Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Monday unveiled a state panel's recommendations to reduce greenhouse gases in Montana, and said state government will "lead by example" by cutting its energy consumption 20 percent in three years.

"We've watched them in Washington, D.C., talk about (global warming) for a number of years," Schweitzer said at a Capitol news conference. "It's time to take action."

Schweitzer said he'll also ask state agencies to have their vehicle fleets achieve an average mileage of 30 miles-per-gallon. If achieved, it would be the highest such standard in the nation, he said.

Schweitzer announced his efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions as he received the final report from the 18-member Climate Change Advisory Committee, which he initiated two years ago.

The panel made 54 recommendations on how Montana can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the state, from consuming less energy to strict new standards on power plant or other plant emissions.

The recommendations are designed to help cut greenhouse gas emissions in Montana to 1990 levels by 2020.

Carbon dioxide, the waste from burning fossil fuels like coal, is one of the top greenhouse gases, which causes global warming.

Schweitzer and Department of Environmental Quality Director Richard Opper said the administration will examine the proposals and decide which ones it might pursue.

"There will be some time involved before we really sort through all of this, and see what fits for the state," Opper said. "The steps we take will probably be different from what's in this report, but we will be taking steps and we'll have a lot to show."

Industry members of the Climate Change Advisory Committee also issued their own report on the committee recommendations, saying some could cause "economic harm" and needed more analysis before being adopted.

The recommendation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels is "one of the most ambitious" reductions in the nation, and "may not be achievable and may very well result in economic harm," they wrote.

Tim Gregori, general manager for an electric cooperative that plans to build a coal-fired power plant near Great Falls, was one of three panel members who submitted the industry comments.

"It's a little bit premature to take a hard stand on some of these issues," he said, noting that technology is still evolving on capturing carbon-dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that causes global warming.

"That doesn't mean we want to do nothing," Gregori said. "But we can't move to the point where this is technologically achievable when it's not."

The industry members also said requiring utilities to have even higher levels of electricity from "renewable" sources is "a very difficult and arbitrary goal."

Montana currently requires electric utilities to have 15 percent of their power from renewable sources, like wind, by 2015. The committee recommended increasing that amount to 25 percent by 2025.

Opper agreed that achieving that goal might be difficult, but said it's not arbitrary, and that several other states already have adopted the standard.

The committee report also noted that a dozen other states already have greenhouse-gas reduction goals that are similar or more ambitious than the ones recommended for Montana by the report.

Opper said members of the panel "put aside their personal beliefs and worked together very well. We had a lively debate."

Its members include an organic farmer, a teacher, two state legislators, conservation and environmental representatives, a tribal representative and the general manager of an electric cooperative that's trying to build a large, coal-fired power plant near Great Falls.

One recommendation Schweitzer said the state will follow is joining the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative, a collaboration of several Western states to address global warming issues.

The initiative is looking for ways that Western states can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the region.

Schweitzer said his push to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent by 2010 includes all state agencies and the university system. The state spends about $24 million on electricity and natural gas in a year; the governor said he'd like to reduce it by $4.8 million a year.

"There are some things that are very clear: If you want to reduce your hydrocarbon footprint, it means decreasing your consumption of hydrocarbons," he said. "This won't be easy. It means that we will have to be creative. If it was easy, we would have done it already."

Committee recommendations

The state Climate Change Advisory Committee on Monday issued 54 recommendations to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in Montana to 1990 levels by the year 2020.

The recommendations include:

- Requiring that utilities in Montana include at least 25 percent of "renewable" energy in the electricity they sell by 2025.

- Montana should advocate for a national carbon tax or "cap-and-trade" system that limits industrial greenhouse-gas emissions -- either of which would create economic incentives to consume less fossil fuels.

- Montana should continue to offer incentives to develop clean energy in the state, such as tax credits.

- Implement greenhouse-gas emission standards for major producers, such as power plants. However, the panel said the state should "consider a long-term phase-in" for such standards, to make sure the technology is available and that electricity supply won't be unduly affected.

- Require that any coal-to-liquid refineries constructed in Montana meet standards for emitting greenhouse gases, and that fuel produced from coal ultimately have emissions that are less than other fuels.

- Implement a widespread consumer-education program on energy efficiency and how consumers and businesses can cut energy consumption.

- Adopt "clean car" standards for light-duty vehicles to reduce smog- and soot-forming pollutants.

- Implement energy-efficient building codes in Montana that further reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

- Increase the acres of crop land using "best management practices," including conservation/no-tillage, to increase the level of organic carbon in the soil.

- Increase production of crops that can be converted to biodiesel fuel to the point that by 2020, 20 percent of the diesel fuel consumed in 2004 is biodiesel.

- Expand the forestland base in Montana, to absorb more carbon, in part by restocking forest lands that have been destroyed by fire.