T. Boone Pickens "Did You Know?"

Did You Know?
… that for more than 35 years, every President has promised to “make the US energy independent,” but over that same period, we went from importing 24% of our oil to importing almost 70%?

Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush each meant it when they said it, but because oil was cheap, it was easier to kick the problem down the road. Over the past year, however, when worldwide demand began to exceed worldwide production, the price of oil has gone up and now has everyone’s attention.

… that the Pickens Plan creates economic activity, particularly in rural America?

Sweetwater, Texas was typical of many small towns in middle-America. With a shortage of good jobs, the young people were leaving in search of better jobs. The town's population dropped from 12,000 to under 10,000.

When a large wind power facility was built outside of town, Sweetwater experienced a revival. New economic opportunity brought the town back to life and the population has grown back up to 12,000. Not only that, but nearly a quarter of all the jobs in Sweetwater are connected to the wind farms.

The “wind corridor” in the United States runs from West Texas all the way to the Canadian border east of the Rocky Mountains. In addition to creating new local jobs, thousands of Americans in other parts of the country will manufacture the turbines and blades and help build and maintain the transmission facilities. These are good, high paying jobs here in the US.

… that wind turbines have little or no influence on agriculture?

Compared to the size of land on which they will sit, wind turbines have minimal impact on the land. They don’t interfere with farming and grazing, so they don't threaten food production or existing local economies. Farms will continue to operate in normal fashion. In addition to putting food on American tables, farmers will also produce the power needed to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Farmers lease their land to the wind generation companies just the same way as they would have a lease for the oil and gas UNDER their property. This is extra income with no adverse environmental impact.

…that the Pickens Plan does not oppose additional drilling in the U.S.?

In order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must use all of our available domestic resources. We will eventually need everything that we can produce in this country, whether it is new sources of domestic oil, additional natural gas, coal, nuclear or renewable fuels to replace imported oil and stop shipping dollars overseas.

But remember – we are importing 12 million barrels of oil each day. There is not enough oil left in the Outer Continental Shelf, off the East and West Coasts, and in Alaska combined to make up that oil deficit.

… that natural gas is cheaper, more abundant and is an America resource to cover us until a more permanent solution to our transportation needs is developed?

More than 70% of US imported oil is used in transportation. Of all of the domestic energy resources available (domestic oil, natural gas, nuclear, coal, wind, solar, hydro, geo-thermal and bio fuels), only natural gas is easily used as a transportation fuel today. It is significantly less expensive than gasoline or diesel with prices in the range of $1.50 a gallon.

CONTINUED at Did You Know: www.pickensplan.com/didyouknow