|
Join Our List
|
 |
| What is PNWER? |
 |
|
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is a regional U.S.- Canadian forum dedicated to encouraging global economic competitiveness and preserving our world-class natural environment. PNWER is recognized by both the United States and Canada as the "model" for regional and bi-national cooperation because of its proven success. PNWER is a respected voice and resource for our region, and provides the public and private sectors a cross-border forum for unfiltered dialogue that capitalizes upon the synergies between business leaders and elected officials who work to advance our region's global competitiveness. | |
|
|
2009 19th Annual Summit
July 12 - 16 2009
Boise, Idaho
|
 |
|
Important Dates
The Cut-Off dates for the PNWER room blocks are quickly approaching. Reserve your room today to ensure the negotiated rate. - The Grove Hotel- Cut off date June 20
- Hampton Inn & Suites- Cut off date June 21
- Hotel 43- Cut off date June 19
INL Policy Tour Clearance forms for US Citizens are due no later than June 30. Click Here for more Information.
|
| News from the PNWER Region |
| Alaska |
|
Alaskan volcano could be set to blow again
Blast would hinder busy tourist season
BY MEGAN HOLLAND · MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS · June 1, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Since Mt. Redoubt's last explosion in April, it has quietly continued to ooze lava from its vent, creating a massive hardened dome that could blow at any moment and unleash another ashfall on south central Alaska.
Or maybe not.
The volcano's dome, about the size of nine football fields, has formed a precarious plug over its steaming vent, scientists say. That's kept ash from spewing into the atmosphere and has perhaps led many to believe the volcano's rumblings are over.
But if the dome cracks or collapses, as scientists say it likely will, ash could once again blast into the atmosphere and ground airplanes during Alaska's summer tourist season.
A second worry is that a cracked dome, accompanied by another explosion, would allow hot gas and rock to blast down the mountainside, which would melt snow and ice and once again flood the DriftRiver valley, as it did in late March. Read Complete Article
Alaska Platform could maintain flow of Alaska oil 'for many years to come'The USGS says the Arctic continental shelves constitute "one of the world's largest remaining prospective areas" and suggest the area is "increasingly attractive for development."
By Dorothy Kosich Monday, 01 Jun 2009
RENO, NV - The U.S. Geological Survey says about 30% of the world's undiscovered gas and 13% of the world's undiscovered oil may be found in an area north of the Arctic Circle, mainly offshore under less than 500 meters of water.
In a report published Friday in this month's Science Magazine, USGS scientists said, "For better or worse, limited exploration opportunities elsewhere in the world combined with technological advances make the Arctic increasingly attractive for development."
The USGS noted that the Arctic continental shelves "constitute one of the world's largest remaining prospective areas. Until now, remoteness and technical difficulty, coupled with abundant low-cost petroleum, have ensured that little exploration occurred offshore." Read Complete Article |
| Alberta |
Labour group worried about oilsands jobs seeping out of Alberta
By Lauren Krugel - 1 day ago CALGARY - It used to be a foregone conclusion that the gigantic shovel-and-dumptruck operations in the oilsands would go hand-in-hand with an upgrader - a multibillion dollar facility to turn the sticky bitumen squeezed from the sand into lighter oil that refineries can handle more easily.
But some companies - most recently Imperial Oil Ltd. (TSX:IMO) - have opted to go without building one of those expensive complexes.
And the head of Alberta's labour group warns the move away from the oilsands' traditional business model means the province's already grim employment picture won't brighten when the economy bounces back.
Among other options Imperial is looking at is sending production from its recently approved Kearl project to refineries in the United States, which can been retrofitted to handle heavier crude.
ENERGY:Oil Economy Driving Growth of Controversial Tar Sands
By Chris Arsenault VANCOUVER, Canada, Jun 1 (IPS) - A report from one of the world's top energy consultancies says oil production in Canada's tar sands could see a five-fold increase by 2035. "The oil sands have moved from the fringe to the center of energy supply," notes the report "Growth in the Canadian Oil Sands: Finding a New Balance" released by IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) on May 18. Environmentalists and some aboriginal groups want the oil sands to stay on the fringes because extracting heavy oil produces more greenhouse gas emissions than convention crude. Meanwhile, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) issued a report titled "The Canadian Oil Sands: Energy Security vs Climate Change" on May 22 arguing that both the negative environmental impacts and benefits to U.S. energy security from Canada's tar sands are overstated. "Smart regulation can place a fair and reasonable price on the oil sands' greenhouse gas emissions, providing the right incentive to reduce them," said Michael Levi, an author of the CFR report. Read Complete Article |
| British Columbia |
|
Tidal Power Keeps on Truckin'
By David Ehrlich - Earth2Tech
Sat May 30, 2009 11:00am EDT
Ocean power has suffered some setbacks recently, such as Pelamis' bellyflop in Portugal and the UK's WaveHub losing a developer, but the industry isn't slowing down - in fact, it's been a busy month for tidal technology. While there are only a small number of wave or tidal power projects in oceans and rivers right now, and large-scale projects remain a few years away, the race is on for companies hoping to get a first-mover's advantage.
