Date: 02/03/2009
Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-031
SENATE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ENERGY
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05:04 PM -- Senate Bill 09-031
Senator Rollie Heath, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-031, which creates the Clean Technology Discovery Evaluation Grant Program. The program provides grant assistance to aid in the commercialization of renewable energy technologies, or technologies and products that aid in energy efficiency, conservation, or environmental mitigation. Senator Heath distributed amendments L.001 and L.005 (Attachments B and C, respectively). Senator Heath spoke to L.001 which strikes everything below the bill's enacting clause. Senator Heath addressed a question about the source of funds for the new grant program. Discussion ensued about the proposed source of grant funds, the Petroleum Storage Tank Fund.
05:18 PM
Senator Health continued to address questions about the proposed amendments and the source of grant funds. The following people testified on the bill:
05:24 PM -- Mr. David Allen, representing the University of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Allen spoke about the process of using new technologies developed at area universities to create new companies.
05:28 PM -- Mr. Douglas Henston, representing Solix Biofuels, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Henston talked about the need for outside funding to support newly-founded companies that sell new technologies.
05:32 PM -- Mr. Dag Nummedal, representing the Colorado School of Mines, spoke in support of the bill. Committee members received a description of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory and a summary of the activities of the collaboratory (Attachment D). Mr. Nummedal highlighted the contents of Attachment D.
05:45 PM -- Ms. Denise Brown, representing the Colorado Clean Tech Industry Association, spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Brown spoke about the importance of outside funding such as grants for the creation and propagation of new energy industry-related technologies. Ms. Brown spoke about the fiscal impact of the bill. Discussion ensued.
06:00 PM
The chair decided to lay the bill over until a revised fiscal note is available. The chair also decided to lay over SB 09-142 for future consideration.
06:03 PM
The committee adjourned.