                  
could  be  offered  at  below  market   rates  and  terms.  In                                                                  
contrast, AIDEA's  energy loans  were indexed at market  rates                                                                  
or  were  made   under  its  loan  participation   program  in                                                                  
conjunction  with   Alaska  banks  and  credit   unions  where                                                                  
commercial  underwriting  standards  applied.  He  added  that                                                                  
AIDEA  did not offer  grants; and  did not  offer any  housing                                                                  
financial  instruments,   so  did  not  compete  with  private                                                                  
residential  mortgage lending or  with Alaska Housing  Finance                                                                  
Corporation  (AHFC).  He  noted  that   AIDEA  small  business                                                                  
loans were administered by DCCED.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen  read slide 36,  "11b) Is your agency  subject                                                                  
to the state procurement code?"                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen    turned   to   slide   37,    "Procurement                                                                  
Regulations":                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     · Yes in a limited fashion. The state procurement                                                                          
        code, AS 36.30.015(f) reads:                                                                                            
        -"…the   membership    of   the   Alaska    Industrial                                                                  
        Development and Export  Authority, notwithstanding  AS                                                                  
        44.88.085,  …shall adopt  regulations  under AS  44.62                                                                  
        (Administrative   Procedure   Act)  …to   govern   the                                                                  
        procurement   of  supplies,   services,   professional                                                                  
        services, and construction  for the respective  public                                                                  
        corporation and  board. The  regulations must  reflect                                                                  
        competitive  bidding principles  and  provide  vendors                                                                  
        reasonable    and    equitable     opportunities    to                                                                  
        participate  in  the  procurement   process  and  must                                                                  
        include  procurement  methods to  meet  emergency  and                                                                  
        extraordinary   circumstances.   Notwithstanding   the                                                                  
        other  provisions  of  this  subsection,  …the  Alaska                                                                  
        Industrial Development  and  Export Authority,  …shall                                                                  
        comply  with the  five  percent  preference  under  AS                                                                  
        36.30.321(a)."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
        As directed  by the state  procurement code  AIDEA has                                                                  
        established    regulations     under    the     Alaska                                                                  
        Administrative Code Title 3 Chapter 100                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Mr.   Springsteen   specified    that   that   AIDEA   adopted                                                                  
regulations  to establish  competitive  bidding processes  and                                                                  
to deal with extraordinary circumstances.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  thought that  AIDEA was largely  operating                                                                  
outside of the state procurement process.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  concurred,  and noted  that  flexibility  in                                                                  
procurement  was  desirable   as  AIDEA  worked  with  private                                                                  
industry to develop in the state.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen read  slide  38, "12)  Does  the Agency  have                                                                  
any outstanding  liabilities the  Legislature should  be aware                                                                  
of?"                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Mr.    Springsteen   discussed    slide    39,    "Outstanding                                                                  
Liabilities":                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     · Total Liabilities at 6/30/2015 - $205,271,000                                                                            
        -Bonds                                                                                                                  
        -Pension Liability                                                                                                      
        -Advances from State of Alaska                                                                                          
        -Liabilities from restricted assets                                                                                     
        -Operational liabilities                                                                                                
        -Loan Guarantees (contingent liability)                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     · Commitments to fund projects and loans at 2/29/2016                                                                      
        - $66,506,000                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked  how  much in  advances  AIDEA  had                                                                  
from the State of Alaska.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen went  back  to slide  11,  pointing out  that                                                                  
current   legislatively   assigned    projects   included   an                                                                  
appropriation  for  $57.5  million  for  the  Interior  Energy                                                                  
Project,  and  $17 million  for  the  Ambler  Mining  District                                                                  
Industrial  Access Project.  Additionally,  there had been  an                                                                  
appropriation  of $1.18  million  for the  Ketchikan  Shipyard                                                                  
project in 2015.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:20:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked for  the  fund  balance on  the  Ambler                                                                  
Road project.  Mr. Springsteen  shared  that the fund  balance                                                                  
was  roughly  $8.5 million,  with  $3.6  million  approved  in                                                                  
