Front Row (left to right): Representative Ole Aarsvold-ND, Honourable Rosann Wowchuk-MB, Senator Orv Smidt-SD, Ms. Mavis Taillieu-MB and Senator Tom Fischer-ND Second Row: Representative Morrie Lanning-MN, Mr. Tom Nevakshonoff-MB and Mr. Daryl Reid-MB Third Row: Senator Gary Hanson-SD, Representative Carol Pitts-SD and Ms. Erna Braun-MB Fourth Row: Representative Lyle Koenen-MN, Senator Jim Peterson-SD, Representative Kathy Hawken-ND, and Representative Mary Ellen Otremba-MN Fifth Row: Senator Arden Anderson-ND, Representative Loren Solberg-MN, Representative Paul Dennert-SD, Senator Tom Fiebiger-ND and Senator Tom Hansen-SD Sixth Row: Senator Rod Skoe-MN, Mr. Cliff Cullen-MB, Representative Tim Rounds-SD and Senator Dan Skogen-MN Back Row: Representative David Monson-ND, Representative Jon Nelson-ND and Senator Rich Wardner-ND Meeting Highlights The Eighth Annual International Legislators Forum The eighth annual meeting of the international Legislators Ramkota Inn Forum began with a Steering Committee meeting on Bismarck, North Dakota Monday afternoon, June 16, 2008, during which the June 16-18, 2008 Steering Committee members and staff reviewed the agenda for the annual meeting and discussed updates on Steering Committee and Delegates agenda items. Following that meeting, a reception was held for all 2008 Steering Committee delegates, spouses, presenters and sponsors at the North The Steering Committee, appointed to continue activity between Dakota Heritage Center. 2007-2008 Co-hosts, Senator annual meetings, is composed of legislators from the four Tom Fischer and Representative Ole Aarsvold, welcomed jurisdictions. Members are: Manitoba – Honourable Rosann all participants, introduced fellow Steering Committee Wowchuk and Ms. Mavis Taillieu; Minnesota – Representative members and thanked meeting sponsors. Senator Fischer Morrie Lanning, Senator Tom Saxhaug and Senator Rod Skoe; introduced North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, who North Dakota – Representative Ole Aarsvold and Senator Tom also welcomed the delegates. The formal portion of the Fischer; South Dakota – Senator Gary Hanson and Senator Orv meeting began on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Following self- Smidt. introductions of delegates, each of the working groups and panels made their presentations and engaged in a question 2008 Delegates and answer period with delegates. Manitoba Special guests and speakers included Honourable Rosann Wowchuk • North Dakota Governor John Hoeven Ms. Mavis Taillieu • Rob Pengally, Canadian Consul in Minneapolis Mr. Cliff Cullen • Mary Speer, US Consul in Winnipeg Mr. Daryl Reid • Senator Bob Stenehjem, Senate Majority Leader in ND Mr. Larry Maguire • Representative Merle Boucher, House Minority Leader in ND Mr. Tom Nevakshonoff • Senator David O’Connell, Senate Minority Leader in ND Mr. Rob Altemeyer • Senator Carolyn Nelson, Chair, Consensus Council Board Ms. Erna Braun • Dale Eberle, BND Senior VP Banking Services, Bank of ND The meeting concluded with sincere thanks to Tom and Ole Minnesota and the North Dakota delegation for their hospitality and Senator Tom Saxhaug an invitation from the Manitoba delegation to attend the Representative Morrie Lanning next annual meeting in Manitoba, Canada. Senator Rod Skoe Representative Mary Ellen Otremba Sponsors Senator Dan Skogen The delegates to the eighth annual international Legislators Representative Lyle Koenen Forum gratefully acknowledge the support of the following Representative Loren Solberg sponsors: North Dakota • The Canadian Consulate in Minneapolis Senator Tom Fischer • Touchstone Energy Representative Ole Aarsvold • Taipei Economic and Cultural Offi ce in Kansas City Senator Arden Anderson • Blue Cross and Blue Shield of ND Representative Kathy Hawken • Ottertail Power Senator Rich Wardner • Great River Energy Representative Jon Nelson Representative David Monson Senator Tom Fiebiger Legislators Forum Facilitator Dick Gross South Dakota Deputy Director and Legal Counsel Senator Orv Smidt The Consensus Council, Inc. Senator Gary Hanson 1003 E Interstate Ave, Ste 7 Representative Paul Dennert Bismarck, ND 58503 Representative Carol Pitts Tel: 701.224.0588 x 102 Representative Tim Rounds Fax: 701.224.0787 Senator Tom Hansen E-mail: [email protected] Senator Jim Peterson Web: www.agree.org Monday, June 16 Current GPI initiatives include the Native Heritage Center Reception Grass Energy Initiative, the Advanced Delegates and spouses, presenters, sponsors Coal and CO2 Capture Program, the and guests began this year’s annual meeting Upper Midwest Hydrogen Initiative, with a reception at the North Dakota and the Midwest Renewable Energy Heritage Center. ND Senator Tom Fischer Tracking System. Powering the Plains and Representative Ole Aarsvold, co-hosts (PTP) is