Midwest legislators pass resolutions on cross-border energy, nuclear power
The Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Legislative Conference (MLC) approved two policy resolutions in July on energy policy, marking the binational, bipartisan group’s continued yearlong focus on this issue.
Resolution on North American energy security
The first resolution notes the importance of continuing and building on cross-border energy partnerships between Canada and the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the total value of energy trade between the two countries was $152 billion in 2023, with much of the activity occurring in the 11 states and four Canadian provinces of the MLC. This includes 25 power lines that move electricity between provinces and states in this region.
On both sides of the border, changes in the economy and the rise of data centers, among other factors, are expected to lead to a sharp increase in energy needs and a surge in electricity demands in the years and decades ahead.
The resolution calls on Canadian and U.S. federal officials to ensure the continued free flow of energy products (including tariff-free treatment and the streamlining of regulatory processes) between the two countries; it also voices support for “the use of available domestic sources of energy in Canada and the United States, both renewable and nonrenewable.”
“North American Energy Security: Powering the Future” is the MLC Chair’s Initiative of Saskatchewan Minister Lori Carr.
Resolution on development of nuclear energy
The MLC also adopted a resolution voicing support for federal policies that support further development of nuclear energy. This includes streamlining and accelerating “a safe and expeditious pathway” for new nuclear energy generating capacity and developing a nuclear energy workforce, technologies and supply chains to meet increased demand.
The two resolutions were approved during a business session held at this year’s MLC Annual Meeting in Saskatchewan. This meeting is typically the venue for legislators to consider policy resolutions. A bipartisan committee reviews and votes on these resolutions before they are sent to a vote of all participating legislative attendees from 11 Midwestern states and the province of Saskatchewan (a full member of the MLC).