Committee Meeting Information

August 28 and 29, 2006

Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building

Casper, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

Senator Hank Coe

Senator Kit Jennings

Senator Charles Townsend

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Floyd Esquibel

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Elaine Harvey

Representative Becket Hinckley

Representative Erin Mercer

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Representative Doug Samuelson [August 28 only]

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Bill Hawks, Co-Chairman

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Committee Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

 

Call To Order

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Executive Summary

 

The Committee will consider bill drafts on tax incentives for clean coal technology and existing industrial facilities, the DEQ LUST program, the tourism board, constitutional amendments for the pipeline authority and the infrastructure authority.

 

The Committee appointed a Subcommittee of Co-chairman Lockhart, Senator Vasey, Senator Townsend, Representative Hammons and Representative Samuelson to address the workforce housing infrastructure issue. 

 

The Committee passed the repeal of the sunset date on the Wyoming Business Council with no amendments and passed the electric utilities resources bill with one housekeeping amendment.

 

Wyoming Pipeline Authority

Mark Doelger, Chairman and Bryan Hassler, Executive Director of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA), updated the Committee on the current status on Rockies Express Pipeline and on oil pipeline take away capacity [Appendices 3 through 6].  Mr. Hassler will provide a white paper to the Committee.

 

Senator Jennings gave an update on the Coalbed Methane Water Task Force and will continue to report to the Committee [Appendices 7 and 8].

 

Rob Hurless presented a letter from the Governor's office regarding options to build environmentally friendly refineries [Appendix 9].

 

Wyoming Pipeline Authority and Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

Mr. Doelger and Steve Waddington, Executive Director Wyoming Infrastructure Authority (WIA) presented a constitutional amendment to allow capacity purchases in pipelines and transmission lines [Appendices 10 and 11]. 

 

LSO staff was directed to draft separate constitutional amendment bills for the pipeline authority and the infrastructure authority for the Committee's review at the next meeting.

 

Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

Mr. Waddington updated the Committee on the FutureGen experience, the status of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), the status of the Frontier line and the status of the TransWest Express line [Appendices 12 and 13].

 

Review of May 25, 2006 Committee meeting information on incentives for new projects/new technologies and continuity of existing industrial facilities and discussion of potential legislation

Wendy Lowe representing the Powder River Coal Company, Matt Grant with the Wyoming Mining Association and Bill Stafford with the Basin Electric Power Cooperative presented updates to the Committee and proposed two (2) draft bills on incentives for clean coal technology and existing industrial facilities [Appendices 14 through 19].  Bob Tarantola with PacifiCorp, presented information on the definition of pollution control equipment [Appendix 20]. 

 

LSO staff was directed to draft these two (2) proposals for discussion at the next meeting.

 

Department of Environmental Quality leaking underground storage tanks

John Corra, Director, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, LeRoy Feusner, Solid and Hazardous Waste Administrator, Tom Schroeder Industrial Siting Administrator and Jim Uzzell Administration Administrator presented information regarding DEQ's storage tank program and discussed options to speed up the tank clean-up program [Appendices 21 through 23]. 

 

Senator Vasey moved and Representative Esquibel seconded to put the proposed language into LSO bill format for the next meeting.  Following discussion, the motion passed.

 

Co-Chairman Lockhart noted that the Committee has spent a lot of time on LUST issues and some issues have been left open, such as a July 31 report and a report to governor, to be considered before the next meeting.

 

Community Assistance for Energy Impacts

Lynne Boomgaarden, Director Office of State Lands and Investments and Brad Miskimmins, Director of Grants and Loans presented an overview of the mineral royalty program and explained how the appropriation from the last session will affect impacted communities [Appendices 24 through 28].  Ms. Boomgaarden informed the Committee the State Land and Investment Board is considering rules and will update the Committee on the rules and this program at the next meeting.  Don Richards, Senior Research Analyst Legislative Service Office, by teleconference, answered questions regarding his research memorandums [Appendices 29 and 30].  Mr. Corra provided follow-up information on the industrial siting act [Appendix 31]. 

