Rep. Bryce Edgmon at this point doesn't expect a groundswell of support for his proposal, HB294. But he does see the bill as a way to have a broader discussion on rural energy costs and the Power Cost Equalization program, or PCE.
Edgmon says energy costs are a major concern for his constituents. He says he hasn't seen any other proposal that would provide immediate relief for rural Alaskans paying high energy costs.
The Alaska Energy Authority says the kilowatt-hour charge for electricity can be three to five times higher in rural Alaska than in more urban areas. PCE helps rural electric utility customers by paying a portion of their electricity costs.
That figure is what was paid by Alaskans to buy back their resources. If you dig deep enough you will find that these revenue streams have ceased to be fair to the people. More so if you live in the Bush or in the Interior.
My guess would be that very few legislators understand how that proccess works, and even fewer Alaskans know about it.
The oil for taxes and fees is nothing more than giving oil companies an exchange rate based on the world market price of crude.
Why is Fairbanks not included?