With the former Clinton Administration energy secretary, now New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, as its current chairperson, the Western Governors Association (WGA) announced Friday in will be hosting a North American Energy Summit April 14-16 in Albuquerque, NM.

Richardson and Colorado Gov. Bill Owens jointly announced the summit in WGA’s headquarters city, Denver. Timing combined with international and domestic developments were cited as reasons for the governors from a dozen Western states to meet with some of their counterparts from Canada and Mexico, the two governors said.

“International conflicts, the northeastern blackout, and high natural gas prices make energy one of our nation’s biggest challenges,” Richardson said. “Western governors and our counterparts in Mexico and Canada can play a very big part in addressing North America’s energy challenge.”

Owens, the vice chair of WGA this year, said the time is right to “encourage greater collaboration among all levels of government” related to issues such as efficiency and reliability of power supplies, financing new infrastructure and developing renewable energy.

Last summer’s Northeastern electricity blackout that hit both the United States and Canada is an example of why greater North American attention is needed, the governors said. A summit meeting, Richardson said, should result in actions to strengthen ” economic ties, increase the use of renewable energy, and protect our electric grid and hydrocarbon energy sources.” He reiterated his theme that both energy and the environment can be enhanced on a North America-wide basis.

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