 

Workforce housing infrastructure - update

Sharon Garland, Deputy Treasurer, Tucker Fagan, Chief Executive Officer Wyoming Business Council and George Axlund, Executive Director, Wyoming Community Development Authority presented an update on the status of the bill draft on workforce housing infrastructure [Appendices 32 through 35]. 

 

Senator Jennings moved to appoint a Subcommittee of Co-chairman Lockhart, Senator Vasey, Senator Townsend, Representative Hammons and Representative Samuelson to address the workforce housing infrastructure issue.  The motion was seconded by Representative Esquibel and passed.  The Subcommittee will report back to the full Committee.

 

Wyoming Business Council

Mr. Fagan presented a summary of the business ready communities and community facilities grant and loan program and asked to have the sunset date on the business council repealed [Appendices 36 through 38]. 

 

Senator Vasey moved to sponsor the sunset repeal bill.  The motion was seconded by Representative Mercer. 

 

Representative Hammons moved to amend the bill to have the tourism board appointed by the Governor and approved by the senate.  Senator Jennings seconded the amendment.  The amendment failed.

 

With no amendments to the sunset repeal bill, the bill passed 12-0-2 with Co-chairman Hawks and Representative Samuelson absent.

 

Representative Hammons moved to draft a bill for the tourism board seconded by Representative Mercer.  The motion passed.

 

Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs).

Kathleen Lewis, Public Service Commissioner and Steve Oxley attorney for the Public Service Commission explained the proposed bill on electric utility resources [Appendices 39 and 40].  Ms. Lewis asked for a housekeeping amendment on Page 3-line 13 after "utilized;" to insert "and".  Bob Tarantola, PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power, Thor Nelson, Wyoming Industrial Energy Consumers and Chris Petrie, Office of Consumer Advocate spoke in favor of the bill and the efforts the workgroup have put into this bill draft.

 

Senator Vasey moved a do pass on the bill, including the insertion of "and" on page 3-line 13.  Representative Quarberg seconded the motion.  Following discussion on the bill, the bill passed 12-0-2 with Co-chairman Hawks and Representative Samuelson absent.

 

University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources – Update

Rick Miller, VP for Governmental, Community & Legal Affairs and Myron Allen, VP for Academic Affairs, University of Wyoming provided an update on the School of Energy Resources [Appendix 41].

 

University of Wyoming Business Technology Center - Update

Bill Gern, Vice President for Research Economic Development, University of Wyoming updated the Committee on the business technology center [Appendix 42].

 

Workforce training and development

Senator Michael Von Flatern presented information on the Gillette Career Technical Training Center [Appendix 43].  Dr. Jim Rose, Executive Director of the Wyoming Community College Commission provided an update on the capital construction budget and workforce development and training successes at the community colleges [Appendices 44 and 45].  Ron Pasco and Nathan Bekke with the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance testified regarding the Sioux Falls Technical Training and Community College Program [Appendix 46].  Kathy Emmons, Director of the Department of Workforce Services (DWS), presented background on their workforce analysis study [Appendices 47 and 48].  Eastern Wyoming College had submitted a letter to the Committee on their programs [Appendix 49].

 

Reports, updates and public comment.

Shelly Reams, Aeronautics Administrator presented the report on Air Service Enhancement [Appendices 50 and 51].

 

DEQ had submitted copies of their reports on recommendations for integrated solid waste management planning areas and the clean water state revolving fund 2006 intended use plan [Appendices 52 and 53].

 

The Committee received an updated list of reports due [Appendix 54].

 

public comment

Dan Neal with the Equality State Policy Center spoke against repealing the sunset date for the Wyoming Business Council.

 

George Parks, Executive Director with the Wyoming Association of Municipalities commented on impacted communities and expressed concern with the amount of money already awarded and asked the legislature to revisit the process.

 

Pat Sweeney from Casper spoke in favor of the Wyoming Business Council and the tourism board.

 

Meeting Adjournment

The next meeting was scheduled for October 4, 2006 in Casper.  There being no further business, Co-Chairman Lockhart adjourned the meeting at noon.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman