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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";
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color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Speaker Media
[mailto:Speaker.Media@okhouse.gov] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 09, 2009 4:14 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Speaker Media<br>
<b>Subject:</b> House Approves Speaker's Alternative Energy Bills<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><img width=111 height=109
id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.gif@01C9A0D2.2143AF30"></span></a><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Jennifer Monies,
Press Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Oklahoma House
of Representatives<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Office of House
Speaker Chris Benge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Office:
405-962-7679<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Cell:
405-550-8144<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Email: </span><a
href="mailto:jenniferm@okhouse.gov" title="mailto:jenniferm@okhouse.gov">jenniferm@okhouse.gov</a><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>House Approves Speaker’s
Alternative Energy Bills<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>OKLAHOMA CITY
(March 9, 2009) –</span><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>
</span></b><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Legislation seeking to
attract alternative energy companies to Oklahoma and allow for an expansion of
the alternative fuel infrastructure in the state passed the House today. </span><b><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>House
Bill 1953, by House Speaker Chris Benge, would make companies that support,
repair and maintain service activities for wind industry energy companies
eligible for the state’s Quality Jobs Act. This legislation would seek to
attract companies to Oklahoma involved in all aspects of the wind energy
industry. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>“In
addition to our state’s strong oil and natural gas energy heritage, wind energy
is increasingly becoming a player as we seek to diversify our resources,” said
Benge, R-Tulsa. “This change will attract additional companies to our state
that can take advantage of our local wind supply.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The
bill would give companies financial incentives to move to Oklahoma if they
create new, well-paying jobs and offer their employees health insurance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Legislation
allowing the Department of Central Services to build alternative fueling
infrastructure for use by state agencies and political subdivisions of the state
also passed the House today. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>House
Bill 1952, also authored by Speaker Benge, seeks to help expand the number of
vehicles in the state running on alternative fuels like compressed natural gas.
The legislation will also help expand the number of publicly available fueling
stations across the state. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>“Much
like the inter-state highway system, government has a role to play when it
comes to building infrastructure, which then works to serve as an incentive to
private industry,” said Benge. “Oklahoma is poised to lead the way nationally
in alternative energy sources, much like we have remained an energy leader with
our oil and natural gas production. These bills will provide some stability to
these expanding sources while still allowing the private sector to be the true
driver.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The
bill would allow DCS to provide fleet services to schools, county and municipal
governments and provide public access to alternative fueling infrastructure in
underserved areas unless a private provider locates within five miles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The
“State Fleet Management Fund” will also be amended to allow money from the fund
to be used to build alternative fueling infrastructure or to acquire
alternative fuel vehicles for use by state agencies or to lease to political
subdivisions. The bill states that money from lease payments would be deposited
into the fund.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The
allowable loan amount out of the fund for a fill station will increase to
$300,000, and a current cap of $10,000 per vehicle conversion will remain
intact. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Finally,
HB 1952 would repeal cost-prohibitive California Air Resources Board emission
limits, and instead defer to emissions standards put in place by the federal
Environmental Protection Agency. This change will make conversions easier and
less cost-prohibitive but would still keep federal standards in place on all
conversion kits. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Both
bills are part of Benge’s ongoing energy initiative to make sure Oklahoma is on
the forefront of the development of alternative energy sources to reduce our
dependence on volatile foreign oil. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>House
Bill 1952 passed the House today with a vote of 95-3 and HB 1953 passed with a
vote of 94-5. Both bills will next be heard in the Senate. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:.5in'><b><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>-30-<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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