MCDONOUGH (November 14, 2016) | Sen. Rick Jeffares (R – McDonough) has completed the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute’s course in energy policy. The Institute is a 60-hour energy immersion executive course with the University of Idaho. The course is designed to increase the knowledge of the energy infrastructure and delivery system to inform future energy policy decisions. With the 2016 class, over 200 policymakers have completed more than 12,000 hours of combined time to understand the complex world of energy.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary course,” said Sen. Jeffares. “I had the ability to learn more about innovative energy systems and talk with legislators from across the country about the policies they have enacted in their states. I’m looking forward to taking this new knowledge and applying it to our work here in Georgia.”
“It is critical that citizen legislators get this basic knowledge of how our energy systems operate. I am impressed that Sen. Jeffares took over a week of their personal time this year to better inform their energy policy decisions,” said Rep. Jeff Morris of Washington State, Institute Director.
The course consists of two 30-hour classroom sessions in Richland, Washington and in Washington, D.C. that explore electricity, oil and gas infrastructure, how the infrastructure is built, and the effect of market and regulatory forces.
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) partnered with the University of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Energy to found the Institute in 2009. In 2012, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the federal government of Canada joined the effort to make the program nationwide and also include Canadian legislators.
Since its inception in 2009, 200 policymakers have completed the LEHI program. Those who complete the 60-hour executive course receive a certificate from the University of Idaho in Energy Policy Planning. These alumni have gone on to become leaders in energy policy in their respective state and provincial governments.
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For Immediate Release:
November 14, 2016
For Information Contact:
Ines Owens, Acting Director
Brittany Wagner, Communications Specialist
Brittany.wagner@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028