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SPONSOR: |
Garcia, MP |
DATE TYPED: |
|
HB |
172/aHAFC |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Fuel Cell Demonstration Project |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Valenzuela |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
|
$450.0 |
Non-recurring |
General
Fund |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Legislative Finance Committee files
Responses
Received From
Public
Regulation Commission
Commissioner
of Public Lands
Energy,
Minerals and Natural Resources Department
Department
of Environment
SUMMARY
Synopsis of HAFC Amendment
The
House Appropriations and Finance Committee amendment to House Bill 172 deletes
the $80.0 appropriation from the general fund for the solar and fuel cell
demonstration project. (Senate Bill 655 includes $80.0 for this item from FY03
non-recurring funding.) See Fiscal
Impact related to the need for $450.0 to address the provisions of the project.
Synopsis of Original Bill
House Bill 172
appropriates $80.0 from the general fund to the EMNRD for the purpose of conducting
a solar and fuel cell demonstration project for alternative energy generation.
EMNRD would be required to perform a detailed analysis of each system addressing
appropriate applications, economic and environmental benefits, life-cycle cost,
and potential for state-wide application.
The bill establishes general conditions for which EMNRD must comply. The
EMNRD Cabinet Secretary is required to submit a report to the 2nd
session of the 47th Legislature (January 2006). The general fund
appropriation, if unexpended, will revert at the end of fiscal year 2004 (
Significant
Issues
Started in June 1997,
Million Solar Roofs is an initiative to install solar energy systems on one
million
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$80.0 contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the general fund.
Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004
shall revert to the general fund.
EMNRD asserts that the
appropriation is not sufficient to carry out the provisions of the bill. It
requests an appropriation of $450.0 over the three-year proposed timeline.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
EMNRD reports the
following technical issues and suggested amendments. The first amendment would
extend the general fund reversion date to match the bill’s identified project
timeline. EMNRD states “.
. . the projects must be submitted to the 2nd Session of the 47th
Legislature (January 2006), funding for the project must be expended by
1. Amend Page 2, Line 24-25, to change the reversion date for the appropriation to FY 2006.
2. Amend Page 1, Line 22-24, strike “ultra-high-efficiency co-generation” and after “powered by” insert “hydrogen derived from natural gas, propane, methanol, ammonia and biomass (soy diesel) to generate on-site electricity for government or public use.”
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
Are there federal grant programs where this general
fund appropriation can be used to leverage additional funding for the proposed
projects ?
Is there an opportunity to partner with regulated utilities operating or
headquartered in New Mexico ?
MFV/ls/njw