President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a press availability after the two met Wednesday. A passage from the transcript that contained news:

We discussed energy security and climate change. I remind all our American friends that Canada is by far the largest supplier of energy to the United States. And we are determined to be a continental partner in dealing with the joint — with the very linked problems of climate change and energy security. Our two ministers, our respective ministers have provided us with a report on the clean energy dialogue, which I think shows some great progress in identifying areas of joint action. I think the next step will be some specific projects that we can pursue.

Today, Canada is announcing a major hydroelectric project, a big transmission line in northwestern British Columbia, which has the capacity down the road to be part of a more integrated North American hydroelectric system that will be obviously part of dealing with both these problems of energy security and climate change.

From the Prime Minister’s office, the news release, “PM announces Canada’s investment in Northwest Transmission Line.”

From Canadian Press, “Harper announces money for B.C. transmission line that will fuel mining industry“:

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced millions of dollars in funding Wednesday for a long-awaited electricity line in northern British Columbia that has the mining industry dreaming of massive growth in the region.

Harper used a trip to Washington, D.C. to announce up to $130 million in federal cash for the Northwest Transmission Line. The province has already committed $250 million, and the mining industry is expected to pick up the rest of the estimated $404 million price tag.

Good to see the recognition of hydroelectricity as “green power.” But in any case, the important news is the expansion of transmission capacity and the willingness of Canada’s government to support the extractive industries that create wealth and jobs.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu delivered the keynote address Wednesday to the DOE-NARUC National Electricity Delivery Forum here in Washington, “The preeminent public policy forum on the Nation’s electric power delivery system infrastructure.”

The stimulus bill contained, by most accounts, $11 billion for transmission grid improvements, and Chu is promising to move quickly on funding approval and distribution. From the AP:

On the need to expand and modernize the transmission grid, Chu demonstrated his “hands-on” involvement in such issues as “smart grid” development, and the importance of the grid to making wind-produced electricity a larger share of the nation’s power supply.

The good news is that the United States has vast areas where wind is plentiful, he said, but “the bad news is renewable energy sources are in places that don’t have many people” requiring construction of new transmission lines.

Good. Too bad judges, acting on lawsuits by environmentalists, are disinclined to let that happen. From the Northern Virginia Daily, “Ruling gives power line authority back to states“:

A U.S. appellate court ruling puts power over electric transmission line projects, such as the pending Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, back in states’ hands.

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals published its opinion Wednesday in a case brought by the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council regarding rules set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

“The decision directly upholds a state’s right to reject a transmission line project without fear of the federal government stepping in to overrule that State’s determination,” Christopher G. Miller, president of PEC, states in a press release. “In plain language, the utilities do not get a second chance if the state rejects a line based upon the merits.”

In practical political language, that means that it is much easier for environmental and NIMBY groups to block the construction of transmission lines anywhere in the United States. So much for the plentiful wind energy.

The Fourth Circuit’s opinion in the lawsuit brought by the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Public Service Commission of New York and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission against FERC is available here.

And we’ll link to Secretary Chu’s speech if and when it becomes available.