Giuliani to appear at Bryant's energy summit Thursday

News
September 29, 2012
By MICHAEL NEWSOM
 
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and others will be in Jackson on Thursday for a one-day energy summit hosted by Gov. Phil Bryant.
 
The Governor's Energy Summit at the Jackson Convention Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. will "bring together industry experts to explore Mississippi's energy future," according to a news release. Giuliani will give the keynote address, and others on the agenda are Southern Co. President and CEO Tom Fanning, and representatives from the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy.
 
Bryant is expected to unveil a new policy for Mississippi and talk about plans for creating energy-industry jobs and beefing up energy production and research.
 
"Mississippi has tremendous potential for energy development," Bryant said. "Our state is home to vast energy resources, and we have the technology to develop them. Through thoughtful, determined investment, we can create a robust energy sector in our state's economy."
 
Bryant is chairman of the Southern States Energy Board, which is a "bipartisan, interstate compact that includes governors and state legislators from the 16 Southern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as three non-voting board members."
 
Registration is free for the summit, which is sponsored by the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Energy Institute.
 
"Mississippians in business, government and economic development need to understand the breadth of energy-related opportunities," MEI President Patrick Sullivan said. "That's the objective of this event. To meet projected worldwide economic growth, a rapidly increasing amount of energy will be demanded, and in a $6.5 trillion business, opportunities are abundant and diverse. A targeted, aggressive effort to attract energy related investment in Mississippi could pay off enormously in jobs and economic impact."