SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the U.S. state of Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia(BC) launched on Thursday in Seattle a plan to expand cooperation on clean and renewable energy.
Under the new Joint Clean Grid Initiative, both sides will create a working group consisting of representatives of the two governments, industry and research institutions, as well as other sectors, to build an energy grid powered by 100 percent renewable sources.
"Abundant, clean electricity gives us a regional competitive advantage. It's part of our CleanBC plan, and it's part of what makes this a great place for businesses to invest, and for people to live and work," said John Horgan, premier of Canada's British Columbia.
He called the measure as a way to address the challenge of climate change and sustain economy for future generations.
"This initiative will engage our partners in the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, and hopefully the entire West Coast, in this important transition," said Washington State governor Jay Inslee, who underscored Washington's long-term strong partnership that "will benefit the entire region."
The Clean Grid Initiative stems from an agreement signed by Washington and the Canadian province to jointly fight climate change.
In April, Washington state legislature endorsed a clean energy bill championed by Inslee, who called it "the strongest clean energy policy in the nation."
The new law requires Washington to transition to 100 percent clean electricity and reach the goal of zero emissions by 2030.
British Columbia introduced a plan last year to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030, a fall from levels in 2007.