accord  with  the  first  part  of  the  environmental  impact                                                                  
statement process.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if there  were  similar totals  for                                                                  
the Fairbanks Energy Project.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  deferred  to  the  Interior  Energy  Project                                                                  
team  lead  -  Gene  Therriault,  Deputy  Director,  Statewide                                                                  
Energy Policy  Development, Alaska Energy Authority, DCCED. He                                                                  
conveyed  that  Mr.  Therriault  was   testifying  in  another                                                                  
committee,  and  offered  to  provide  the  information  at  a                                                                  
later time.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen conveyed  that  additional  slides were  part                                                                  
of an appendix, and solely for the committee's review.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked for  a high-level  prediction  of  what                                                                  
AIDEA  was  considering  for  bringing   new  revenue  to  the                                                                  
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  stated  that  AIDEA  continued  to  look  at                                                                  
mining  prospects,   as  well  as  oil  and  gas   development                                                                  
opportunities.   He  continued  that   AIDEA  had   made  some                                                                  
investments  to support  tourism  in the  state.  He used  the                                                                  
example  of the  Icy Point  Strait  dock, a  cruise ship  dock                                                                  
for  which  the  authority  had  loaned  funds.  He  mentioned                                                                  
early-stage  ideas  such as  a  fish processing  project  that                                                                  
AIDEA   was  discussing   with   the  Division   of   Economic                                                                  
Development  at  DCCED.  He  summarized   that  there  were  a                                                                  
number of  concepts that  the authority  continued to  follow,                                                                  
while it  considered timing  as conditions  were improving  in                                                                  
mining and other markets.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche   referred  to  slide  41,   "Analysis  &                                                                  
Decision-Making,"   and  envisioned   that   AIDEA  had   many                                                                  
projects  in  different   phases.  He  thought   that  if  the                                                                  
legislature  were  to freeze  important  developments  in  the                                                                  
state,  it would  exacerbate the  need for  recovery from  low                                                                  
oil prices.  He reiterated that  he was supportive  of AIDEA's                                                                  
mission,  and  wondered  if  there  were   promising  projects                                                                  
working  through the  phased approach.  He  inquired if  AIDEA                                                                  
cultivated  investors  in  the state,  or  waited  for  people                                                                  
with development ideas to approach the authority.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Springsteen  explained that  AIDEA  had been  engaged  in                                                                  
more  proactive activity,  while soliciting  cooperation  with                                                                  
other  investors   as  well   as  looking  towards   different                                                                  
development   opportunities   in  the   state.  He   mentioned                                                                  
Administrative  Order  281  (issued   by  the  governor),  and                                                                  
asserted  that   AIDEA  was   looking  forward  to   increased                                                                  
collaboration   for  asset  review  with  the   Department  of                                                                  
Natural Resources and the Department of Administration.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:25:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  commented that  the committee was  looking                                                                  
at systemic  ways to change  the way  the state did  business.                                                                  
She referenced  Mr.  Springsteen's comments  about the  desire                                                                  
to understand  what the legislature  was asking of  AIDEA. She                                                                  
reiterated  that  the  legislature   was  looking  for  system                                                                  
change  and thought  it had  been alluded  to in  some of  the                                                                  
questions  that  had  been  asked,  including  regarding  bond                                                                  
debt  totals. She  was  glad to  know that  AIDEA's  endeavors                                                                  
were not  creating additional pressure  on the state's  credit                                                                  
rating, and  appreciated dividends  that had been  provided to                                                                  
the state.  She expressed  concern  over pension  liabilities,                                                                  
as well as high-paid positions in agencies.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  thought Co-Chair  MacKinnon  had  stated                                                                  
the  matter fairly.  He  commented  that the  legislature  was                                                                  
asking  every  state  agency  to  operate  as  efficiently  as                                                                  
possible,  and did  not think  that AIDEA  should be  excluded                                                                  
from the  exercise. He  thought it was  important to  look for                                                                  
efficiencies  without  compromising  the ability  to  perform.                                                                  
He  thought that  there  was a  tendency for  retraction  from                                                                  
new  investment  during  difficult economic  times.  He  noted                                                                  
that  Fortune  500 companies  that  operated  at  the  highest                                                                  
levels  were able to  identify opportunities  during  economic                                                                  
downturns.  His goal  for  AIDEA was  to reevaluate  any  open                                                                  
