Residents of Coal Country and beyond can attend one of six regional Town Hall Energy Forums from 6 to 9 tonight at Washburn's Memorial Hall.

The forums are intended to give people an opportunity to talk about their vision of the region's energy economy over the next 50 years and will eventually involve North Dakotans and South Dakotans, as well as people from Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Manitoba, Canada.

Washburn is the only forum stop in North Dakota.

The forums are organized by the Powering the Plains project of the Great Plains Institute.

People who attend the town hall meeting tonight will receive a free meal and talk about energy options, including coal, wind energy, biofuels and biomass resources.

Facilitators will help small groups develop action plans. Washburn Mayor Al Christianson and Underwood Mayor Rick Olson will be hosts.

Plans developed at Washburn for North Dakota and in other states will contribute to a draft regional energy transition roadmap and be presented to state, national and provincial leaders.

Energy executives, farm organizations, agricultural producers, state and provincial officials, and environmentalists also will contribute to the energy roadmap document.

Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Wolford, said the energy roadmap was requested by a bipartisan group of legislators from Upper Midwest states and Canada.

The Otto Bremer Foundation and Great River Energy will sponsor tonight's forum.

For more information on participating in the Washburn town hall meeting, contact Great Plains Institute North Dakota program director Brad Crabtree at 701-647-2041 or bcrabtree@;gpisd.net.