The 2023 Annual Report of the Western Governors' Association highlights the past year’s policy work on topics such as renewable energy, wildfire and disaster assistance, land management, invasive species, rural development, health care, data, workforce development, and water, just to name a few.
"I’ve been greatly inspired by the collaboration between our Governors and the broad range of policies they continue to develop together," WGA's Executive Director Jack Waldorf wrote. "In this modern age of hyper-partisanship, this collaboration is unique, and continues to serve as a stark reminder that bipartisanship is not just a relic of the past. The Western Governors and their staffs truly embody this ethos, and the results are undeniable."
The report also details work on the Heat Beneath Our Feet, the central policy effort of WGA's most recent Chair, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, which generated recommendations for increasing the development and deployment of geothermal energy in the West.
"As we move towards true energy independence, the environmental benefits of geothermal energy generation can help position the West for further economic, environmental, and quality of life success," Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the 2023 Chair of WGA, wrote. "In true western fashion, businesses have embraced the entrepreneurial spirit and are growing the geothermal sector into a robust economic generator. Colorado is joined by other western states in working to ensure that these companies have our support on the front lines of geothermal innovation."
