Legislature(2009 - 2010)Ruby
05/27/2009 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Public Hearing on Statewide Energy Plan | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
RUBY COMMUNITY CENTER
May 27, 2009
4:08 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lesil McGuire, Co-Chair
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Co-Chair
Senator Hollis French
Senator Thomas Wagoner
Senator Gary Stevens
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Public Hearing on Statewide Energy Plan
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
CHARLES TOTEMOFF, President
Chenega Corporation
POSITION STATEMENT:
JESS BOTRA, ABS Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT:
ED TARTAN
Ruby Tribal Council
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported renewable energies.
JOHN WIREHOUSE, representing himself
POSITION STATEMENT: Urged funding an Emerging Technologies Fund
at the highest level possible.
BILLY MCKARTY, JR.
Traditional Chief
Ruby
POSITION STATEMENT: He said the hall in Ruby was built in 1967,
and the price per kilowatt hour then was about 12 cents; and it
has gone sky high since then. Something needs to be done, and
soon, he urged.
EDNA PETERS, representing herself
POSITION STATEMENT: She would like homeowners to get assistance
in buying wind turbines and thought her home would be a good
test location.
ACTION NARRATIVE
4:08:55 PM
Co-CHAIR LESIL MCGUIRE called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee to order. It was scheduled to start at approximately
3:30 p.m.
^Public Hearing on Statewide Energy Plan
Public Hearing on Statewide Energy Plan
Due to technical difficulties, the first few minutes of the
meeting were not recorded.
CHARLES TOTEMOFF, President, Chenega Corporation, said he had
lived in Ruby for five years. It has hot springs and wind power
potential. The cost of living has driven many people to migrate
to urban centers. He noted that Power Cost Equalization (PCE)
helped, but everyone in the community pays about $20 per day for
electricity. Fuel is high as well. He said that Rural Alaska
pays a fuel tax, but receives no benefits from it. He suggested
help for rural Alaska in terms of tapping into highway dollars
to subsidize fuel deliveries.
He stressed the importance for rural Alaska to be able to
sustain itself. The community is converting to solar panels and
hopes to lower operational costs for its school. Lots can be
done, and he looks forward to that.
4:13:36 PM
JESS BOTRA, ABS Alaska, said ABS Alaska sold equipment to the
hydro project they had just seen. He thought that education
about what alternative energies are available and how to use
them was key in rural communities like Ruby. Communities all
over Alaska are getting involved in alternative energy so that
fuel and electrical costs are reduced. But people feel it's out
of their grasp especially without knowing what is available and
being able to learn how to install and use it - and to pay for
it.
Someone in Nome is successfully running a four-bedroom two story
house, three-car garage based on solar hot water and a wind
turbine, for instance; his electricity comes on only for five
minutes every hour. He bought his home in Fairbanks based on the
wind regime, but the problem he has is that there is no
educational facility that can step him through the program of
getting the funding and show him how to put those things on his
property. Education programs would be useful in both rural and
urban communities.
4:18:42 PM
ED TARTAN, Ruby Tribal Council, said there should be energy
outfitting for homes to reduce energy consumption. Many fish
camps now have wind generators and solar panels. They work. So,
he knows it's possible to outfit the village and reduce energy
consumption. The turbine project is the only thing happening and
he is proud of it, but there is more that can be done.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said the committee visited the Cold Climate
Research Center and legislators will take back the idea that
there should be more outreach. Congress has a tax incentive, but
without an income tax it's not much incentive in Alaska.
4:23:25 PM
SENATOR THOMAS said bringing energy raters for the
weatherization program to Ruby might be helpful as a start. It
won't tell people how to install solar panels and wind energy,
but it will tell people how to correct the inadequacies of their
particular house. The next step is whether someone can afford to
put panels in. Consolidating public services in one spot is a
good idea to save energy.
4:26:07 PM
JOHN WIREHOUSE, Director, Yukon River Intertribal Water Shed
Council, urged funding an Emerging Technologies Fund at the
highest level possible, because Alaska has the energy resources
that should make it a leader in the renewable energies industry.
Sometimes people who step up to the plate have the capacity to
write the grants and get the money to fund their projects -
large organizations can do that. But this process bypasses some
of the great ideas from the guy who is working in his garage.
Further, grantees should have a training component for
installing and maintaining these renewable energy systems.
Third, he suggested having interest free loans or grants for
small projects.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said the Emerging Technology Fund is in SB 150
and there is need for support.
4:30:49 PM
BILLY MCKARTY, JR., Traditional Chief in Ruby, welcomed the
committees. He said the hall in Ruby was built in 1967, and the
price per kilowatt hour then was about 12 cents; and it has gone
sky high since then. Something needs to be done, and soon, he
urged.
4:33:10 PM
EDNA PETERS said she has been in Ruby for over 30 years. She and
her husband are on a fixed income and the rising price of
electricity is a huge concern. She is interested in wind
turbines and so she bought some. However, they were all
destroyed by the wind - so at least she knows she has a prime
location. She would like homeowners to get assistance in buying
wind turbines, and thought her home would be a good test
location.
4:36:13 PM
SENATOR FRENCH thanked everyone for their hospitality. Rural
Alaska will survive only if the basic costs of existence are
brought down - especially the cost of energy, he said, and they
need to work together. There are probably 100 villages just like
theirs; and each solution will be slightly different. The best
lawmakers can probably give them is "a tool box," but they would
be the ones to have to open that box and make the tools work. It
was very encouraging for him to see that happening here.
MS. PETERS remarked that with all the troubles going on in the
world, living in an Alaskan village is probably the safest place
they could be. That was brought out when 911 happened. When
things are at their worst we are at our best, she said, but they
need some help with their energy expenses.
4:38:27 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked everyone for heir hospitality and
testimony and adjourned the meeting at 4:38 p.m.
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