Local leaders in Austin, Texas, for instance, are pursuing a campaign to get 50 cities to place advance orders for prototype "plug-in" hybrid cars, which use even less gasoline than traditional hybrids. The idea is to generate so much early demand for the cars that manufacturers will have no choice but to produce them in mass.

Using the special hybrids will not only cut down on gasoline consumption but will also save cities money on fuel costs, Roger Duncan, vice president of Austin Energy, said.

And much of the conference did focus on money.

Many mayors figure if they can show how downsizing fleets, switching car tanks to natural gas, using more energy-efficient lights and constructing buildings according to green design standards can save money, they will win over potential skeptics.

Still, others noted that not everything that is good for the environment is going to come cheap.

"I get a little worried when I hear all these people saying we're going to save money," Cambridge, Mass., Mayor Michael Sullivan said. "I know in some cases we're not going to recoup the investment."

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Contributing: Amelia Nielson-Stowell

E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com