Who Is This T. Boone Pickens Guy?
If you’ve been watching cable news at all lately, you’ve probably seen the T. Boone Pickens ads for the “Pickens Plan” promoting wind power and natural gas as a way to American energy independence.
The way the ads were running, it seemed like Mr. Pickens was running for office. But he’s not. Who is this guy? Well, according to Wikipedia (which, we know, isn’t always 100% accurate but it’s a good place to start), Pickens is a Republican who made his fortune with oil.
I don’t really care which party someone comes from if they are making sense. While I may not agree with everything Pickens suggests, at least the guy is putting his money where his mouth is. For far too long our leadership has done nothing on the issue of oil dependency.
Pickens wrote the following to the Wall Street Journal:
It starts with wind. A Department of Energy study says we can generate 20% of our electricity from wind. I believe that with private investment and proven technology, we can generate 20% of our electricity from wind within 10 years — which happens to be the same amount we currently generate using America’s natural gas. Moving to wind power will allow us to conserve domestic natural gas for transportation. It’s cheaper, it’s cleaner, the technology is ready now and it’s abundant — America only has 20 billion barrels of oil and we’re trying to drill for a few billion more, but we already have the natural gas equivalent of 110 billion barrels in proven reserves and 170 billion more that are being accessed through new technology.
But most importantly, natural gas buys us one thing money can’t buy — time — the time to develop the renewable fuels that will finally end foreign oil’s stranglehold on the U.S.
I can’t say I know enough about natural gas for cars as an option…I would prefer electric cars ultimately. But I am in agreement that we need to do something, now. And I think wind power definitely needs to be tapped more.
Pickens has come under fire for taking up ground water rights in Texas, though some just say he’s doing what any good businessman would. (Well, Pickens probably didn’t get all that money from being a softie, I’m sure.)
I always felt that it would actually be the oil people who would get us off of oil. Why? Because they are in business and it’s a losing proposition to be in business promoting a fuel that has exceeded its lifespan.
It will be interesting to see what Pickens accomplishes with this plan of his.
Tags: Pickens Plan, wind power
