WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Wednesday said "having a conversation about the Green New Deal is a good thing," despite many other conservatives mocking New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's marquee effort to combat climate change.

Speaking in Houston at CERAWeek by IHS Markit, the former Texas governor added that it was important to "do it in a thoughtful and a polite and a respectful way."

"Just because someone doesn't agree with what I believe in, or I don't agree with their take, doesn't mean we don't need to continue to have a conversation," Perry said. "I think it's wise to have those."

Then Perry went even further at a news conference later on Wednesday, responding to a question by CNBC.

"I don't think that the representative should be castigated and pushed aside just on the face of her comments relative to that she wants to live in a place where there's clean air and clean water. So do I," the Texan said, according to CNBC.

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Watch live from @CERAWeek 👉 https://t.co/yVu9XABlfB pic.twitter.com/bxpHjgNFID — Rick Perry (@SecretaryPerry) March 13, 2019

Now don't go as far to put Perry down as a supporter of the Green New Deal, which has earned scorn from President Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and many others.

The proposal, which calls for everything from the U.S. eliminating additional emissions of carbon by 2030 to upgrading "all existing buildings" to be more energy efficient, has been tweaked by even some Democrats for being overly broad, too costly and not that realistic.

Perry remains a supporter of an all-of-the-above energy approach, which he's said is key to unleashing a new era of "American energy dominance."

"The fact remains that by 2040, 70 percent of the earth's electricity is still going to be produced by fossil fuels," he said.

At CERAWeek, a major energy confab, Perry touted the role that liquefied natural gas, carbon capture technology and other developments can play in helping reduce emissions. He's also been a big proponent of wind energy, which has developed into a huge player in states like Texas.