conservation and renewables

In their desire to save some cash, Alaskans are starting to talk and act like a bunch of greenies.
If you asked any environmental group where to start addressing climate change, I'm sure they'd say something like "conservation and renewables," and that's where the AK Legislature and Gov. Palin seem to be headed.
In terms of conservation, Sen. Lyman Hoffman's plan to dump $300 million into home weatherization and energy efficiency programs that normally get $5 million a year has passed the Legislature and probably will pass the gov's veto pen. Hoffman told me yesterday that was just the start. Next year, he hopes to tackle public facilities like schools.
As for renewables, the main push is for a renewable energy fund that would spin off about $15 million a year that could be used for loans or grants to get projects going. (Alaska hasn't really embraced the renewable portfolio standard idea, although a sizeable chunk of state generation is from hydro.)
Rep. Bill Thomas, a Republican, sponsored the first proposal for a fund, and a bunch of Democrats signed on. That didn't really move, but then the House Speaker, John Harris, another Republican, sponsored another version and the bill moved relatively quickly. More than half of the House has signed on as co-sponsors, and the bill, HB 152, passed the House without a no vote. When the bill went to the Senate, more than half of the Senators signed on as cross-sponsors, but the bill got stuck in the Senate Finance Committee, where it's been for 10 months without a hearing. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski chided the co-chair in her speech Tuesday, noting that the bill was officially supported by more than half of the Legislature.
A staffer to Sen. Bert Stedman, the co-chair sitting on the bill, told me Tuesday that HB 152 would finally get a hearing next week. Stedman was cool to the idea because he doesn't like creating special funds, which he says bump up against the constitutional restriction on appropriating money in future years, the staffer said. (The alternative is that each special interest group comes to Juneau each year to lobby for its cash -- a fund provides some security, even if lawmakers can get rid of it whenever they want.)
Stedman also wanted to figure out the mechanics of funding it, the staffer said. Gov. Palin is already on board, and proposed putting $250 million into such a fund in her budget plan, but there are different ways the funds could be provided.
Stedman's staffer said he expected something to pass this year because of the broad support for the bill.
That's Sen. Stedman, a former commercial fisherman and the only senator to consistently wear three-piece suits.