Committee Meeting Information

June 10 and 11, 2008

Game and Fish Building

Casper, Wyoming

 

Committee Members Present

Senator Grant C. Larson, Co-Chairman

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

Senator Eli Bebout

Senator Stan Cooper

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Bob Brechtel

Representative Floyd Esquibel

Representative Debbie Hammons

Representative Elaine Harvey

Representative Saundra Meyer

Representative Lorraine Quarberg

Representative William "Jeb" Steward

 

Committee Members Absent

Senator Bob Fecht

Representative Amy Edmonds

 

Legislative Service Office Staff

Gerald Laska, Staff Attorney

Kelley Shepp, Associate Research Analyst

 

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 (June 10, 2008)

Co-Chairman Lockhart called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. and recognized former legislators John Wold and Bill Hawks.  The following sections summarize the Committee proceedings by topic.  Please refer to Appendix 2 to review the Committee Meeting Agenda.

 

Executive Summary

The Committee heard from the State Engineer, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Wyoming Business Council, the Governor's Office, the University of Wyoming, the Department of Workforce Services, the Wyoming Pipeline Authority, the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority and Wyoming Community Development Authority.  The Committee will consider bills on workforce housing infrastructure funding, challenge loan program funding, business ready community grants, community landfill funding and the drinking water account and the water pollution control account at the fall meeting.

 

Considerations of Gas and Oil Price Differentials

Brian Jefferies, Executive Director of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority updated the Committee on the status of current pipelines and price differentials [Appendices 3 and 4].

 

Dallas Scholes with Williams and Scott Farris with TransCanada Companies, discussed the proposed Sunstone Pipeline Project [Appendix 5].  The Ruby Project update was presented by Roland Harris with El Paso Western Pipelines [Appendix 6].  Shane Shultz with Questar Pipeline explained the Rockies Alliance Pipeline [Appendix 7].

 

Energy Sources and Generation

Rob Hurless, Energy and Telecommunications Advisor to the Governor's Office discussed various proposals being considered in Wyoming, the region and the nation regarding coal fired plants, wind, water, thermal, gas and liquid natural gas production and transmission capacity. 

 

Tom Fuller, Manager of the State Energy Conservation Program for the Wyoming Business Council presented background information regarding energy performance contracting enabling legislation and the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program [Appendices 8 and 9]. 

 

Glenn Catchpole, President and Chief Executive Officer of Uranerz Energy Corporation provided information regarding the status or uranium mining and development in Wyoming and the use of uranium as a solution to the energy crises [Appendices 10 through 12]. 

 

Energy Transportation Infrastructure

Steve Waddington, Executive Director of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority briefed the Committee on proposed transmission projects, including the Wyoming-Colorado Intertie, the Transwest Express, the Gateway West, the Gateway South and the High Plains Express [Appendix 13].

 

University of Wyoming - Energy Initiatives updates

Rick Miller, Vice President Governmental, Community & Legal Affairs, Myron Allen, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mark Northam, Director of the School of Energy Resources and Bill Gern, Vice President for Research Economic Development related their energy strategy from the University of Wyoming, including the General Electric gasification test facility, testing on carbon sequestration, enhanced oil recovery and non-conventional gas recovery, using the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to conduct advanced computer simulation on oil and gas reservoirs, analyzing drilling cores and value added activities [Appendix 14].

 

James Steidtmann, Director of the University Energy Institute and Peter Wold, Chairman of the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, submitted an estimate of in-ground reserves and the amount of recoverable oil with enhanced techniques [Appendix 15].

 

Clean Coal Technologies

Mr. Miller and Tom Sarkus with the National Energy Technology Laboratory explained the work to establish a legal framework on information sharing, the progress of the NCAR supercomputer, the uses of coal for electricity, carbon capture, storage capacity and funding [Appendices 16 and 17]. 

 

Work Force Housing

Bob Jensen, Chief Executive Officer and Shawn Reese with the Wyoming Business Council and David Haney, Executive Director of the Wyoming Community Development Authority discussed the progress on workforce housing applications.  This new program will be similar to the Business Ready Communities program [Appendix 18].  Mr. Jensen and Mr. Haney will submit legislation for the fall meeting that will consider converting the loan program to a grant program.

 

Work Training, Development and Recruitment

Lisa Osvold, Deputy Director and Jeremiah Rieman, Policy Analyst with the Department of Workforce Services submitted information on workforce training, including sector strategies, common challenges and benefits to business, workers and parameters.  They explained career readiness certificates and discussed the need for funding for expanded testing to test for student skills [Appendix 19].  Mr. Rieman further explained they have been working with the Department of Education on career and technical training.

 

Public Comment

Due to scheduling, Joe Coyne, Executive Director of Converse Area New Development Organization will submit written comments to the Committee.

 

Meeting Recess

The Committee recessed at 5:20 pm until 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

 

 

 

Call To Order (June 11, 2008)

Co-Chairman Larson called the meeting back to order at 8:05 a.m.  He thanked Rocky Mountain Power for the Tuesday evening tour and dinner.

 

Economic Development Programs

Mr. Jensen, Mr. Reese and Mike Martin Portfolio Loan Manager for the Challenge Loan Program, explained the various programs managed by the Wyoming Business Council [Appendices 20 and 21].  They expressed a need for additional funding for the Challenge Loan program and explained the effects of the cut from the original funding request of $18 million to the final amount of $2 million.  They will be asking for modifications to the program and additional funding for the program at the fall meeting.

