LAS VEGAS -- How do we make Nevada and the rest of the country more energy efficient? That's the question environmental experts and politicians are hoping to answer at a two-day summit at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Former President Bill Clinton kicked off the event Monday night with a challenge to the Silver State.

The former president said the only way to get everyone on board to go green is to make one state completely clean energy self-sufficient -- and he thinks Nevada has what it takes.

“Maybe what you ought to do is come out of this conference with is a proposal to have the national government and investors all over America say, ‘Help us make the first completely self-sufficient energy state in the U.S.’ I promise if you do it, it would rock the world,” Clinton said.

It was a major challenge to Nevadans from Clinton. He, along with Senate majority leader Harry Reid, thinks the Silver State would make gold by going green.

“The sun shines here all the time. The wind blows much of the time, and we're one of the few states that has massive amounts of geothermal energy. That's why I refer to Nevada as the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy,” Reid said.

The former commander in chief spent more than an hour talking to the crowd of environmental experts and students about how save the planet for future generations by shutting down landfills, accelerating the move to hybrid vehicles and creating better building codes.

“I ran the risk of boring you today, because I do this work, and these details are important. They really matter, and therefore, if you really care about it -- you need to master as many of them as you can,” Clinton said.

Reid explained how the state would pay for the changes.

“All we have to do in Washington is give tax credits to renewables. We've given huge gifts over the years to fossil fuel ... to nuclear ... Why not to renewables? And it will create million of jobs,” Reid said.

On Tuesday, keynote speakers will include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.