SB  32-APPROP: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY REV. LOAN FUND                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:16:19 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR EGAN announced SB 32 to be up for consideration.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:16:42 PM                                                                                                                    
MICHELLE SYDEMAN,  staff to Senator  Wielechowski, sponsor  of SB                                                               
32, said this bill fulfills a  promise made in last years' Senate                                                               
Energy  Omnibus bill,  which passed  unanimously in  both houses.                                                               
That  bill  authorized  a  new  loan  program  that  would  serve                                                               
businesses and non-profits in the  state that are struggling with                                                               
the same  high energy costs that  everyone else is. She  said the                                                               
legislature has  done a fabulous  job of providing  assistance to                                                               
home owners, schools, cities, the  University and state agencies,                                                               
but to  date there have not  been any programs developed  for the                                                               
non-profit community  or businesses. She  recalled "breathtaking"                                                               
testimony  from  a  young  woman  representing  a  consortium  of                                                               
churches  who  referred to  a  church  in  Fairbanks that  had  a                                                               
$13,000  energy bill  last year  and a  congregation of  just 100                                                               
individuals -  exemplifying the need.  They also heard  from five                                                               
business  owners  and had  letters  from  32 additional  business                                                               
owners urging the committee to move this legislation along.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MENARD  moved  to  report  SB  32  from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations.  There were  no objections and it was                                                               
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:18:46 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease from 2:18:46 PM to 2:20:11 PM.