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NLIS 6
June 22, 2005
(Natural Resources)
International Energy
Council to hold conference in St. John�s
John Smith, Louisiana House
Representative and Vice-Chair of the Energy Council, and Ed Byrne,
Minister of Natural Resources and the Energy Council Vice-President for
State and Provincial Trends in Energy and the Environment, are pleased
to announce the Energy Council will be in St. John�s, June 24-27 for its
2005 State and Provincial Trends in Energy and the Environment
Conference.
The Energy Council is an organization of 10 energy-producing state
legislatures ranging from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean. These
member states produce more than 80 per cent of the United States oil and
gas output and include leading coal, uranium and renewable
energy-producing states. In addition, the Energy Council has five
international affiliates including the provinces of Newfoundland and
Labrador, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia as well as the
nation of Venezuela. Also attending will be members of the advisory
boards for the Centre for Legislative Energy and Environmental Research
(CLEER) consisting of representatives of legislatures, private industry
and universities.
�It has been my pleasure to visit Newfoundland and Labrador on two
previous occasions and we were more than pleased to accept the gracious
invitation of Minister Byrne to hold, for the first time, a full
conference of the Energy Council in St. John�s,� said Representative
Smith. �I know I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say we are
honoured to be back and look forward to hearing from Premier Danny
Williams and others about the significant role Newfoundland and Labrador
is playing in the North American energy markets.�
Some 175 people are expected to attend the conference which includes
public and private sector representation. All 10 energy-producing states
will be represented by the legislator leaders in their respective bodies
regarding energy and environmental policy. In fact, more than two�thirds
of those attending are legislators.
�The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to host the Energy
Council for this conference,� said Minister Byrne. �Our membership in
this organization provides us with an excellent forum to have
discussions with the energy legislators and policy makers from the top
energy-producing jurisdictions throughout the United States and Canada.
While there is much we can learn from their knowledge and experiences,
we also have the opportunity to share with our counterparts the
potential that exists within our growing energy industry to support the
ever-increasing North American demand for energy.�
Premier Williams is scheduled to provide the keynote address to the
conference delegates on Saturday, June 25. Premier Williams will provide
an overview of the province�s energy potential including the oil and gas
sector and its hydro resources and how this province is well-positioned
to work with other North American jurisdictions to meet the growing
demand for energy.
Conference sessions include: State and Provincial Energy Strategies;
Meeting the Needs of the Global Energy Industry for Qualified Personnel;
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG); Critical
Infrastructure Protection; Financing Energy Projects; Floating
Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Technology and the White Rose
Project; and State Review of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental
Regulations.
�This is a tremendous opportunity to not only promote our energy
potential but indeed to showcase our province to our Canadian colleagues
and our friends and neighbours to the south,� said Minister Byrne.
Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications, (709) 729-5282, 685-4624
2005 06 22
12:45 p.m.
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