Alstom jumped into the tidal game this week when it teamed up with Clean Current Power Systems, and Verdant Power said earlier this month that it has moved closer to expanding its New York project. And developers of the Bay of Fundy site in Canada, which will include a turbine from Clean Current, are busy setting the stage for the first turbine to go in the water this fall.
Vancouver, British Columbia-based Clean Current now has a big-name partner in its corner, which could give it a leg up over the competition. France's Alstom, a major railroad and power infrastructure company is getting an exclusive worldwide license to Clean Current's technology for ocean power applications, and plans to commercialize its first tidal power products by 2012. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but Alstom is not taking an equity stake in Clean Current as part of the deal. Read Complete Article
Vancouver Sun: Fund second Amtrak Cascades run
The Canadian government should fund extra border officers needed to allow a second daily Amtrak Cascades run between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., according to a Vancouver Sun editorial.
"At a time when we are increasingly concerned about a thickening of the border from the American side, Canada's Border Services Agency is throwing up a ridiculous roadblock to a terrific proposal that is otherwise ready to roll," the paper said.
Right now, a single train leaves Seattle in the morning and returns from Vancouver in the evening. A proposed second train would leave Seattle in the evening and return from Vancouver the following morning, making it more convenient for American visitors to stay overnight. Read Complete Article
Ottawa Halts Vancouver Train
As if ignoring high-speed and discouraging US rail investment were not enough, the Harper government now blocks even slow-speed rail.
By Monte Paulsen May 29, 2009
Joe Zaccaria is a regular on the Amtrak to Seattle.
"I have not driven to Seattle or Portland for the past three years," he said. "And I go there extensively. I'm in Seattle at least twice a month, if not four times a month."
But Zaccaria doesn't board the train in Vancouver.
"Service from Vancouver is a nightmare," he said. "It seems like half the time, no trains even show up. You pay for a train ticket, then get put on a bus."
So Zaccaria, a security consultant who lives in the Fraser Valley, drives across the border to Bellingham, Washington, and boards a southbound train at 8:35 a.m. He can meet with clients all day in Seattle, have dinner, and be back in Bellingham by 9:05 p.m. Read Complete Article
Government of Canada Launches New Sustainable Communities Initiative
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 06/01/09 -- Communities across Canada will benefit from better energy efficiency and improved environmental impact, thanks to a new initiative launched today by the Government of Canada. The new $4.2- million, EQuilibrium(TM) Communities Initiative will seek to improve community planning and develop healthy sustainable communities that are energy-efficient, economically viable and vibrant places to live.
The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, and Ed Komarnicki, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), made the announcement today at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology.
"Our Government is investing in more than just clusters of energy-efficient homes - we're creating cost-efficient, sustainable neighbourhoods," said Minister Raitt. "Building communities that use new, clean-energy technologies will create high-quality jobs for Canadians while protecting and preserving our environment." Read Complete Article |
| Idaho |
Idaho utility shareholders vote for greenhouse gas reductions
Rocky Barker - Idaho Statesman
Even supporters of a resolution urging Idaho Power to adopt goals for reducing greenhouse gases were surprised when 52 percent of shareholders approved it Thursday at the company's annual meeting.
The board of the utility's parent company, IdaCorp, opposed the measure, but RiskMetrics, an influential analyst of stockholder initiatives, endorsed it, saying Idaho Power's "current level of disclosure relevant to its GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions appears to lag its industry peers." LaMont Keen, president and CEO of Idaho Power said he and the board got the message. "The company takes this vote seriously and will consider adopting quantitative goals this year," Keen said.
