Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Wayne Brandt, Mike Bull, and William Grant to the NextGen Energy Board.

Brandt, of Duluth, is executive vice president of the Minnesota Forest Industries. He also serves as executive director of the Minnesota Timber Producers Association and as a member of the Minnesota Forest Resources Council. He is appointed to fill a newly created forest industries representative position on the board. His term expires June 30, 2009.

Bull, of Northfield, is the regional policy manager for Wind on the Wires (WoW), a collaborative organization comprised of wind developers, environmental organizations, wind energy experts, tribal representatives, clean energy advocates, and businesses providing goods and services to the wind industry. WoW is a regional partner of the American Wind Energy Association, and works closely with the association on wind power and transmission issues. Bull has a number of years of experience working with energy policy, public utilities and renewable resources. He is appointed as a representative of an environmental organization to fulfill a term that ends June 30, 2009. Bull replaces Tim Gerlach on the board.

Grant, of Roseville, is the director of the Midwest office of the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the nation's oldest conservation organizations. The League takes a common-sense approach toward protecting and improving outdoor recreation opportunities. He is appointed as a representative of an environmental organization to fulfill a term that ends June 30, 2009. Grant replaces Shalini Gupta on the board.

The NextGen Energy Board will provide recommendations to the legislature and the Governor about how the state can most efficiently achieve energy independence through agriculture and natural resource sustainability. One of the board’s primary duties is to examine the future of bio-fuels, such as synthetic gases, biobutanol, hydrogen, methanol, biodiesel, and ethanol within Minnesota and to develop grant programs to assist renewable energy facilities throughout the state.

The NextGen Energy Board will examine the future of fuels, such as synthetic gases, biobutanol, hydrogen, methanol, biodiesel, and ethanol within Minnesota; develop equity grant programs to assist locally owned facilities; study the proper role of the state in creating financing and investing and providing incentives; evaluate how state and federal programs, including the Farm Bill, can best work together and leverage resources; work with other entities and committee to develop a clean energy program; and report to the legislature with recommendations as to appropriations and results of past actions and projects. The NextGen Energy Board consists of 19 members, including seven appointed by the Governor.