positions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   asked  Mr.   Springsteen  to   make  the                                                                  
committee aware  of anything on  AIDEA's books that  reflected                                                                  
any projects or loans in default.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Springsteen agreed to provide the information.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:28:28 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:31:15 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
^ALASKA ENTERPRISE AGENCY ANALYSIS: ALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SARAH   FISHER-GOAD,   EXECUTIVE   DIRECTOR,   ALASKA   ENERGY                                                                  
AUTHORITY,  DEPARTMENT  OF COMMERCE,  COMMUNITY  AND  ECONOMIC                                                                  
DEVELOPMENT,   discussed  the   presentation  "Alaska   Energy                                                                  
Authority,"  (copy on file).  She stated  that additional  AEA                                                                  
staff  were available  to  answer  questions.  She noted  that                                                                  
(AEA)  had  addressed  the questions  from  the  committee  by                                                                  
grouping them into like categories within the presentation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Fisher-Goad   presented    slide   2,   "Alaska   Energy                                                                  
Authority":                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
   · AEA is an independent and public corporation of the                                                                        
     State of Alaska, est. 1976                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
   · 44.83.070: "The purpose of the Authority is to                                                                             
     promote,  develop,  and advance  the  general  prosperity                                                                  
     and  economic  welfare  of the  people  of the  state  by                                                                  
     providing  a  means  of  financing  and  operating  power                                                                  
     projects  and  facilities  that  recover  and  use  waste                                                                  
     energy  and  by  carrying   out  the  powers  and  duties                                                                  
     assigned to it under AS 42.45."                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  advised that one  of the primary  things that                                                                  
AEA  had  done upon  its  formation  was  to develop  and  own                                                                  
large-scale  power  projects.  On  a smaller  scale,  AEA  had                                                                  
also  developed  district  heating  projects  and  small-scale                                                                  
electrical  systems.  Additionally,   AEA  managed  the  Power                                                                  
Cost   Equalization   (PCE)  program,   which   had  been   in                                                                  
existence for over 30 years.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad   showed  slide  3,  "AEA  Programs,"   which                                                                  
displayed  lists  of the  programs,  projects,  and  AEA-owned                                                                  
infrastructure  that  the  authority   managed.  She  detailed                                                                  
that many  of the  programs had  (in ways)  been in  existence                                                                  
since  the beginning  of the  AEA program.  She thought  power                                                                  
houses  and  bulk  fuel  tank  farms   had  become  a  primary                                                                  
purpose of  the authority  in the early  2000s. She  mentioned                                                                  
Denali Commission  funds, the Renewable  Energy fund,  and the                                                                  
Emerging Energy Technology Fund program.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  turned to slide  4, "AEA's Strategy,  Purpose                                                                  
and Core Values":                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     · Purpose: To develop and deliver optimal energy                                                                           
        solutions for Alaska's communities                                                                                      
     · Mission: To reduce the cost of energy for Alaskans                                                                       
     · Core Values:                                                                                                             
          o Respectful: Demonstrating high regard for                                                                           
             communities, integrating local perspectives                                                                        
          o Responsible: Being prudent and ethical stewards                                                                     
             of Alaskans' resources                                                                                             
          o Innovative: Seeking new ideas and methods and                                                                       
             adapting to changing conditions                                                                                    
          o Passionate: Enthusiasm for and commitment to                                                                        
             our work team and improvement                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  remarked that AEA's  return to the  state was                                                                  
about managing  the appropriations  in existing programs,  and                                                                  
making  sure  it   was  providing  the  best   return  to  the                                                                  
communities   that  benefitted   from   energy  programs   and                                                                  
projects.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Fisher-Goad  spoke   about   slide   5,  "Rural   Energy                                                                  
Systems":                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     · AEA is the state entity that serves rural Alaska                                                                         
        from planning to construction of energy systems and                                                                     
        from utility, bulk fuel and power house training to                                                                     
        emergency response.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad commented  that  AEA's rural  energy  systems                                                                  
were  one of  its  more unique  areas  of operation,  and  one                                                                  
with  a  great  deal  of  history  and  expertise  within  the                                                                  
