GLIN==> Northeast-Midwest Weekly Update -- 1 October 2001

[Glenn Starnes <gstarnes@nemw.org>]

H I G H L I G H T S

*  Collins to Co-Chair Senate Coalition
*  Defense Spending in the Northeast-Midwest
*  Electricity Interconnections


COLLINS TO CO-CHAIR SENATE COALITION
------------------------------------
        Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has been named the Republican co-chair of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition.  Senator Collins joins Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in leading the Senate Coalition.

        “Together, in company with our colleagues from both sides of the aisle,” said Senator Collins, “I look forward to making progress on legislation to redevelop abandoned industrial sites, to conserve our region’s natural resources and ecosystems, and to provide increased funding for vital programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.”

        Other new Senate Coalition members include Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and Mark Dayton (D-MN).

        CONTACT:  Kris Sarri at the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (224-0606).


DEFENSE SPENDING IN THE NORTHEAST-MIDWEST
-----------------------------------------
        The Northeast-Midwest receives far less in Defense Department spending on a per-capita basis than the rest of the country and captures a greater share of the nation’s non-Defense expenditures than its Defense dollars, according to a new paper by the Northeast-Midwest Institute.  The fiscal 2000 numbers show that the 18 northeastern and midwestern states together received $484 in Defense spending per-capita, compared to $992 per capita for the South and West.  The report is available at http://www.nemw.org/defspend2000.pdf.

        CONTACT:  Matt Kane at the Northeast-Midwest Institute (313/582-6244).


ELECTRICITY INTERCONNECTIONS
----------------------------
        Northeast-Midwest leaders are advancing legislation to facilitate the transmission and distribution connections between electricity generators and utilities.  Building off previously-introduced S. 933 and H.R. 1945, the new language represents agreements between distributed generators, particularly combined heat and power producers, and electric utilities.  Northeast-Midwest leaders hope the legislation will be included within pending bills on electric industry restructuring by the Senate and House authorizing committees.

        CONTACTS:  Suzanne Watson and Susan Freedman at the Northeast-Midwest Institute (544-5200).