Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens and five governors are scheduled to appear at a conference next week to discuss the future of energy needs in the South.

Governors Haley Barbour of Mississippi, Mike Beebe of Arkansas, Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sonny Perdue of Georgia are on the agenda to speak during a meeting of the Southern Growth Policies Board.

The board’s annual conference is Monday and Tuesday at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi.

Executives from Nucor Steel, Kansas City Southern railroad and Duke Energy also are scheduled to speak.

Pickens has been pushing for the expansion of wind power.

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Southern Growth Policies Board: http://www.southern.org