I recently returned from Calgary, Alberta where I attended the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Annual Summit.
My visit to the renowned Alberta oil sands in Fort McMurray
PNWER is a public-private partnership between Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and five Canadian provinces and territories. It is an excellent forum for business leaders, policy experts and elected officials to discuss issues of mutual concern and to work collaboratively on policies to improve our regional economy. This year’s summit covered a wide range of issues including border policies, trade, invasive species, transportation, healthcare, water policy, workforce mobility and energy.
Alberta is Canada’s energy capital and a key energy supplier for North America so it wasn’t surprising that this year’s summit focused heavily on energy issues. I attended energy sessions covering natural gas, renewable energy sources, regional transmission, hydroelectric storage, wind forecasting and smart grid technologies. I also spent a full day visiting the renowned Alberta oil sands in Fort McMurray to see firsthand how the Canadians are developing this world-class energy resource.
On the 3rd day of the summit, I participated in a Tourism panel, shared my perspective on the cruise industry in Southeast and explained the recent changes we made to Alaska’s commercial passenger head tax. I also attended the inaugural meeting of a new Arctic Caucus chaired by my Anchorage colleague, Senator Lesil McGuire. The caucus is focused on developing regional policies related to the Arctic and development in the Arctic. It has tentatively scheduled a second meeting this September in Barrow.
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