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Appropriators hear requests tied to UAS test site, VANTAS and Grand Sky; FAA radar data and VANTAS buildout highlighted
Summary
Committee members received a multi-part briefing on the state's UAS ecosystem: Northern Plains test site/VANTAS requests, an FAA radar-data project and Grand Sky enhanced-use lease needs. Staff said some items are also in separate bills and that passage of those bills would affect whether the budget includes the same funding.
Commerce and test-site advocates outlined several UAS-related items that surfaced in the Commerce budget and in separate legislation. Rich and Levi said the Northern Plains UAS test site and VANTAS are closely linked and that a set of funding requests supports technical infrastructure, FAA radar data acquisition, and commercialization efforts at Grand Sky.
Key items discussed:
- FAA radar data/pathfinder: staff and witnesses described a project to acquire FAA radar data that would be used by the state's VANTAS system; the hearing recorded a figure of roughly $11,000,000 for radar data in connection with a separate bill (House Bill 1038 was named in the hearing as the bill carrying related items).
- VANTAS/Beyond-Visual-Line-Of-Sight (BVLOS) buildout: a $20,000,000 figure for VANTAS infrastructure buildout was discussed as necessary to continue expansion of BVLOS capabilities across the state.
- Northern Plains UAS test site operating/base budget: staff said the test site has roughly $3,000,000 in base operating funds and both governors recommended an additional $1,000,000 one-time in their budgets.
- Grand Sky enhanced-use lease (commercialization): staff said the enhanced-use lease component (commercial infrastructure at Grand Sky) had a $5,000,000 support line in one governor's recommendation; witnesses said the overall finishing cost for the Grand Sky-enhanced use project might total roughly $22.5 million and that additional private investment and federal/partner support are part of the financing plan.
Levi cautioned that House Bill 1038 (which includes both a drone buyback element and FAA radar data) mirrors some budget recommendations; if the bill passes, the appropriations committee might not need separate section-1 budget language for the same items. Committee members asked for a visual roadmap of the UAS ecosystem and an explanation of how the technical infrastructure, FAA data, Grand Sky and test-site operations interrelate; Commerce committed to provide a graphic and written map of project relationships and transactions.
Ending: Staff agreed to provide the UAS ecosystem map, transaction details for requested amounts and the ledger materials requested earlier for development funds; the committee deferred funding decisions pending those deliverables.
