Advanced conversion technologies study.

WORKING DRAFT
2012
STATE OF
WYOMING
12LSO-0054

SENATE FILE

NO.
SF0031

Advanced conversion technologies
study.

Sponsored by:
Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to
mineral
s
; providing for the issuance of pr
oposals for a mineral to liquid fuel
commercial facility
feasibility study as specified;
requiring a report;
providing for a matching fund program;
providing legislative findings;
providing an appropriation;
providing for the submission of an application for abandoned mine land funds as specified;
providing a sunset date;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

The

task force created pursuant to 2007 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 186, Section 2
and codified at W.S. 21
‑
17
‑
121
shall

issue requests for proposals
for
front en
d
engineering and design
studies to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a commercial scale

facility which converts
mi
nerals to liquid
fuels
. The

task force shall rev
iew and evaluate proposals for a
commercial scale
mineral
s
to liquid
fuels
facility feasibility
study
, subject to the following:

(i)

Proposals may be received from academic

institutions and private industry proponents;

(ii)

Proposals shall be evaluated competitively

on their anticipated
benefits to the state of Wyoming and
the
probability
that
funding of the proposal will result in the construction of one (1) or more
commercial scale
mineral
s
to liquid fuel
s
conversion facilities
within the
state;

(iii)

Proposals shall
ultimately result in the
enhance
ment of
Wyoming mineral products
and add monetary value to the same
;

(iv)

Applicants shall demonstr
ate their financial and operational
ability to begin construction of a commercial scale mineral
s
to liquid
fuel
s
conversion
facility within two (2) years of completion of the
front end engineering and design study
; and

(v)

Applicants shall demonstrate their willingness and ability to match
any funding from the account on a dollar for dollar basis
.

(b
)

The task force shall issue a report to the

governor and the joint minerals, business and economic

development interim committee no later than September 30,

2012

regarding funding
recommendations for
front en
d engineering and design studies for the
construction and operation of a commercial scale
minerals to liquid fuels
facility
in Wyoming.

(c)

The ta
sk force may award funds in the
research account
created by W.S. 39
‑
14
‑
802

sixty (60) days
after submitting the task force's recommendations to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee.
No funds
shall
be expended from the
account
without
a match of funds at least equal to the expenditure from the account and
the written opinion of the attorney general certifying the legality of the transaction and all documents connected therewith.

Section 2.

(a)

The legislature of the state of Wyoming finds that
front en
d engineering and design studies for the construction and operation of a commercial scale minerals to liquid fuels facility in Wyoming is necessary to
:

(i)

Protect tax and mineral revenues to the state of Wyoming from coal of more than two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000.00) per year;

(ii)

Protect coal industry related jobs in Wyoming e
stimated to be in excess of six thousand eight hundred (6,8
00)
jobs
per year;

(iii)

Provide and promote value added processing of minerals in the state of Wyoming;

(iv)

Address issues relating to energy on a national and international policy level; and

(v)

Further the public interest in
maintaining and
promoting Wyoming's energy industries within the state.

(b)

The expenditure of funds pursuant to the provisions of this act further those public interests of the
state
.

Section
3
.

(a)

There is appropriated ten

million dollars ($10
,0
00,000.00) from the general fund to
the
research

account
created by W.S. 39
‑
14
‑
802
for the purpose
of funding
one (1) or more
front en
d engineering and design studies
to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a commercial scale facility which converts min
erals to liquid
fuels.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose
.
Notwithstanding W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1008 or 9
‑
4
‑
207,

unexpended
, unobligated
fun
ds shall revert on June 30, 201
6
.

(b)

The department of environmental quality is authorized to submit to the office of surface mining, a grant application for funds from the state of Wyoming's share of abandoned mine land funds from the Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act Amendments of 2006, Section 411(h)(i), pursuant to 2007 H.R. 6111 as follows:

(i)

The grant application shall be for an amount equal to the general fund appropriation under this section. Any funds received pursuant to the grant, shall be deposited to the
research
account
created by W.S. 39
‑
14
‑
802
, and shall be used to the extent permitted by federal law to supplant the general fund appropriation made in this section. To the extent those general funds are unexpended, unobligated and supplanted they shall be redeposited to the general fund
as supplanted by federal funds
;

(ii)

The application shall be submitted as soon as feasible after the effective date of this act.

Section 4
.
This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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SF0031