state.  AEA  was  the  only  entity   to  serve  rural  Alaska                                                                  
through   planning  and   constructing   energy  systems   for                                                                  
community   utilities,  bulk   fuel,   and  powerhouses.   She                                                                  
explained that  once the infrastructure  was constructed,  AEA                                                                  
had  programs with  training,  circuit-rider  assistance,  and                                                                  
emergency response when needed.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:35:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Goad  addressed   the  question  of  whether   a  private                                                                  
corporation  or  entity  could  provide  similar  services  to                                                                  
AEA. She  relayed that AEA funding  was from federal  or state                                                                  
dollars, and  it utilized private  contractors for  work being                                                                  
done.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad showed  slide  6, "Communities  Benefit  from                                                                  
Rural    Infrastructure    Investments,"    and    slide    7,                                                                  
"Contractors     Benefit     from     Rural     Infrastructure                                                                  
Investments,"  noting   that  of  the  last  six  Rural  Power                                                                  
System Upgrade  (RPSU) projects that  AEA had done,  almost 70                                                                  
percent  had  utilized   contractors  through   a  competitive                                                                  
bidding process.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bishop  had heard from  private contractors  that they                                                                  
would like  to see more  AEA project  work within the  private                                                                  
sector. He asked Ms. Fisher-Goad to comment on the matter.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  stated  that AEA did  utilize contractors  in                                                                  
the  private  sector, and  furthered  that  she had  a  report                                                                  
with  detailed  information  about  the  process  that  listed                                                                  
contractors  that AEA  had used  in the  past. She  reiterated                                                                  
that  70  percent   of  projects  used  contractors   after  a                                                                  
competitive  bidding  process.   She  drew  attention  to  the                                                                  
graph on  slide 7, noting  that the  blue section was  related                                                                  
to   engineering   firms,   and  the   green   sections   were                                                                  
representative of the various parts of powerhouse modules.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  continued  that there  were  remote  utility                                                                  
workers  that were  employed  by AEA  who worked  and  managed                                                                  
the projects  on behalf  of communities.  She emphasized  that                                                                  
AEA  strove to  use the  private sector  as  much as  possible                                                                  
and stated  that the  purpose of  slide 7  was to  demonstrate                                                                  
how  much of  the work  went to  the private  sector to  build                                                                  
projects.  She  discussed   the  ongoing  work  AEA  did  with                                                                  
communities  and the  significantly increased  expense to  pay                                                                  
a  complete   bid  for   a  project.   She  thought   AEA  was                                                                  
maximizing  private sector  contractors as  much as  possible,                                                                  
and was  looking at  module labor  as one  area in to  utilize                                                                  
more private contractors.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:38:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  continued  to  discuss  RPSU  projects.  She                                                                  
discussed  earlier work  using federal  funds from the  Denali                                                                  
Commission,  and noted that the  powerhouses being  updated at                                                                  
the time  were wooden structures  in rural Alaska.  The Denali                                                                  
Commission  had wanted AEA  to work  on development of  steel-                                                                  
frame structures,  for powerhouses  to last for 50  years. She                                                                  
discussed  work that  AEA had done  to develop  a module  that                                                                  
had a greater  life span. She  recounted building  the modules                                                                  
in  Anchorage  using  contracted  work, and  then  moving  the                                                                  
modules out to the community.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  stated that  there were  assertions  that                                                                  
individuals  who  went  to work  for  AEA  and then  left  the                                                                  
authority and  became contractors,  while charging  more funds                                                                  
and  taking jobs  from  the private  sector.  She wondered  if                                                                  
there  was a  code of  conduct or  code of  ethics that  would                                                                  
prevent such an occurrence.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Fisher-Goad  expressed   that   she   was  hearing   the                                                                  
assertion  for the first  time. She had  been with AEA  for 15                                                                  
years,  and  could  not  think  of   an  individual  that  had                                                                  
previously  worked  for  AEA   and  later  worked  as  an  AEA                                                                  
contractor.  She   continued  that  she  had   a  report  that                                                                  
provided greater  detail on  the competitive bidding  process,                                                                  
as well  as more  detail on  the amount  of bids  and who  was                                                                  
awarded.  She thought  the  information would  elucidate  more                                                                  
background on  AEA's work and  its utilization of  the private                                                                  
