HB2475 - 472R - Senate Fact Sheet

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Forty-seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2475

~~electric generating facilities; coal; development~~

(NOW: clean innovation technology task force)

Purpose

Establishes the Clean Coal Technology Task Force to create a strategic plan for encouraging the development of clean coal technologies in Arizona.

Background

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, clean coal technology is a process for generating electricity by burning coal that reduces air emissions and other pollutants. Clean coal technology is a result of concerns about the potential health impacts of mercury emissions, the effects of microscopic particles on people with respiratory problems and global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions.

The national Clean Coal Power Initiative provides government cofinancing for new coal technologies that can help utilities meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clear Skies Initiative to cut sulfur, nitrogen and mercury pollutants from power plants by nearly 70 percent by the year 2018.

According to the EPA, there are five coal burning power plants in Arizona: the Navajo Generating Station in Page, the Cholla Generating Station in Joseph City, the Coronado Generating Station in St. Johns, the Apache Generating Station in Cochise, the Irvington Generating Station in Tucson and the Springerville Generating Station in Springerville.

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this measure.

Provisions

1. Establishes the Clean Coal Technology Task Force (Task Force).

2. Requires the Task Force to develop a strategic plan for the advancement of future clean coal-fired power plants in Arizona.

3. Requires the strategic plan to educate citizens and policymakers on the suitability and cost of sulfur dioxide emissions controlling technologies, identify the potential for safely capturing and storing coal-fired power plant carbon dioxide emissions, identify research opportunities and pilot demonstration projects and determine whether new state policies or incentives are needed.

4. Requires Task Force membership to consist of 18 members, 9 appointed by the President of the Senate and 6 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

5. Assigns the Director of the Department of Commerce Energy Office, the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, or their designees, as the nonappointed Task Force members.

6. Prescribes qualifications for appointed membership and stipulates that appointed members serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

7. Requires the Task Force members to elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the Task Force’s members.

8. Requires the Legislature to provide staff support and meeting accommodations.

9. Allows the Task Force to accept nonappropriated donations, endowments or other nonappropriated monies to supports its operational activities.

10. Requires the Task Force to submit a report of its findings to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor by December 31, 2007.

11. Requires a copy of the report to be provided to the Secretary of State and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.

12. Repeals the Task Force on January 15, 2008.

13. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

· Makes a technical change.

Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole

1. Changes the name of the Task Force.

2. Modifies the Task Force membership.

3. Modifies the strategic plan requirements.

House Action Senate Action

GRGFA 2/8/06 DPA/SE 7-0-0-0 NRRA 3/29/06 DPA 6-0-1-0

ENV 2/15/06 DP 8-0-0-1 3^rd Read 4/10/06 18-4-8-0

3^rd Read 3/9/06 46-13-1-0

Prepared by Senate Research

April 10, 2006

FB/jas