WGA Day 1 - Canada-U.S. energy corridor idea promoted
COMMENT: This is a picture of Utah Governor Jon Huntsman at the Western Governors' Association annual conference. He welcomed the governors, premiers, and others to his state.
 Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman brandishes a Browning over-under at the opening of the Western Governors Association annual convention. |
Absent was California's Arnold Shwarzenegger and Alaska's Sarah Palin - who may wish she'd come when she realizes you could bring guns.
I know, I know, cheap shots are not helpful. Shouldn't read too much into this image. The shotgun was presented to outgoing chair Huntsman by incoming chair Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
A quick browse of some US newspapers shows that the "energy corridor" described in this Canadian article idea didn't make the US headlines, though the conference agenda is all about energy and climate change.
WGA portal to the annual meeting
http://www.westgov.org/wga/meetings/am2009/index.htm
Monday's agenda:
Plenary II – Tapping the West’s Renewable Energy Potential
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff will provide their perspectives on developing large amounts of clean energy in the West and the transmission lines needed to bring it to market. Following their remarks they and the Governors will discuss what cooperation is needed between states and the federal government to accelerate progress.
Plenary III -- Combating Global Climate Change
Governors and invited guests will discuss international, U.S. and regional strategies for addressing climate change.
Panelists: Robert B. Zoellick, President of The World Bank; Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; Nick Bridge, Counsellor for Global Issues, British Embassy; and Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Tuesday's Agenda:
Plenary IV – Fostering International Cooperation on Energy and the Environment
Governors and invited guests will discuss ways national and subnational governments can cooperate to expedite the deployment of new technologies and policies to address energy and climate change.
Panelists: Eric Heitz, President of The Energy Foundation; Susan Shirk, Director of the University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.
Jason Fekete,
Canwest News Service
June 15, 2009
Prairie premiers meet governors in Utah to explore possibilities
Western premiers and U.S. governors hailed their push yesterday to develop a cross-border "Western Energy Corridor" that will be the largest on the planet and one that develops both non-renewable and clean-energy options.
Spearheaded by Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the initiative could open new markets to the three Prairie provinces, which are all major energy producers in both renewables and fossil fuels.
Wall, Alberta's Ed Stelmach and Manitoba's Gary Doer -- all in Park City, Utah, for the Western Governors' Association annual conference -- met yesterday with state political leaders to explore the potential for a broader energy relationship.
"The western part of North America has this great swath of both renewables and non-renewables in terms of energy sources and huge opportunities around sustainable energy development, but we need to be co-operating,"
Wall told Canwest News Service.
"We know that there's an interest in the part of the consuming states perhaps on the West Coast for more renewables."
Stelmach said the western governors are supportive of the corridor concept and recognize there's a lot of trade possibilities. Energy development is key for global competitiveness, job creation and economic growth, he said, so the entire western region stands to benefit.
"They know that we have an excellent opportunity as neighbours on the North American continent to co-operate," Stelmach said.
Schweitzer, vice-chairman of the Western Governors' Association, declared the oilsands critically important to his country's energy security.