AK HCR7

Alaska Energy Authority must develop a comprehensive 10-year infrastructure plan to reduce power costs in areas with extremely high electric and heating costs, in coordination with state utilities and power organizations.

Plan must address rural communities' challenges including isolated electrical grids, lack of natural gas access, diesel fuel costs 50-100 percent higher than road-accessible areas, and electricity prices highest in the United States.

More than 300 of Alaska's rural communities are not connected to the railbelt electrical grid or state road system, with 20 percent of the state's 710,000 residents living spread across 500,000 square miles in these areas.

Low-income rural residents pay as much as 40 percent of annual income on home energy needs; high energy costs reduce business development and increase costs for all goods and services.

Alaska Energy Authority must deliver the infrastructure plan to the senate secretary and house chief clerk by May 31, 2022.