26th Annual Conference of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers

WHEREAS, world demand for energy continues to grow; and

WHEREAS, the North American energy market is, for all energy sources, becoming a continental one as deregulation is accorded to oil, natural gas, and the electricity sector; and

WHEREAS, the trend to freer trade under the North American Free Trade Agreement has been expanded with participation in the Hemispheric Energy Initiative, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization, the International Energy Agency, and the International Atomic Energy Agency; and

WHEREAS, a new regulatory environment implies a changing role for government, one that involves a thoughtful reassessment of regulatory policies and procedures in many areas of business such as sustainable development, energy efficiency; renewable and transportation energy; energy resources; and international priorities; and

WHEREAS, the New England states and Eastern Canadian provinces have close historical and economic ties in the energy sector and have long cooperated on energy matters; and

WHEREAS, Governors and Premiers have resolved to adopt a Climate Change Action Plan which requires energy and its development to play a significant role in achieving the goal to reduce the effects of climate change; and

WHEREAS, the Province of New Brunswick has offered to host and organize a forum on energy;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Conference supports the efforts of the Province of New Brunswick to host an energy forum and directs its Trade and Globalization Committee and its Northeast International Committee on Energy (NICE), in association with the Committee on the Environment, t

   
1. co-operate with the host Province of New Brunswick in organizing a conference in Saint John, New Brunswick in 2002 to explore and analyze the challenges and opportunities facing, and generated by, a dynamically evolving regional energy sector, and    

    

      
   
2. present a summary of the key issues and options for strategies discussed at the forum in a report to the 2002 annual meeting of the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers.

For presentation and consideration at the 26^th Annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, August 26-28, 2001.

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