Schweitzer promised such a conference shortly after his election, saying he wanted to bring together state leaders, energy experts and other public officials to talk about long-term energy policy.
Oil, natural gas and electricity prices have all been on the rise, and oil prices have spiked further in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Schweitzer said the symposium will address energy production, conservation, environmental issues and consumer concerns.
''Only by working together will we be able to form a stable, long-term energy policy that protects the citizens and ratepayers of Montana and protects our environment, while further strengthening our economy,'' Schweitzer said.
The symposium is planned for Oct. 18-19 at the Montana State University campus in Bozeman.
Bruce Measure, one of Montana's two members of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, said Schweitzer invited West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III because he wanted to hear his perspective on the effects of coal development, which is expected to be a major topic during the conference. West Virginia is one of the leading states in coal production.
Jim Jensen, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, said he hopes Manchin and others will talk not only about the economic benefits of coal development, but also the social and economic impacts.
''I also hope they would talk about reversing the trend of using more and more electricity, and start talking about how [we] can use less electricity,'' he said.
Jensen has criticized the funding of the conference, noting that the state's three largest energy and utility firms NorthWestern Corp., MDU Resources and PPL Montana are footing most of the bill.
He said utility firms are interested primarily in selling more power, and not in forming an energy policy that benefits consumers.
The public is invited to the symposium, which will have two days of panels, speeches and working meals. The cost is $50, although students with a valid student-identification card can attend free of charge.
The governor's office said that as of Wednesday, the following governors said they planned to attend the conference: Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho, Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, Christine Gregoire of Washington, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming.