sector.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:42:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair    MacKinnon   asked    if   AEA   did    sole-source                                                                  
contracting,  or if  it  had a  competitive  bid process  that                                                                  
compared costs.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  stated  that  AEA  had  several  engineering                                                                  
contracts and  some construction  managers that had  completed                                                                  
an up-front  and competitive process.  She furthered  that AEA                                                                  
had a shared services procurement staff with AIDEA.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if similarities  would be found  if                                                                  
the current  contracts were examined  and compared to  a state                                                                  
payroll list.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad agreed to provide the relevant information.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop asked  if AEA  had a  separation package  that                                                                  
included a "no compete" provision for up to a year.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  stated  that all AEA  employees would  follow                                                                  
the Executive  Branch Ethics Act,  which would limit  the work                                                                  
that an employee could participate in post-employment.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  stated that  the issue was brought  to her                                                                  
attention when  she served in the  other body, and  then again                                                                  
three years previously. She thought the issue was not new.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  discussed the reasons  for the generation  of                                                                  
the  report, which  included  the  subject of  competing  with                                                                  
the   private  sector.   She  considered   that   AEA  had   a                                                                  
responsibility   for   the   investment   that   the   federal                                                                  
government  and  the  state  had made  in  the  projects.  She                                                                  
suggested that  AEA utilized the  private sector, but  did not                                                                  
compete    with   the   private    sector.   She    emphasized                                                                  
implementing  a process,  and applying  public dollars  in the                                                                  
most effective way possible to benefit the communities.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:46:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  presented  slide   8, "Contractors   Benefit                                                                  
from  Rural  Infrastructure  Investments,"  which  depicted  a                                                                  
bar graph  entitled "AEA  Bulk Fuel  Upgrade Combined  Project                                                                  
Summary."  She  stated  that  the slide  was  similar  to  the                                                                  
previous  slide in  showing the  amount of  work that went  to                                                                  
private sector contractors.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  showed  slide 9,  "Procurement  Delegations,"                                                                  
which  showed two  flow  charts  representing  AIDEA and  AEA.                                                                  
The slide  showed that  procurement employees  worked  on both                                                                  
AIDEA  and AEA.  She continued  that  AEA was  subject to  the                                                                  
State  Procurement  Code for  all its  projects,  such as  the                                                                  
work for  the Susitna-Watana  Dam project  or any of  the AEA-                                                                  
owned  assets.  She  continued  that  AEA  also  followed  the                                                                  
Federal  Acquisition Regulation  (FAR) system  of rules  under                                                                  
the federally  funded  procurement process  when working  with                                                                  
federal funds.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  continued  on  slide 9,  and  detailed  that                                                                  
procurements  done  on behalf  of  grant recipients  (such  as                                                                  
bulk fuel  and RPSU projects)  would fall  under AAC  Title 3,                                                                  
Chapter  108  regulations.  The regulations  were  adopted  to                                                                  
elucidate   the   process,    as   the   projects   were   not                                                                  
specifically  subject  to  the  state  procurement  code.  She                                                                  
noted that  AEA procurement  regulations  were in parallel  to                                                                  
AS   36.30,   and   also   followed   the   AIDEA   non-exempt                                                                  
procurement   rules.   She  explained   that   AIDEA  had   an                                                                  
allowance  in the state  procurement code  that allowed  it to                                                                  
adopt its own rules to meet specific needs.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked if  Ms.  Fisher-Goad  was making  a                                                                  
distinction  between  procurements  done  on behalf  of  grant                                                                  
recipients, in order to fit a rural community issue.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  stated  that  when  AEA  developed  a  grant                                                                  
agreement,  primarily  for bulk  fuel  and RPSU  projects,  it                                                                  
was  not subject  to AS  36.60  (as for  non-grant  projects);                                                                  
but  rather  to  the  AAC  Title  3  Chapter  108  procurement                                                                  
regulations  developed  by AEA.  She added  that because  such                                                                  
projects  were  grant  agreements,  AEA  worked  very  closely                                                                  
with  the  utility   to  ensure  that  it  was   working  with                                                                  
consideration  of  the energy  infrastructure.  She  discussed                                                                  
the  level  of  service present  on  the  grant  projects,  in                                                                  
which  AEA was  able  to provide  oversight  and  construction                                                                  
