Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:03/28/2012
ATTENDANCE
Time:11:36 AM to 12:32 PM
Brown
X
Coram
X
Place:HCR 0107
Fischer
X
Jones
*
This Meeting was called to order by
Looper
*
Representative Sonnenberg
McKinley
X
Ryden
*
This Report was prepared by
Scott
X
Lauren Ris
Vaad
X
Vigil
*
Wilson
X
Baumgardner
X
Sonnenberg
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB12-1315Amended, Referred to Appropriations


11:36 AM -- House Bill 12-1315

Representative Becker, presented House Bill 12-1315, which reorganizes the Governor's Energy Office (GEO). Among other changes, the bill:

• changes the name of GEO to the Colorado Office of Energy Development;
• discontinues GEO on July 1, 2018, and requires a sunset review prior to repeal;
• changes GEO's statutory mission from promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency to encouraging all sources of energy development;
• mandates legislative approval for any changes related policies contained in GEO's strategic plan, policies related to the definition of renewable energy, policies related to energy
transmission, or any policy that may negatively impact traditional energy sources;
• creates the Renewable Energy Cash Fund to consist of gifts, grants and donations and unspecified appropriations from the General Assembly;
• renames the Clean Energy Fund to the Innovative Energy Fund, changes its appropriation from continuous to annual, and changes the purpose and expenditures of the fund to
apply to severance taxable resources;
• repeals the Clean Truck program and Clean Energy Development Authority; and
• removes the ability of GEO to use up to five percent of the annual appropriation for administration of the low-income energy assistance program.

If GEO is extended past 2018, it will be subject to review every five years. Finally, this bill transfers $1.25 million from the Severance Tax Perpetual Base Account to the Innovative Energy Fund created in this bill. Representative Becker answered questions from the committee.



11:44 AM -- TJ Deora, Governor's Energy Office Director, spoke in support of the bill and discussed how the bill will benefit the state's energy economy. He discussed some of the programs implemented by the energy office. He described how the office's mission will change under the bill.

11:51 AM -- Tracee Bentley, Governor's Energy Office, thanked the committee for their work on the bill.

11:52 AM -- Mr. Deora answered questions from the committee and described the history of the energy office.

11:56 AM -- In response to questions, Representative Becker explained how the Governor's Energy Office is funded.

11:59 AM -- Greg Romberg, Metro Wastewater District, spoke in support of Amendment L.001.

12:01 PM -- Bill Midcap, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, spoke in support of the bill and discussed his support for the GEO.

12:03 PM -- Dianna Orf, Colorado Mining Association, spoke in support of the bill and spoke about the importance of energy innovation.

12:04 PM -- Grier Baily, Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association, spoke in support of the bill.

12:06 PM -- Susan Innis, Vestas, spoke in support of the bill and discussed the company's history working with the GEO.

12:11 PM -- Pete Maysmith, Colorado Conservation Voters, spoke in support of the bill as it is amended and described some of his concerns with the bill, including the Clean Energy Funding, legislative approval processes. Mr. Maysmith answered questions about how the amendments will impact the renewable energy industry.



12:20 PM -- Craig Cox, Interwest Energy Alliance, spoke in support of the bill.
BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:22:00 PM
MOVED:Brown
MOTION:Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment A). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Vaad
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 4 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

120328AttachA.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:24:27 PM
MOVED:Brown
MOTION:Moved amendment L.006 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Vaad
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

120328AttachB.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:25:08 PM
MOVED:Brown
MOTION:Moved amendment L.007 (Attachment C). The motion passed on a vote of 12-1.
SECONDED:Vaad
VOTE
Brown
Yes
Coram
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Jones
No
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Yes
Ryden
Yes
Scott
Yes
Vaad
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Baumgardner
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 12 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

120328AttachC.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:29:53 PM
MOVED:Looper
MOTION:Moved amendment L.008 (Attachment D). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Vaad
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

120328AttachD.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:30:52 PM
MOVED:Baumgardner
MOTION:Moved amendment L.010 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Vaad
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

120328AttachE.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:32:13 PM
MOVED:Baumgardner
MOTION:Moved amendment L.011 (Attachment F). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Looper
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION:

120328AttachF.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:32:41 PM
MOVED:Baumgardner
MOTION:Moved amendment L.012 (Attachment G). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Looper
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

120328AttachG.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:34:56 PM
MOVED:Baumgardner
MOTION:Moved amendment L.004 (Attachment H). The motion passed on a vote of 9-4.
SECONDED:Scott
VOTE
Brown
Yes
Coram
Yes
Fischer
No
Jones
No
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Yes
Ryden
No
Scott
Yes
Vaad
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Wilson
No
Baumgardner
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 9 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

120328AttachH.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 12:43:01 PM
MOVED:Baumgardner
MOTION:Moved amendment L.005 (Attachment I). The motion passed on a vote of 9-4.
SECONDED:Coram
VOTE
Brown
Yes
Coram
Yes
Fischer
No
Jones
No
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Yes
Ryden
No
Scott
Yes
Vaad
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Wilson
No
Baumgardner
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 9 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

120328AttachI.pdf

BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 04:24:22 PM
MOVED:Fischer
MOTION:Moved a conceptual amendment on page 13 after "the" to insert "Colorado Energy Office". The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Wilson
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


04:23 PM

Esther van Mourik, Legislative Legal Services, explained her understanding of the conceptual amendment.
BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 04:31:01 PM
MOVED:Brown
MOTION:Moved to refer House Bill 12-1315, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion failed as a result of a substitute.
SECONDED:Looper
VOTE
Brown
Coram
Fischer
Jones
Looper
McKinley
Ryden
Scott
Vaad
Vigil
Wilson
Baumgardner
Sonnenberg
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION:


BILL:HB12-1315
TIME: 04:31:23 PM
MOVED:Fischer
MOTION:Moved a substitute motion to refer House Bill 12-1315 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 11-2.
SECONDED:Wilson
VOTE
Brown
Yes
Coram
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Jones
No
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Yes
Ryden
No
Scott
Yes
Vaad
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Baumgardner
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

04:31 PM

The committee adjourned.