 

Mary Randolph, Manager of the Main Street Program updated the Committee on the main street program and explained an anticipated need for additional funding of $1 million for the program [Appendix 22]. 

 

Mr. Jensen and Mr. Reese discussed the concept of taking the Community Enhancement Program from the Business Ready Communities Program and putting it into the Enhanced Community Facilities Enhancement program [Appendix 23].  The Business Council will prepare draft legislation for the fall meeting to address this proposed change.

 

Coalbed Methane Water Discharge Issues

Todd Parfitt, Deputy Director and John Wagner, Water Quality Division Administrator with the Department of Environmental Quality updated the Committee regarding water quality and permitting, storm water discharge permits and other point source general permits. 

 

Pat Tyrrell, State Engineer and Harry LaBonde, Deputy State Engineer explained the status of the water discharge bill the Committee considered last year.  The Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Interim Committee will be considering the bill, including the Senate Standing Committee amendments, at their fall meeting.  They discussed permits and production of wells and reservoir permits.  Mr. Tyrrell also briefed the Committee regarding the current status of the litigation between Montana and Wyoming [Appendix 24].

 

Abandoned Mine Land Funding Issues

Mr. Parfitt and Rick Chancellor, Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Division Administrator presented information on the AML funding forecast and explained the funding reimbursement from the Office of Surface Mining [Appendix 25].

 

Department of Environmental Quality – Landfill Risk Assessment and Monitoring

Mr. Parfitt and Bob Doctor with DEQ related the status of the landfill assessment and monitoring program, including the impact of monitoring costs on small communities, closed landfills and what DEQ can do to expedite reimbursements of advance funds to local communities [Appendix 26].  

 

Public Comment

Mike McDonald and Dale Groutage with the Fremont County Solid Waste Board expressed concerns relating to work from local communities, difficulty if getting plans approved by DEQ and difficulty in getting reimbursement claims paid by DEQ in a timely manner [Appendix 27].  They will provide written comments to the Committee.

 

Shannon Anderson with the Powder River Basin Resource Council explained their work with a group of landowners regarding recurring violations at one working uranium mine.

 

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners submitted written comments to the Committee [Appendix 28].

 

Reports

The Wyoming Business Council had submitted Report #233 regarding their portfolio of loans [Appendix 29] and Report #578 on the Business Ready Community Program [Appendix 30].  A full list of reports due to the Committee is included as Appendix 31.

 

Meeting Adjournment

The next meeting will be September 9 and 10, 2008 in Jackson, Wyoming.  There being no further business, Co-Chairman Larson adjourned the meeting at 3:45 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

 

Representative Thomas A. Lockhart, Co-Chairman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix		Appendix Topic		Appendix Description		Appendix Provider
1		Committee Sign-In Sheet		Lists meeting attendees		Legislative Service Office
2		Committee Meeting Agenda		Provides an outline of the topics the Committee addressed at the meeting		Legislative Service Office
3		Oil and Gas Price Differential		North American Natural Gas Pipeline Grid		Wyoming Pipeline Authority (WPA)
4		Oil and Gas Price Differential		What is the Wyoming Pipeline Authority? - PowerPoint		WPA
5		New Pipeline Projects		Sunstone Pipeline LLC		Williams and TransCanada Pipeline
6		New Pipeline Projects		Ruby Update		El Paso Western Pipelines
7		New Pipeline Projects		Rockies Alliance Pipeline Open Season Presentation		Questar
8		Energy Sources and Generation		Energy Performance Contracting Enabling Legislation		Wyoming Business Council (WBC)
9		Energy Sources and Generation		Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program		WBC
10		Energy Sources and Generation		Status of Uranium Mining & Development in Wyoming		Uranerz Energy Corporation
11		Energy Sources and Generation		The Case for Nukes		Uranerz Energy Corporation
12		Energy Sources and Generation		Book Cover – Power to Save the World		Uranerz Energy Corporation
13		Energy Transportation Infrastructure		Electric Transmission Development		Wyoming Infrastructure Authority
14		UW – Energy Initiatives Updates		UW Energy Strategy:  Internal Plan and Outcomes to Date		University of Wyoming
15		UW – Energy Initiatives Updates		PowerPoint		University of Wyoming
16		Clean Coal Technologies		DOE-NETL: Opposition to Coal will Reduce Electricity Reliability, Harm US Economy		University of Wyoming
17		Clean Coal Technologies		NextGen Energy Council - The Power of Ideas - Packet		National Energy Technology Laboratory
18		Workforce Housing		Workforce Housing Infrastructure Update		WBC
19		Workforce Training, Development and Recruitment		PowerPoint		Department of Workforce Services
20		Economic Development Programs		Challenge Loan Funding Request		WBC
21		Economic Development Programs		Increase Challenge Loan Participation Amounts		WBC
22		Economic Development Programs		Main Street Revolving Loan Funding Request		WBC
23		Economic Development Programs		Community Enhancement Program Concept		WBC
24		Coalbed Methane Water Discharge Issues		June 12, 2008 Packet		State Engineer
25		AML Funding Issues		Overview Information for Committee Meeting - PowerPoint		Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
26		DEQ Landfill Risk Assessment and Monitoring		Status Report - PowerPoint		DEQ
27		DEQ Landfill Risk Assessment and Monitoring		2007 Annual Report		Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District
28		Public Comment		May 23, 2008 Letter		Lincoln County Board of Commissioners
29		Reports		Report #578 – Business Ready Community Program		WBC
30		Reports		Report #233 – Financial and Compliance Audit		WBC
31		Reports		May 23, 2008 Report Due List		Legislative Service Office