management  if  the  community  did  not  have  the  available                                                                  
staffing.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked if  a grantee  could  have its  own                                                                  
procurement   rules   that   had   differences    from   state                                                                  
procurement rules.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  related  that  there  were  specific  issues                                                                  
that rural  communities may  have, and AEA  was able to  use a                                                                  
flexible  approach  in the  procurement  process  to meet  the                                                                  
needs  of  the  community  and the  project.  She  used  local                                                                  
knowledge   of  right-of-way   access  as   an  example.   She                                                                  
reiterated  that  AEA  used AAC  Title  3,  Chapter 108  as  a                                                                  
guiding process.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:50:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked if  AEA  had  a project  that  included                                                                  
building a power plant for Kipnuk, Alaska.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad answered in the affirmative.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  asked for  the  total  dollar amount  of  the                                                                  
project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  stated  that  there  were  several  projects                                                                  
happening  in   the  area:  a  bulk  fuel  project,   an  RPSU                                                                  
project,  and an integrated  wind project  being worked  on by                                                                  
a  private  contractor.   She  agreed  to  get   back  to  the                                                                  
committee  with  the  total  dollar   amount  subject  to  the                                                                  
Kipnuk  project.   She  continued  that  there   was  a  staff                                                                  
recommendation  from  the  Denali  Commission  to  include  $1                                                                  
million  in  federal  dollars  to  help  fund  the  bulk  fuel                                                                  
facility  to  ensure relocation  took  place.  She  explicated                                                                  
that  there were  some erosion  issues present  at the  river,                                                                  
and  the bulk  fuel portion  of the  project  was waiting  for                                                                  
approval  of  the  commission  to  complete  funding  for  the                                                                  
project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop  requested  to  have  the total  cost  of  the                                                                  
power   plant,  with   a  breakdown   of  private   contractor                                                                  
involvement and AEA involvement.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   concurred,   and  also  wanted   to  see                                                                  
information  on  the  multiple   projects  that  were  in  one                                                                  
community, in order to see how the projects were awarded.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  spoke about slide  10, "Owning and  Financing                                                                  
Energy Infrastructure":                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     · AEA has bonding authority and administers the Power                                                                      
        Project Loan Fund, as well as owns the Bradley Lake                                                                     
       Hydroelectric Project and the Alaska Intertie.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad   summarized  that  AEA  had   ownership  and                                                                  
participated in financing of energy infrastructure.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad turned  to  slide 11,  "State-owned  Railbelt                                                                  
Assets Benefit Ratepayers":                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     · AEA owns Railbelt energy infrastructure to the                                                                           
        benefit of ratepayers                                                                                                   
          o Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project provides 10                                                                      
             percent of the Railbelt's power at some of the                                                                     
             lowest                                                                                                             
          o Alaska Intertie is a debt                                                                                           
             connects Northern and Southcentral utilities,                                                                      
             resulting in $60,000 in annual savings to                                                                          
             Fairbanks customers                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  discussed slide  12, "AEA Power Project  Loan                                                                  
Fund"  which  showed   a  spreadsheet  entitled   "Outstanding                                                                  
Loans  and Loan  Commitments  as of  December  31, 2015."  She                                                                  
referred  to  earlier  comments  by  Mr.  Springsteen  (AIDEA)                                                                  
concerning the  Power Project Loan  Fund (PPF); and  specified                                                                  
that both  the AIDEA Director  of Commercial Finance,  and the                                                                  
AIDEA   Chief  Financial   Officer   sat  on   the  AEA   loan                                                                  
committee.  Further, AEA  loan servicing  was handled  through                                                                  
AIDEA  shared  services.  She  noted   that  statute  required                                                                  
technical,  economic, and  financial  feasibility studies  for                                                                  
PPF;  and  the technical  feasibility  was  handled  by  AEA's                                                                  
subject  matter   experts.  The   AEA  hydro-project   manager                                                                  
provided  expertise on  certain projects,  and remote  utility                                                                  
workers  and  diesel  experts  also  worked  to  help  provide                                                                  
technical  assistance  and  feasibility  analysis  needed  for                                                                  
loans. She  asserted that PPF was  unique, due to the  type of                                                                  
programs as  well as the statutory  requirements that  AEA had                                                                  
to follow.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:55:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Fisher-Goad    addressed   slide   13,    "AEA   Bonding                                                                  
Authority,":                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     · AEA has bonding authority to issue revenue bonds for                                                                     
        capital projects                                                                                                        
          o Prior to 1993, bonds were issued for AEA                                                                            
             projects as part of the energy program for                                                                         
             Alaska                                                                                                             
          o No fixed                                                                                                            
     · 44.83.100                                                                                                                
          o AEA must have a revenue source to issue bonds,                                                                      
             likely a power sales agreement for a power                                                                         
             project                                                                                                            
          o 44.83.110: AEA can issue an moral obligation                                                                        
                ƒ 44.83.110(h) moral obligations must be                                                                        
                  secured  by  a  capital  reserve  fund  with                                                                  
                  notice  and annual  reporting  to the  state                                                                  
                  bond  committee and  the Legislative  Budget                                                                  
                  and Audit Committee                                                                                           
          o 44.83.100: AEA can enter into an agreement with                                                                     
             a private developer to contract to repay the                                                                       
             debt, including a provision to secure the bonds                                                                    
             (similar to AIDEA)                                                                                                 
                ƒ Municipal bond bank sets private activity                                                                     
                  bonding capacity                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  stated that AEA  did not have the  ability to                                                                  
issue  AEA  general  obligation   bonds  because  it  did  not                                                                  
possess the assets or specific revenue source.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked   to  go  back  to  slide  11,  and                                                                  
wondered  how much  the state  paid for  the Alaska  Intertie,                                                                  
and what the return on investment totaled.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad   thought   the  asset   investment  of   the                                                                  
intertie  totaled $124 million.  She stated  that AEA  did not                                                                  
receive any  type of  revenue or return  from the  investment.                                                                  
The  utilities that  were subject  to the  intertie  agreement                                                                  
paid for the management and the operation of the intertie.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Dunleavy asked  about the $60,000  in annual  savings                                                                  
listed  on slide  11,  and  wondered if  it  was  a result  of                                                                  
Fairbanks   having   the  opportunity   to   be   part  of   a                                                                  
hydroelectric concept.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Ms.   Fisher-Goad   thought  the   number   Senator   Dunleavy                                                                  
referred  to was  provided  directly  from the  Golden  Valley                                                                  
Electric  Association, and  was strictly  related to  purchase                                                                  
from  a   Southcentral  utility,   and  did  not   incorporate                                                                  
savings  from  power  from  the  Bradley   Lake  Hydroelectric                                                                  
Project.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  asked if  the state  owned  an asset  for                                                                  
which  it  was receiving  zero  value  for.  She  acknowledged                                                                  
that  customers  were  getting $60,000  in  savings  from  the                                                                  
intertie.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  answered  in the  affirmative. She  continued                                                                  
that the  contractual relationship  in many AEA projects  were                                                                  
not  structured   for  the  state  to  receive   a  return  on                                                                  
investment,  and  offered  that the  state  provided  low-cost                                                                  
stable power to benefit Alaskans.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Bishop wondered  about future  replacement costs  and                                                                  
thought  it  would  be worth  retaining  a  small  portion  of                                                                  
assets for the eventuality.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  associated  herself with Senator  Bishop's                                                                  
comments.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:59:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  summarized   that  the  Alaska  Intertie                                                                  
made  natural-gas-fired excess  electricity  available to  the                                                                  
Interior.  He wanted  to see  the actual  annual savings,  and                                                                  
mentioned  high fuel prices.  He thought  it was important  to                                                                  
consider  how to pay  for projects when  faced with  different                                                                  
economic conditions.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  was happy  to  work  with the  committee  on                                                                  