Idaho Power has been hoping to wait for federal legislation that would make it more expensive to generate power with fossil fuels, especially coal. It also doesn't want to invest too quickly in intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar until the federal government establishing standards for how much renewable energy the company must have. Read Complete Article
Government halts forest road-building for 1 year
By MATTHEW DALY - 4 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is calling for a one-year moratorium on road-building and development on about 50 million acres of remote national forests.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a directive Thursday reinstating for one year most of a Clinton-era ban against new road construction and development in national forests. The 2001 rule banned road building and logging in more than 58 million acres of remote national forests, mostly in the West.
Conflicting court decisions issued since then have left the rule's legal status in doubt.
Vilsack said his interim directive will provide clarity that should help protect national forests until the Obama administration develops a long-term roadless policy. The directive gives Vilsack sole decision-making authority over all proposed forest management or road construction projects in designated roadless areas in all states except Idaho. Read Complete Article |
| Montana |
Montana town bids to be the new Guantanamo Bay
An old cattle ranching town in what was once the Wild West is so desperate to boost its ailing economy that it is offering its empty jail as a new home for the inmates of Guantanamo Bay.
By Toby Harnden in Hardin, Montana 01 Jun 2009
Senators and congressman have insisted they won't accept terrorist suspects on American soil and Europe is resisting President Barack Obama's overtures. But the townsfolk of Hardin, Montana (population: 3,384) are made of tougher stuff.
Outside the brand new prison, the razor wire glinted in the sun as Greg Smith, Hardin's economic development director, unlocked the door to the state-of-the-art facility, which has lain empty since it was completed two years ago.
"This is a dying town," he said. "Businesses here are struggling like there's no tomorrow. But here is a solution that would help us, help the United States and help the world. It's a long shot but we have to try."
Shuttered shop fronts in Hardin, on the edge of the Crow Indian Reservation a few dusty miles from the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where Lt Col George Custer made his last stand in 1876, tell the tale. Even the town's dollar store is about to close.
Read Complete Article
Montana's tourism outlook for summer of 2009: "People just keep coming"
By LORNA THACKERAY of the Billings Gazette May 31
BILLINGS - No denying it, there were a few jitters as the summer tourism season launched on Memorial Day weekend. A shaky economy, growing unemployment and a population hesitating to spend on anything other than essentials were not indicative of a monumental tourism year for Montana. But in Red Lodge on Monday, crowds of tourists meandered through the business district, popping into stores and restaurants and filling their tanks on the way up or down the Beartooth Highway. "People just keep coming," a woman behind the counter at City Bakery exclaimed as she waited on a line of customers that didn't seem to get any shorter. It had been a very long winter, said Gwen Williams, president of the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce, and then suddenly it was spring. Read Complete Article |
| Oregon |
Oregon moves to expand state health coverage
Tax on hospitals and insurers will aid 115,000 more people
By Bill Graves, The Oregonian Staff
Friday, May 29, 2009
SALEM -- Legislative leaders announced Thursday that they have agreed to expand state health coverage to an additional 80,000 uninsured children and 35,000 low-income adults by taxing hospitals and insurers.
Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, called the bill an extraordinary feat in a time of deep recession.
"This could be the most significant accomplishment in this session, bar none," he said.
Read Complete Article
Oregon lawmakers reject federal Real ID costs
By Michelle Cole, The Oregonian
Friday May 29, 2009, 5:26 PM
SALEM -- Oregon lawmakers drew a line in the sand Friday: The state will do no more to comply with the U.S. Real ID Act of 2005 unless federal officials send some money to help.
By 39-6 vote, the House approved Senate Bill 536. It prohibits state agencies from spending money to cover the costs of complying with the federal law unless the federal government shares the bill.
Real ID created national standards for driver's license and identification cards to ensure they are acceptable at airports and other security check points. Read Complete Article |
| Saskatchewan |
Pro- and anti-nuke advocates have their say at Saskatoon hearings Wednesday, May 27, 2009 | 5:27 PM CT CBC News
Pro- and anti-nuclear advocates are trying to get their message out at a Saskatoon conference on the province's nuclear future.
Some 60 companies, environmental groups, mayors, educational institutions and First Nations organizations are gathered in the city to comment on the report of the Uranium Development Partnership.
That's the government advisory body that recommended that Saskatchewan should include nuclear energy as part of its future energy mix.
Saskatchewan is a world leader in uranium production, but doesn't have any nuclear reactors, uranium refineries or nuclear waste dumps.
