|
Session: State Capitol, Room 508 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-3892 Fax: (907) 465-6595 Send E-Mail Interim 716 W 4th, Suite 430 Anchorage, AK 99501-2133 Phone: (907) 258-8181 Fax: (907) 258-1648 |
For Immediate Release: March 29, 1999
Contact: Senator Dave Donley at (907) 465-3892.
Juneau -- The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee Tuesday approved a measure to require that overhead utility distribution lines be placed underground in municipalities with populations over 100,000. Effectively, the Municipality of Anchorage is the only community affected by the legislation.
"Placing overhead utility distribution lines underground will enhance the aesthetic environment, reduce maintenance costs and reduce the number of weather and accident related utility disruptions," said Senator Dave Donley (R-Midtown Anchorage), sponsor of Senate Bill 10.
SB 10 requires utilities to spend at least one percent of their annual gross revenue on a program of placing existing overhead utility lines underground. The City of Anchorage already has municipal ordinances that encourage utilities to spend up to four percent of their gross revenues on undergrounding existing overhead lines. However, this municipal ordinance places no minimum on such annual expenditures. This means that utilities currently do not have to spend anything on undergrounding existing overhead utility distribution lines.
"Asking utilities to spend one percent of their annual gross revenue on a continual and long-term program of placing overhead utility distribution lines underground is a reasonable request," stated Donley. "One percent of their gross annual revenue is a relatively very small amount to expect of utilities, but it will go a long way toward improving our communities," continued Donley.
At the one percent rate it will take fifty to a hundred years to underground most existing distribution lines in Anchorage. A steady and incremental program of placing overhead utility distribution lines underground is good public policy, noted Senator Donley. "This concept represents good policy for larger Alaska communities. The visual environment in Anchorage would be dramatically improved by an on-going program to bury existing overhead lines underground," Donley said.
"Mandating a minimum expenditure ensures continued, steady progress toward eliminating Anchorage's overhead utility lines," said Donley, "At the same time, it creates a level playing field for any competing utilities. All competitors would be required to put utilities underground, so a company that did so would not be at a disadvantage to one that chose not to."
Senate Bill 10 will next be heard in the Senate Finance Committee.