Alaska State Legislature
News from the Joint Committee
on Electric Utility Restructuring

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary, (907) 258-8184
Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary, (907) 258-8164
716 West 4th Avenue, Suite 510
Anchorage, AK 99501
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality Line: 1-800-478-6540

Electric Utility Restructuring Committee Meets Again

Joint House-Senate Committee Hears from Public

For Immediate Release: August 18, 1998 Contact: Representative Norman Rokeberg at (907) 258-8191 or Sen. Bert Sharp at (907) 452-7885.

Anchorage -- The Alaska Legislature's Joint Committee on Electric Utility Restructuring held the second of four meetings Tuesday in Anchorage.

Co-chairs Senator Bert Sharp (R-Fairbanks) and Representative Normal Rokeberg (R-Anchorage) say the committee is attempting to formulate written recommendations for the next Legislature on whether and how to implement electric utility restructuring in Alaska.

"At our first meeting, we heard from invited participants, including utilities and unions," Rokeberg said. "Today it was the public's turn to tell us they're feeling on this partial deregulation of the utility industry," Rokeberg said.

"We'll be holding at least two more meetings before we make any recommendations, one in Fairbanks in September and at least one more meeting in November," Sharp said. "The more sources we hear from the better the chances that we'll have a handle on what works and what doesn't work as we try to get the best results for individual Alaska consumers," Sharp said.

At Tuesday's meeting, committee members voted to seek a partnership with the Alaska Public Utilities Commission for an independent third party study of the issue. Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage) will chair that effort.

In addition to Sens. Sharp and Leman and Rep, Rokeberg, committee members include Senators Robin Taylor (R-Wrangell) and Al Adams (D-Kotzebue) and Representatives Alan Austerman (R-Kodiak), Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River), and John Davies (R-Fairbanks).

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