statutory  changes  that  would  enable AEA  to  receive  some                                                                  
kind of  return on  investment. She  understood that  when the                                                                  
program  was developed,  the  primary  objective  had been  to                                                                  
reduce energy  costs and  provide benefit  and value  directly                                                                  
to rate payers.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair   Micciche  brought   up  the   concept  of   cost-                                                                  
recovery,  and thought that  without it,  the ability  to help                                                                  
further communities  with infrastructure  project needs  would                                                                  
be diminished.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if there  was a  contract in  state                                                                  
statute with  regard to  ownership and  how the Golden  Valley                                                                  
Electric   Association   was  utilizing   the   resource   for                                                                  
customers.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  was  not  sure   of  the  specifics  of  the                                                                  
structure  of  the  Alaska  Intertie,  and  stated  she  would                                                                  
provide the  information at  a later date.  She pointed  out a                                                                  
difference  with the Bradley  Lake Hydroelectric Project.  She                                                                  
explained   that  the  power   sales  agreement  required   an                                                                  
obligation  for  utilities  to  pay  back  the  initial  state                                                                  
investment   equivalent   to  the   bond/debt   service.   She                                                                  
recounted  that in  2021,  approximately  $12.5 million  would                                                                  
be  paid   annually  to   the  state   against  its   original                                                                  
investment.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon asked  if the  amount  encompassed a  rate                                                                  
of return, or was without interest.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Fisher-Goad  thought  the amount  equated  to a zero  loan                                                                  
proposal from the funds that were originally invested.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon   asked  Ms.   Fisher-Goad  to   give  the                                                                  
committee  information regarding  whether  it was possible  to                                                                  
modify  the  intertie  contract.  She  mentioned  the  Bradley                                                                  
Lake  Hydroelectric  Project  and  also   expressed  curiosity                                                                  
about the kilowatt hour charge.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Micciche  wondered  about the  connection  between                                                                  
AEA and  the Power Cost Equalization  (PCE) program.  He asked                                                                  
if  there   was  communication   between  the  entities,   and                                                                  
wondered  if  there   could  be  adjustments   made  when  AEA                                                                  
completed a project and brought down the cost of energy.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  related that  she had been discussing  the                                                                  
issue  with  Senator  Hoffman,  as they  both  served  on  the                                                                  
Renewable  Energy  Fund Advisory  Committee.  She  noted  that                                                                  
Senator  Hoffman was  not present  to offer  comment, and  she                                                                  
ventured  that he would  argue that the  costs were very  high                                                                  
and  the PCE  component  was  limited  to 500  kilowatts.  She                                                                  
pointed  out that  the consumer  that  used in  excess of  the                                                                  
limit of kilowatt  hours would use  a great deal more  and pay                                                                  
a  higher  cost. She  thought  the  matter  would be  a  valid                                                                  
conversation topic, as would the subject of contracts.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:04:50 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:05:07 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  stated that  the committee  would  review                                                                  
the remaining  slides,  and asked Ms.  Fisher-Goad to  provide                                                                  
a written  response  to the 12  questions that  had been  sent                                                                  
via  email on  March  11, 2016.  She  advised  that she  would                                                                  
distribute  the response to  committee members, and  suggested                                                                  
that members  send any  remaining questions  to her office  so                                                                  
as to get answers from AEA.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson asked  about slide  12, on  which $232,000  was                                                                  
listed for  a project  in Newtok, Alaska.  He wondered  if AEA                                                                  
normally  allowed  financing  to  a community  that  would  be                                                                  
moving to another site.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Fisher-Goad  stated  that  it was  anticipated  that  the                                                                  
assets could  be moved to the  new site when appropriate.  She                                                                  
noted  that the  facility in  Newtok was  a well-run  utility,                                                                  
and  the community  had  done a  very  good job  managing  the                                                                  
powerhouse.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  MacKinnon  stated that  there was  good  information                                                                  
in  the remaining  slides,  and restated  that  she would  get                                                                  
written comments from AEA.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair MacKinnon  discussed the  schedule for the  following                                                                  
day.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
3:07:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 3:07 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
031616 AIDEA Alaska Enterprise Analysis Senate Finance.pdf SFIN 3/16/2016 1:30:00 PM
SB 138
031616 SFIN AEA Overview.pdf SFIN 3/16/2016 1:30:00 PM
SB 138