Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the Western Caucus hosted a field tour of Northern Wisconsin, with five Western Caucus Members, congressional staff, and stakeholders.

Members attending included Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chairs Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Jay Obernolte (CA-23) as well as Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-02).

Congressional Western Caucus Members participated in a welcome reception hosted by Vice Chair Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and discussed the work being done in Washington, D.C. to support rural communities across America. The accomplishments of the Western Caucus were highlighted including the achievement of reaching 105 Congressional Members.

Members then toured Minnesota Power’s Hibbard Renewable Energy Center to see daily operations of the facility and how federal regulations cause uncertainty for biomass power plants. The process of transitioning waste to energy, logging, and forest management were also discussed to highlight how the Hibbard Renewable Energy Center helps power the Upper Midwest.

Immediately following the tour, Western Caucus Members, staff, and stakeholders were briefed on Cenovus Refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, to discuss the process of turning crude oil into products such as asphalt, gasoline, and diesel. Members toured Cenvous’s marine terminal where Great Lakes Lakers are fueled with refined diesel, helping power the ships that transport iron ore and minerals across the Great Lakes.

After learning more about the refining process, the group departed for the Douglas County Forest to survey the impact of winter weather events on the forest and learn about efforts to mitigate the damage.

To wrap up the trip, Members and staff attended the Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wisconsin!