Southern governors meet on energy

Southern governors to discuss energy this week

T. Boone Pickens and five Southern governors are on the agenda to speak at a meeting on future energy needs of the South organized by the Southern Growth Policies Board.

Governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Mike Beebe of Arkansas, Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sonny Perdue of Georgia will speak during the two day conference in Biloxi, which begins today.

Pickens, an oil tycoon and entrepreneur, has been pushing for the expansion of wind power.

As recommended in Getting Greener: Progressive environmental ideas for the American South, "Such renewable energy requirements would work in the South, which generally hasn't tapped into major resources of wind, solar and other types of renewable energy. By using these sources of energy, the South wouldn't have to build as many power plants, which would cut future pollution in a big way."

We await results of the conference.

Also in the South:

ALABAMA: State Sen. Hank Sanders won't run for Senate again

ARKANSAS: South Carolina lottery chief hired to run Arkansas Lottery

FLORIDA: State legislature approves shipping inmates out-of-state

GEORGIA: Several congressmen work to keep constituents in homes

KENTUCKY: State budget hampered by structural imbalance

LOUISIANA: This is a critical week for state budget negotiations

MISSISSIPPI: Legislative session ends with no budget; spending ends July 1

NORTH CAROLINA: Report shows most states are raising revenue to protect public investments

SOUTH CAROLINA: Legislature to take on Gov. Sanford's vetoes

TENNESSEE: GOP still pushing to expand charter school bill

VIRGINIA: Democrats debate 'electability' of candidates

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