Two well-known British Columbians will once again be present when the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) meets for its 2025 Annual Summit in Bellevue, Washington, from July 20 to 24.
Stewart Muir, president and CEO of Resource Works, and Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute (EFI), are committed to the PNWER goal of working together, across industries and borders.
For more than 30 years, PNWER has brought together leaders from government, business, Indigenous groups, and academia from its ten jurisdictions. These include Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Northwest Territories, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Washington, and Yukon. What brings them all together is the need to collaborate on the Pacific Northwest’s common economic and environmental challenges.j
The theme for this year, “Building a Resilient Future through Regional Collaboration, Innovation, and Trade,” aligns perfectly with the goals of both Muir and Penner.
Stewart Muir has long been a supporter of responsible resource development as a way for everyone to enjoy prosperity and quality of life. Muir has built a platform at Resource Works that focuses not only on economic outputs but also on public advocacy, reconciliation, and partnerships with Indigenous communities, aligning precisely with PNWER’s objectives.
Muir strongly supports Canada’s leadership in involving Indigenous communities in the natural resource sector.
“Canada is far ahead on Indigenous participation, not just consultation, but real equity and leadership,” says Muir. “The U.S. is catching up, but we’ve built frameworks here that others are watching. That said, we risk squandering it if we let delays and misguided activism derail Indigenous-supported projects.”
His perspective will complement sessions on Indigenous collaboration, infrastructure development, and sustainable trade practices, all central topics for the 2025 summit.
Additionally, Muir’s advocacy for practical energy policy reflects PNWER’s focus on new clean-energy technologies.
“B.C. is limiting energy choice at a time when we need more of it. The ban on nuclear and efforts to phase out natural gas ignore regional needs and technological progress,” says Muir. “On the U.S. West Coast, they’re at least leaving the door open to innovations like small modular reactors. The lesson? Don’t box yourself in when the stakes are high.”
Barry Penner, formerly the Attorney General and Minister of Environment of B.C., brings continuity and experience to PNWER. Penner previously led the organization as President of PNWER when he was the official representative of the B.C. government, attending his first PNWER meeting in 1996. He remains actively involved with PNWER to this day serving on their audit and finance committee, bringing a unique perspective to cross-border policy developments.
Penner’s current work at EFI focuses on smart policy choices, energy security, and infrastructure development.
“Energy policy in B.C. has been limited to a narrow range of options for the past few years due to the self-proclaimed ‘CleanBC policy roadmap,” notes Penner.
“This policy is explicitly premised on the erroneous notion that BC has an abundance of electricity, even as we have been relying on record amounts of imported power in recent years and have been forced to essentially ration electricity by choosing which industrial projects will be granted access to the grid,'” says Penner. “In contrast, the U.S. West Coast is currently discussing a wider range of options—nuclear, natural gas, renewables—while we’ve been closing doors to various options. We need domestic policy that reflects practical realities, not just aspirations.”
The 2025 agenda for PNWER includes discussions on hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, infrastructure, and technology, aligning well with EFI’s push for practical and diversified energy strategies. Mr. Muir and Mr. Penner will be meeting with legislators, senior government policy advisors, and energy experts from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
This year’s summit highlights the importance of continued collaboration. At a time when rhetoric often divides, their thoughtful, collaborative voices provide balanced and informed perspectives essential for effective cross-border policies.
“During a time of heightened trade tensions between our two great countries at the federal level, it is more important than ever to actively engage with opinion leaders directly to make sure Canada’s perspective is heard in the United States,” concluded both Mr. Muir and Mr. Penner.
