[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 31 (Thursday, February 16, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      LEGISLATION AUTHORIZING SALE OF ALASKA POWER ADMINISTRATION

                                 ______


                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 1995
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to 
sell the Alaska Power Administration's two hydroelectric projects.
  This legislation will authorize the sale of the Alaska Power 
Administration. The Alaska Power Administration is different from the 
other Federal Power Marketing Agencies of the Department of Energy. Its 
two hydroelectric projects, Eklutna and Snettisham, were never intended 
by Congress to remain indefinitely under Federal control. The Eklutna 
Project Act, for example, states that ``Upon completion of amortization 
of the capital investment allocated to power, the Secretary is 
authorized and directed to report to the Congress upon the feasibility 
and desirability of transferring the Eklutna project to public 
ownership and control in Alaska.'' Moreover, these two projects were 
created specifically to promote economic and industrial development in 
Alaska, and they are not the product of a water resource management 
plan.
  I am a strong advocate of insuring that Alaskans control their own 
destiny, which is what this bill is all about. It will put the 
management of these two hydroelectric projects into the hands of those 
who best know Alaska. One project will be sold to the State of Alaska, 
and the other will be sold to a group of three Alaskan public electric 
utilities.
  Equally as important, this legislation will relieve the Federal 
Government of the expense of operating and maintaining these two 
projects. It also provides for the termination of the Alaska Power 
Administration once the sale is complete, further saving money for 
taxpayers.
  It is important to note that this legislation provides necessary 
safeguards for the environment. It requires the State of Alaska and the 
Eklutna purchasers to abide by the memorandum of agreement they entered 
into regarding the protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife. The 
legislation makes this legally enforceable.
  Last year a similar provision was included in the H.R. 300, the Re-
inventing Government package and the Senate Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources reported S. 2383, the Alaska Power Administration 
Sale Authorization Act. The administration testified in strong support 
of this legislation. Unfortunately, there was little time to consider 
them late in the session. With early introduction this Congress, I am 
hopeful that we will see this legislation enacted into law.
  There is one provision which needs to be included in the Alaska Power 
Administration legislation before it is sent to the President for 
signature, but I have not included it because it addresses the Internal 
Revenue Code. I hope to have that issue addressed in other legislation.


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