Citing recent decisions by financial companies like Bank of America to withdraw funding from coal operations, Governor Matt Mead says Wyoming needs to innovate in order to stay an energy leader.
During his keynote address at the Wyoming Business Report's Energy Summit, Mead said that he has and will continue to fight against federal regulations, but added that more will be needed.
"We don't have to resolve all these questions on climate change," he said. "We don't have to agree or disagree on every regulation, but we have to do some things proactively in this state if we want to continue to be a leader."
Mead recommended investing in research to make coal cleaner, promoting the importance of energy in people's lives and putting money towards training the next generation of energy workers.
Although he also mentioned protecting the environment, he did not directly address concerns about climate change or carbon emissions and also didn't mention how renewable energy might fit into Wyoming's future.