07/15/05 The Center for the New West

The mission statement of the Center for the New West 'is to foster balanced growth and economic development in the Western United States.' Ken Burgess says they try to that by educating lawmakers and others in Washington about Idaho and western issues. BURGESS "The uniqueness of the West and the idea that a lot of the one size fits all policies that are passed out from Washington DC don't necessarily apply that well in the West." Thanks to energy problems in California several years ago there's continuing talk about new transmission lines in the US. Burgess says the Center has focused on the creation of a Western regional transmission authority. BURGESS "It would help develop a better coalition if you will of folks in the West that we can speak with a more unified voice and then of course to be able to work closer together in terms of developing and being able to move power across that transmission grid back and forth." The center recently held a conference in Boise that focused on the development of ethanol and biodiesel fuels. Coming early next year the center plans a conference that will look at the debate over agriculture's use of water versus that of the growing cities in the West. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott