Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen has been appointed to the Energy Committee of the Canada-Midwestern Legislators organization. It consists of elected representatives from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and eleven Midwestern American states. Goertzen already serves on the the group's Canada-U.S. Relations Committee which deals with cross border trade and commerce. He says it will be a good learning opportunity to serve on the energy committee. Goertzen adds he will do his best to make sure that Manitoba Hydro is well represented in discussions.

"We want to make sure that Manitoba Hydro is always a part of the discussion for the Americans and for our counterparts to the east and the west as well. There are lots of agreements that are going on and I suspect,

Kelvin Goertzenwith the discussions that are happening nationally and internationally on greenhouse gases and environmental issues, that there're going to be more agreements that are going to come forward as they're trying to reduce greenhouse gases. We want to make sure that Manitoba Hydro can be a part of that."

He says matters pertaining to the Bakkan Oil Field beneath parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, North Dakota and Montana will also be part of their discussions.

"We had the opportunity, with a number of our colleagues, to visit the Bakkan Oil Fields earlier in the year. At that point in time, there wasn't a lot of ramping down because of the decrease in the price of oil. But I do think that the effect is being felt now and, of course is being felt in Alberta. So going forward, to see what impact the price of oil is going to have in those jurisdictions is important to monitor and look at as well."

Goertzen says he will be meeting with U.S. and Canadian members of the energy committee later this year in Saskatchewan and will be visiting the Boundary Dam power plant near Estevan as part of the meetings.