http://www.arkansasnews.com/276196364930299.bsp ArkansasNews Little Rock Lawmaker Proposes Tax To Help Find Alternative Fuels
By Wesley Brown Arkansas News Bureau Tuesday, October 29, 2002 LITTLE ROCK - With war on the horizon and the possibility of higher fuel prices, Rep. Herschel Cleveland, D-Paris, outlined a plan on Monday that would create an "alternative fuels" commission by levying a $3 annual tax on Arkansas electric and gas users. Cleveland, who presented a draft copy of his bill during the Joint Committee on Energy meeting at the state Capitol, said he plans to introduce the bill during the 84th General Assembly. The regular session begins Jan. 13. "When we get up in the morning, we don't know what is going to happen that day," Cleveland said of the threat of war with Iraq. "We need to reduce our dependency and look to some alternative fuels other than oil." During the hearing, a number of presenters provided the legislative committee with a host of alternative fuel and renewable energy options, ranging from wind, hydroelectric and solar power to fuels produced by recycling chicken litter and soybean oil. Chris Benson, director of the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development, said nearly 80 percent of the state's $4.2 billion energy diet now comes from fuel sources outside the state. Of that amount, less than 8 percent comes from renewable energy sources, Benson said. Jim Wimberly, president of the Foundation for Organic Resources Management in Fayetteville, told the joint committee that Arkansas has many available sources of unused alternative energy sources, such as chicken litter, sawdust and rice hulls. He said his nonprofit group is studying ways to convert chicken litter into energy that can be used to heat poultry houses and lower excessive levels of phosphorus - that comes from chicken litter - in drinking water. Currently, there are 2,700 poultry farms in Arkansas generating 480 tons of litter per farm each year, he said. "The potential for expanding this type of energy warrants your attention as you look at your energy options." Wimberly admitted to the committee that the research and technology needed to create litter-to-energy systems are at least two years away, mainly because of a lack of start-up capital. He said most of these projects need some type of government partnership or funding to be competitive with non-renewable energy sources. "Help us to reduce the risk," Wimberly said. Under Cleveland's bill, a 25 cents tax would be levied on every residential electric and gas meter each month. Additionally, commercial and industrial users would be charged 25 cents per $1,000 of electric or natural gas use on each monthly bill. Cleveland estimates the tax, which would be collected by utility companies, would raise about $2 million per year to finance an alternative fuels fund and establish a seven-person commission to oversee it. All money collected through the tax would be used by the commission to provide loans and grants to groups that are involved in alternative fuel research and renewable energy projects. "There are a lot of people in Arkansas doing things, but there is no focal point," Cleveland said of alternative energy research in the state. "I think that everyone agrees this needs to be done, but the issue is whether or not it can be funded or not." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sell a Home with Ease! http://us.click.yahoo.com/SrPZMC/kTmEAA/jd3IAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
