Article published Mar 30, 2008

Governor calls Democratic policy meeting a success

By MATT GOURAS / Associated Press Writer

HELENA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer says a meeting he had over the weekend with a dozen Democratic governors allowed them to refine their objectives for clean coal technology.

The Democratic Governor’s Association meeting in Big Sky was aimed at advancing policy initiatives. Schweitzer is vice chairman of the group, which aims to support the candidacies of Democratic gubernatorial candidates.

Schweitzer said he wants the DGA to push Congress to deal with greenhouse gas emissions by establishing a fee on emissions which would be used to advance greener technologies like carbon sequestration. 

He says the governors are in a position to push the fee, which Schweitzer prefers to plans for a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax. 

“It’s at the governors’ level that we will build an energy policy that is clean and green,” Schweitzer said. “There’s a great deal of agreement between the governors on how we should proceed.” 

Schweitzer said the DGA did not adopt a policy initiative yet, but rather used the meeting in Big Sky to gather more in-formation. 

“We were here putting our heads together,” Schweitzer said. 

He said representatives from coal companies were among those talking to the governors at the meeting, which was not open to the public. Schweitzer said the coal companies recognize that greenhouse gas emissions are leading to global warming. 

“They are not members of the flat Earth society,” Schweitzer said. 

In Montana, Schweitzer set up a panel to recommend ways the state can deal with global warming. That report has been the focus of criticism from some Republican lawmakers who say the warming claims are overrated. 

“I am not sure where they are getting their information from,” the governor said.