Conservation Watch #8 - 3/9

Contents

New in Town

Sitka Rocks – Setting a high bar for energy planning

Sitka, Alaska is not taking this energy crisis laying down. Already, the City and Borough of Sitka has:

• Endorsed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and its goal of meeting Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
• Created a municipal Climate Action Plan Task Force to recommend greenhouse gas emissions reductions measures and have 
• Worked closely with their electric department to dramatically reduce their energy usage city-wide.
  

After an initial study, they found that their baseline greenhouse gas emissions were 3,732 tons of greenhouse gases – 2,981 tons emitted through heating oil for municipal buildings and 550 tons from municipal vehicle fleet.   Tomorrow, the Sitka Borough Assembly will be taking up a resolution to reduce Sitka’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25% below 2003 levels by 2020. 

By reducing their greenhouse gas emissions they will not only be tackling climate change but helping citizens and the municipality to save money.  For example, last year the City of Sitka added interruptible electric heating to Blatchley Middle School – the savings…an unbelievable reduction of 385 tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to $170,000 in savings.  385 tons is 10% of the City’s carbon dioxide emissions so you can see that these types of projects could really add up. 

Much of the work that Sitka is doing can be done  in communities across Alaska.  They are reducing the energy they use through efficiency and weatherization and finding renewable sources of energy to allow them to use diesel only as an emergency back-up.  Because of the availability of low-cost hydro they are also converting heating and transportation to electricity to lessen their consumption of fossil fuels.  Check out some of the great resources they have put together. 

On The Move

HB 74 Coastal Management Program – Reps. Joule (D-Kotzebue) | Rep. Edgmon (D-Dillingham) | Rep. Buch (D-Anchorage)
HB74 is an attempt to correct problems with Alaska’s Coastal Management Program resulting from changes made several years ago by the Murkowski Administration.  This bill has quite a bit of support from coastal districts and local coastal communities but has been strongly opposed by DNR and the Governor’s office. It was finally passed out of CRA last week and is now awaiting a hearing in House Resources Committee.  ACV supports this legislation.  Calls and emails requesting a hearing should be directed to House Resources Co-chairs Johnson and Neuman.

HB 121 Municipal Air Quality Property Tax Credit – Rep. Coghill (R-North Pole) | Rep. Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks)
Like SB93 by Senator Paskvan and others, this bill would allow a municipality to provide an ‘air quality improvement tax credit’ to partially offset the property taxes on a property that is improved in such a way as to improve the air quality in the municipality. Already through House CRA, HB121 will be heard in House Finance this Friday at 8:30. ACV supports this bill. 

HB 134 Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits – Rep. Harris (R-Valdez | Rep. Kelly (R-Fairbanks) | Rep. Millett (R-Anchorage) | Rep. Johansen (R-Ketchikan) | Rep. Foster (D-Nome) | Rep. Keller (R-Wasilla) | Rep. Chenault (R-Nikiski) | Rep. Coghill (R-North Pole) | Rep. Johnson (R-Anchorage) | Rep. Wilson (R-Wrangell) | Rep. Munoz (R-Juneau)| Rep. Hawker (R-Anchorage)
HB134 amends the voter mandated cruise ship wastewater discharge law to remove 5 critical words: “at the point of discharge”. This very small change would essentially grant cruise ships a mixing zone, allowing their wastewater discharge to exceed clean water act standards until the cruis eship waste mixes with enough ocean water for dilution to occur. ACV believes that instead of prematurely changing law we should work to find appropriate technology to meet the discharge levels or potentially grant the cruise ship industry additional time to develop the technology. At the last hearing an amendment was put forward by Representative Seaton that would grant an extension to the cruise ships on the condition that a land-based facility be built to process waste by 2013.  We look forward to more constructive debate on this topic.

HB 150 Power Cost Equalization – Rep. Austerman (R-Kodiak) | Rep. Joule (D-Kotzebue) | Rep. Edgmon (D-Dillingham) | Rep. Wilson (R-Wrangell) | Rep. Foster (D-Nome) | Rep. Munoz (R-Juneau) | Rep. Thomas (R-Haines) | Rep. Harris (R-Anchorage) | Rep. Herron (D-Bethel) | Rep. Kerttula (D-Juneau) | Rep. Salmon (D-Beaver) | Rep. Johansen (R-Ketchikan)
"An Act repealing certain provisions relating to modifying the factors that apply to calculate the amount of power cost equalization; providing for an effective date by repealing the effective date of sec. 3, ch. 2, 4SSLA 2008; and providing for an effective date."  It was referred to House Community and Regional Affairs (CRA) and Finance Committees and will have its first hearing CRA Thursday at 8am in room 124.

SB 31 Geothermal Electricity Production Tax Credit – Sen. McGuire (R-Anchorage) | Sen. Ellis (D-Anchorage) | Sen. Thomas (D-Fairbanks)
SB31 now is no longer limited to just geothermal energy and offers a tax credit to any type of alternative energy. The bill has great potential to incentivize the development of renewable energy facilities. ACV supports this bill and is working with the Sponsor and others to address several issues.  It will have a hearing in Senate Resources today at 3:30 in room 205.

