Washington, D.C. – The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) is excited to welcome Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as its new Chair.
Governor Walz announces his MGA Chair’s Agenda “Empowering Midwestern Communities,” which focuses on bringing Midwestern policy leaders together to create economic opportunities in the energy sector. The first area of concentration is collaboration with states to strengthen and grow the communities that have been or will be impacted by power plant closures throughout the region. Plants that produce large amounts of energy are often major employers and serve as hubs for communities’ economic and commerce activities. With the transition currently underway in the energy sector, many power plants across the Midwest are scheduled for retirement. Governor Walz knows these planned closures will impact communities and workers across the region. By bringing together utilities, community leaders, workers, and energy advocates, we can better understand the impact these closures will have on communities and workers and how we can plan for a just, beneficial transition and a successful future. “Communities and workers that have long fueled our energy needs are in a transition period, and we must do everything in our power to ensure that they have the tools and supports to manage the transition in a way that position them for success” said Walz. The other main emphasis of Gov. Walz’ agenda is the continuation of the MID-GRID 2035 Initiative. MID-GRID 2035 is a regional transmission education and planning effort to position the Midwest as a modern energy producer and low-cost energy provider, with the goal to establish a long-term transmission grid vision for the region. “As energy production and consumption changes, we want the region to be in the best possible position to power our communities and have the energy resources to attract new businesses,” added Walz. “Without a robust regional transmission plan, the region is at risk of being left in the dark.” Through these programs Walz wants the MGA to focus on cultivating the energy economy of the region, so that the Midwest remains a national leader in energy production and technology innovation. For more information, please visit www.midwesterngovernors.org/Chairs-Agenda ### Should your organization be interested in sponsoring this effort, please contact Jesse Heier from the MGA at 202-367-1226 or via email. Should your organization be interested in participating as a sponsor, please contact Jesse Heier via email at [email protected].
### The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) is a non-profit, bipartisan organization that brings together governors, their staff, and state agencies to address significant public policy issues and provide a vehicle to advocate for them. It focuses its efforts in four primary policy areas: agriculture, economic development, energy, and Midwest branding. Current members of the MGA include Gov. JB Pritzker (IL), Gov. Eric Holcomb (IN), Gov. Kim Reynolds (IA), Gov. Laura Kelly (KS), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Gov. Tim Walz (MN), Gov. Michael Parson (MO), Gov. Pete Ricketts (NE.), Doug Burgum (ND), Gov. Mike DeWine (OH), Gov. Kristi Noem (SD), and Gov. Evers (WI).