another project designed as a for this year’s meeting, welcomed the guests public-private partnership launched in and thanked them for their attendance at the 2001 to “reduce CO2 emissions in the Legislators Forum (LF). Senator Fischer then Upper Midwest while adding economic introduced Governor John Hoeven, who also value to energy and agriculture,” and welcomed the participants and gave extended “position the region to capitalize on remarks about the value of these annual its energy advantages.” It includes meetings and the cross-border dialogue and industry executives, agriculture cooperation they promote for issues of shared producers, environmental advocates importance in our region. The Governor also and government offi cials from ND, spoke about initiatives his administration SD, IA, MN, WI and MB and is sponsored by has taken, particularly relative to economic foundations and participating companies and meet at least 2% of annual retail sales of natural and community development, education and organizations. gas and electricity by 2015 and an additional energy-related issues, which he noted on the 2% each year thereafter through effi ciency. delegates’ agenda. He wished the delegates PTP has had a long relationship with the By 2030, 30% of the region’s electricity good luck in their proceedings, and he Legislators Forum, and results from this should come from renewable sources. The thanked the Consensus Council for staffi ng participation have included: hydrogen region should develop clean coal technologies legislation and resolutions in MN, ND and and CO capture with all new power plants and facilitating the meetings over the full 2 SD (5 bills and 2 resolutions), legislative capturing CO by 2020. The availability of eight years. 2 authority for ND and SD participation in the low-carbon fuels should increase tenfold, and, Tuesday, June 17 Midwest Renewable Energy Credit Tracking by 2025, half of the region’s transportation System (M-RETS), cellulosic biomass and needs should be met with biofuels and low- Energy renewable energy objective legislation in ND carbon fuels. To that end, the Governors Implementing Legislators Forum Energy and and a resolution in SD. and Premier signed two agreements, that are Transmission Resolutions and Requests: posted at: www.midwesterngovernors.org. A Status Report PTP was tasked by legislators to develop Brad [email protected] a 50-year roadmap for regional energy As part of the fi rst agreement, states and the development. It has done so with assistance province signed on to a variety of targets The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is a small from a University of Minnesota research and timelines on energy effi ciency, biobased Midwestern nonprofi t whose mission is to team that helped PTP develop a regional products and transportation, renewable “accelerate the transition to a low-carbon CO2 scenario model. The modeling results electricity, and coal and carbon capture storage. energy system.” It brings public and private showed that high-energy effi ciency is the In addition to these individual state/provincial interests together in order to “develop and least-cost option for reducing CO2 emissions goals, Governors and the Premier also agreed advance win-win policies in partnership with in the region. The fi nal road map product is to six regional initiatives: a CO2 Management industry, agriculture, environmental groups available at http://www.poweringtheplains. Infrastructure Partnership, development and state/provincial governments, demonstrate org. The roadmap’s conclusions were that it of a Low-Carbon Energy Transmission promising technologies, identify research is possible to meet energy needs and reduce Infrastructure, a Transmission Adequacy critical to their commercialization, and CO2 emissions 80% by 2055 at little or no Initiative, a Bioproduct Procurement educate key audiences about their benefi ts.” additional cost over business as usual. GPI Program, an Advanced BioEnergy Permitting is currently working on expansion of the Collaborative, a push for renewable fuels regional CO2 scenario model requested by corridors and common signage. legislators in 2006 and the tasks set by the legislators in 2007. The LF recommendations The second agreement, called the Midwestern have been incorporated into two agreements Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord (GHG), recently signed by Midwest Governors and commits the signatory states/province to Premier Doer. work together to achieve a regional emissions reductions target for the region and to Overview of Summit Platform and GHG implement a cap-and-trade mechanism to help Accord and Implementation ensure the regional target is met. The MGA has Hunter [email protected] the opportunity to shape federal climate policy, and defeat