SB 59 Medium-Speed Motor Vehicles – Sen. Stedman (R-Sitka)
SB59 changes the limitations on low-speed vehicles to allow them on roads with a speed limit under 45 miles per hour, an increase from the current 35 miles per hour max.  It also allows for low speed vehicles to cross highways at designated intersections. This change would help foster greater use of low speed electric vehicles in some communities. ACV supports this bill.  It was passed out of the Senate Transportation Committee meeting last Tuesday and referred to Judiciary.

SB 71  Alternative Energy For Public Works - Sen. Therriault (R-North Pole)
Sponsored by Senator Therriault, SB71 would encourage new public works facilities to use alternative (defined as non fossil fuel) energy as primary or secondary heat or electricity sources whenever the cost is comparative to fossil fuels.  It was referred to Senate Energy, Resource and Finance Committees and will have its first hearing of the session on Friday the 13th at 11am in room 205. While ACV supports this bill we will work to meld the merits of SB 71 into SB 121.

SB 121 Energy Efficiency Bldgs/Public Works – Senate Resource Committee
SB121 was introduced by the Senate Resources Committee with the intent to reduce the amount of energy consumed by public facilities thereby reducing costs to the state and increasing jobs in energy efficiency industries. To accomplish this goal SB121 requires the Department of Public Transportation and Public Facilities to create an Energy use index for all heated public facilities to monitor baseline energy consumption data and energy efficiency data.  With information from the energy use index, DOTPF is then required to retrofit all heated public facilities listed in the index.  SB121 allows for performance contracting and has a 3-year self-reporting requirement to ensure that the program is working.  The bill has been referred to Senate Resources and Senate Finance Committees.  It will be heard today at 3:30 in the Senate Resources Committee.  This hearing is for informational purposes and public testimony will be taken the next time the bill is discussed.  While ACV supports this bill we will work to meld some of SB 71 into SB 121 as well as incorporating other energy efficiency components. 

SB 127 Southeast State Forest – Rules by Request of the Governor
SB127 would create a Southeast State Forest. It was referred to Senate Community and Regional Affairs and Resources Committees. The first CRA hearing for this bill will be Thursday, March 12th at 3:30 in room 211.

SB 131 Net Energy Metering – Sen. McGuire (R-Anchorage) | Sen. Ellis (D-Anchorage)
This bill is the Senate companion to HB66, sponsored by Representative Seaton, introduced earlier this session.  It aims to implement net metering by some retail suppliers of electricity to promote the use of alternative energy resources from solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, or hydropower sources.  The bill was referred to Senate Energy and Labor and Commerce Committees and will be heard this Friday at 11am in room 205 in front of the Senate Energy Committee.

SB 132 Southeast Energy Fund – Sen. Stedman (R-Sitka) | Sen. Elton (D-Juneau)
This bill would create the Southeast Energy Fund, a fund that would make grants for power projects, the repayment of loans and the payment of bonds for hydroelectric projects serving Southeast Alaska or for other projects to assist in meeting the energy needs of Southeast Alaska. This bill would expand the state’s current energy focus to address needs in SE Alaska.   The bill was referred to Senate Energy, Resources and Finance Committees.  Its first hearing is Friday at 11am in room 205 in front of the Senate Energy Committee.

New In Town

HB 162  Southeast State Forest – Rules by request of the Governor
An Act establishing the Southeast State Forest and relating to the Southeast State Forest. Referred to House Resources and Finance Committees.

HB 166  Southeast Energy Fund – Rep. Thomas (R-Haines) | Rep. Johansen (R-Ketchikan) | Rep. Wilson (R-Wrangell) | Rep. Kerttula (D-Juneau) | Rep. Austerman (R-Kodiak) | Rep. Munoz (R-Juneau)
This bill would create the Southeast Energy Fund, a fund that would make grants for power projects, the repayment of loans and the payment of bonds for hydroelectric projects serving Southeast Alaska or for other projects to assist in meeting the energy needs of Southeast Alaska. HB166 was referred to House Energy and Finance Committees. HB 166 is the companion bill to SB 132.

HB 163/ SB 135  Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority - Rules by Request of the Governor
"An Act clarifying the purpose of the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority; and relating to definitions of certain terms in AS 41.41."  The bills have Energy, Resources and Finance referrals in both bodies.

HB 164 / SB 136     In-State Pipeline: Leases; Certification – Rules by Request of the Governor
"An Act relating to noncompetitive leases of state land and for rights-of-way for oil or natural gas pipelines that originate and terminate within the state and to the regulation and certification of those pipelines; relating to conditional certification for certain new natural gas pipelines; relating to definitions of "common carrier" and "firm transportation service" in the Pipeline Act." The bills have Energy, Resources and Finance referrals in both bodies.

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