For the first time in its history, the 26th Border Governor’s Conference has been combined with a Green Technology Expo that opens today at the "Building Green Economies" conference being hosted by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ten border governors, including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, were among those scheduled to attend the invitation-only conference. The Green Tech Expo today and Friday is open to the public at no charge.

An official conference press release said Schwarzenegger’s decision to hold the conference at Universal Studios, to incorporate the Green Tech Expo and to give the conference its overall environmental theme "is resonant of his desire to raise awareness among the general public that cross-border issues are about much more than illegal immigration."

The border governors represent the 10 border states of Arizona, Baja California, California, Chihuahua, Coahulia, Nuevo Leon, New Mexico, Sonora, Tamaulipas and Texas.

The border conference’s official Web site says:
 

Clean-tech companies from both sides of the border will display their products at the BGC’s first ever Green Technology Exposition, which is a unique opportunity to showcase the expansive products and resources available in the border region’s green market. Nearly 70 companies will present their innovative green technologies including electric cars, solar-powered flashlights and non-toxic cleaning products during the two-day Green Technology Exposition.

The press release continued that:

Another first for this year will be the presence of high-level cabinet secretaries and other special invitees from both sides of the border. For example, Mexico’s secretary for the environment will participate on a panel addressing water issues along with the commissioner for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and will be an honorary witness to the signing of a special initiative dealing with disposal of scrap tires that is to be signed by all 10 states.

Richardson is scheduled to return to New Mexico today from the conference, where he had planned to talk to the Director’s Guild of America about film opportunities in New Mexico.

While Schwarzenegger was able to welcome the governors to the conference, the L.A. Times reports that after a year of planning, the California governor is missing much of his own party while flying back and forth to the state capital trying to break a budget stalemate in the legislature. The other governors will understand, he told the Times, because they too have states to run.