As part of JHCGA’s broader agenda – to foster collaboration in climate change action between carbon-intensive economies, particularly Wyoming, USA and Shanxi, China, JHCGA traveled to Taiyuan, Shanxi from September 3 – 11, as guests of the Shanxi Provincial Development Reform Commission PDRC to participate in the China International Energy Industry Expo, and to build the Wyoming-Shanxi 2016-2017 agenda for collaboration.  Beyond the Expo, JHCGA’s goal was to set the 2016-2017 agenda for continued collaboration between Wyoming and Shanxi, focused on the themes of energy efficiency, wind power, natural resources conservation, and carbon capture innovation. 

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Phil Cameron, Executive Director of Energy Conservation Works, presented the ECW approach at a session on “Low-Carbon Cities,” addressing an audience of several hundred conference participants at which he was one of four international (3 U.S.) and six domestic speakers, including senior climate officials in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Jincheng. 

The visit resulted in several MOUs including:.

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• MOU signed in wind power equipment manufacture. In response to Wyoming’s stated goal of attracting wind manufacturing jobs to Wyoming, JHCGA met with Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Industry Group (TZ), a major machinery and equipment manufacturer in Shanxi.  TZ expressed interest in manufacturing or assembly parts for wind towers in Wyoming.  JHCGA is helping TZ assess the Wyoming market opportunity.
   

• MOU signed to explore JHCGA office in Taiyuan’s Innovation City.  In 2015, JHCGA was invited by Governor Li, formerly Governor of Shanxi Province, now Chinese Minister of Transportation, to set up an office in Taiyuan’s new Innovation City.  During visit, JHCGA met with Ministry of Science and Technology, who confirmed the invitation.  The office would provide a platform to explore Chinese FDI in Wyoming, and to scale climate friendly initiatives in China.

• MOU signed to deepen Wutai Shan partnership.   JHCGA met with the leadership of Wutai Shan, a UNESCO World Heritage site and China’s most significant destination for Buddhist pilgrims.  A resulting MOU focuses on how China and U.S. national parks can collaborate more closely to attract tourists, sustainably engage tourists, and implement best practices in park management.
   

• Jackson-Xinzhou Municipal Sustainable Energy Partnership.   JHCGA met with municipal leadership to explore initial interests in energy savings and shared letters of interest from Town of Jackson and Teton County.  Under discussion is to replicate the successful Energy Conservation Works program.