SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Gov. Gary Herbert has been elected chairman of the Western Governors' Association.
The Utah Republican says he'll push for responsible energy development as he takes the organization's helm for a year.
Herbert was elected by his colleagues in 22 member states west of the Mississippi River, along with U.S. territories in the Pacific islands.
The Western Governors Association concluded an annual meeting Tuesday in Cle Elum, Wash., about 70 miles east of Seattle.
Herbert says he'll seek a larger role for states in energy policy, making use of all sources of energy. He says Western states provide more than half of the nation's coal and have practically unlimited potential for wind and solar power.
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