PARK CITY, Utah (AP) - Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer was elected the new chairman of the Western Governors' Association, while Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter of Idaho was elected vice chairman for the upcoming year.

Schweitzer is a Democrat, Otter is a Republican.

The nonpartisan group is made up of 19 governors of Western states as well as the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa. The governors are meeting this week in the Utah resort town of Park City.

One of the focuses of the meeting has been a pledge by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to help Western states tap their vast untapped potential for wind, the sun and geothermal energy to create electricity.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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