Aid is coming for natural gas customers under the Interior Energy Project
FAIRBANKS—House Bill 374, “On-Bill Financing of Energy Improvements,” is currently working its way through the Alaska legislative process. It is an act “relating to on-bill financing by a utility for certain energy efficiency and conservation improvements.”
In Rep. Adam Wool’s published Sponsor Statement, he explains that the bill would allow a utility to create an on-bill financing or repayment program to help customers finance energy improvements. “The improvement must utilize renewable energy or include switching to a more efficient device or fuel that does not increase greenhouse gas emissions. This legislation will be particularly useful as the Interior Energy Project expands its reach and a large number of Fairbanks residents choose to convert from oil to natural gas to heat their homes,” his statement said.
Wool is one of seven representatives supporting the bill. At press time, the bill looked poised to pass into law. It easily passed in the House and was delivered to the Senate, which approved a version with an amendment. The House concurred in the Senate Amendment in May.
HB 374 represents a small but significant element of Alaska’s Interior Energy Project, which was created to bring liquefied natural gas to Fairbanks and the surrounding communities. HB 374 would help make it possible for payments to be more easily managed for customers who have chosen to convert to natural gas.
Interior Gas Utility is the utility company that will be most affected by the bill’s passage, as IGU seeks to better serve its current and potential customers who are seeking other energy solutions. Jomo Stewart, general manager of IGU, believes the bill is sound and well-supported throughout the community. He is also convinced that IGU customers won’t be the only beneficiaries if the bill passes.
“We are a very small utility here in Fairbanks, in the heart of Alaska,” he pointed out during an interview with KTVF, Fairbanks’ NBC affiliate. “But you have some major utilities—guys like ENSTAR, GVEA, Municipal Light and Power down in Anchorage—that might also [benefit from this].”