Some at the conference, like Steve McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, see uranium development and nuclear power as a golden opportunity for the province. Read Complete Article
Four in, four out as Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall shuffles his cabinet By THE CANADIAN PRESS - 2 days ago
REGINA - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is bringing four new faces into his cabinet and sending four cabinet ministers to the backbenches.
Moving up are Dustin Duncan, Jeremy Harrison, Jim Reiter and Yogi Huyghebaert.
Out are Corrections Minister Darryl Hickie, Enterprise Minister Lyle Stewart, Dan D'Autremont in government services and Wayne Elhard in the highways portfolio.
Duncan is the new minister of tourism, Harrison will oversee municipal affairs, Reiter takes over the highways portfolio and Huyghebaert is the new minister of corrections.
|
| Washington |
|
County software cuts PC energy bill
KingCounty government says it has cut the energy use of personal computers by an average of 38 percent since installing software that reduces PCs' energy use when they sit unused for more than 15 minutes.
By Seattle Times staff
KingCounty government agencies have cut the energy use of personal computers by an average of 38 percent since installing software that reduces PCs' energy use when they sit unused for more than 15 minutes.
By turning off monitors after 15 minutes and reducing power to the county's 10,000 networked PCs when they aren't used for an hour, the county will reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 3 million pounds and save $140,000 in energy costs annually, according to a news release issued by KingCounty and the software vendor, Seattle-based Verdiem.
Washington banks sink deeper, quarterly figures show
Most of Washington's community banks weakened further during the first quarter of 2009, a Seattle Times analysis of financial data from 53 banks shows.
By Drew DeSilver
Seattle Times business reporter
Weighed down by bad loans and foreclosures, Washington's community banks last quarter sank further into the muck left behind by the real-estate implosion, a Seattle Times analysis of financial data from 53 banks shows.
Compared with the end of 2008, all but 10 of the banks examined had higher levels of nonperforming assets - mainly past-due loans and repossessed properties - relative to their capital levels, loan-loss reserves and asset bases. Thirty-eight of the 53 banks saw their reserves, which are used to offset loans that go sour, shrink relative to their problematic assets.
Some of the steepest deterioration in the quarter occurred among banks that already were among the most stressed in the state. Read Complete Article
Cuts to health care hit home
Economy: Could be months before full effects are known from budget reductions, providers say
BRAD SHANNON; The Olympian | · Published May 31, 2009
Health care services in Washington are set for a shake-up as the state's medical safety net shrinks this summer.
About 40,000 people who rely on the state's subsidized Basic Health Plan insurance will lose coverage in the next half-year as part of nearly $1 billion in health care spending cuts that the Legislature authorized. The cuts will hit hospitals, clinics and vaccination, drug treatment, public health, elder care and nursing home programs over the next two years.
Meanwhile, job layoffs over the past year are adding to the ranks of the medically uninsured, which could reach 866,000 this year, according to state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's office. That boosts the estimated rate of uninsured to 13 percent, or more than 1 in 8 residents.
|
| Yukon |
|
Ottawa announces $222M for housing projects in North
Friday, May 22, 2009 | 4:49 PM CT
The federal government is spending a total of $222 million over two years on affordable housing projects across Canada's three territories, federal and territorial officials announced in Yellowknife Friday.
The three territorial governments will pitch in an additional $72 million, for a grand total of $294 million to be spent on housing.
"The investment that Canada is making is not only to provide and enhance our current plans for the delivery of housing programs and projects, but it's also a huge stimulus to the economies of all our northern communities," Michael McLeod, the minister responsible for the N.W.T. Housing Corp., said at Friday's announcement.
"The construction industry in the Northwest Territories generates 3.5 jobs per $1 million of expenditures. So this initiative would translate for us into 400 jobs for Northwest Territories residents over the next two years." Read Complete Article
Yukon will double water fees
Residents to see change on bill starting July 1
BY TIM HENLEY Published: May 30, 2009
YUKON - Residents who use city water will see a fee increase on their water bills.
Beginning in July, the city will increase water fees by $5 - to $10 a month - for each water meter that is connected to the city's water system.
Fifteen wells are in Yukon, but city officials have purchased water from Oklahoma City for more than 15 years to meet the city's water demand, spending about $1 million a year to do so.
City officials estimate the cost to use Oklahoma City's water will increase by 4 percent this year because of Yukon's population growth and a spike in local usage, City Manager Jim Crosby said. Read Complete Article | |
|
|
|
