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Pickens talks in Rapid City

Faster horses

Well-known member
The 80-year-old oil-and-gas entrepreneur told more than 1,000 people at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center that the United States built a one-dimensional energy policy on imported oil that now accounts for 70 percent of the nation's supply and exports $700 billion each year to foreign lands.

The country will face catastrophic financial consequences if Congress and the next president don't swiftly act to develop alternative energy supplies and begin to wean the nation from foreign oil.

"If we don't do anything, 10 years from now, we'll be importing 80 percent," Pickens said. "And I promise you, if we're importing 80 percent, oil will be $300 a barrel, and we'll be broke."

Pickens has a plan he says will prevent economic chaos through aggressive investment in alternative energy, especially wind. Wind power could provide 20 percent or more of the nation's electricity, freeing up natural gas now used for electricity generation to power buses, trucks and passenger vehicles that currently burn imported petroleum, he said.

Pickens is traveling across the nation, particularly in the "wind corridor" from Texas to Canada, to gather public support for his plan through a series of meetings including the one Wednesday, Aug. 20, in Rapid City. Traveling with a CBS "60 Minutes" crew, he spoke to 1,300 people in Lincoln, Neb., earlier Wednesday and was scheduled to appear in Fargo, N.D., on Thursday, Aug. 21. The civic center turnout led some audience members to predict that federal officials would have to respond.

"It's too big an issue. They couldn't ignore it," Wall Drug President Ted Hustead said. "I'm glad he's attacking it. Look at all the people here today. I've never seen a turnout like this at an issue meeting."

Pickens said he has budgeted $58 million in personal funds for his push to revise the nation's energy system. He hopes to win enough public support to force action in Washington, D.C. Pickens has met with John McCain and Barack Obama on the issue. He wasn't satisfied with either candidate's energy platform.

"To date, what they have is not really a serious plan," he said.

Pickens said presidential candidates have failed for 40 years to deliver on energy promises. "Everybody running for president since Richard Nixon has said, 'Elect me, and we'll be energy independent,'" Pickens said. "And that was wrong."

Pickens is calling on Congress and the next president to act within the first 100 days of the new administration to begin working on his plan. He is trying to recruit an army of voting citizens to make that happen and to hold elected officials accountable during reelection campaigns if it doesn't.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., introduced Pickens at the meeting and said that Congress must act to encourage development of energy-transmission systems and provide private-business incentives through long-term production tax credits. Thune said Pickens' influence and standing in the energy industry makes his plan more viable.

"I think what he's done raises and legitimizes the issue in a way that politicians talking about it can't," Thune said.

Mack McGillivray of Rapid City, a geologist with the state's oil-and-gas program, said he was encouraged that Pickens was tackling the problem and that natural gas and wind were key parts of the plan.

"I think it's great. He's talking about two of the things we have here in South Dakota -- wind and natural gas," McGillivray said. "I don't think anybody would disagree that we can't keep importing so much oil from other countries, especially those that don't like us very much."

Robert Moore of Rosebud, a councilman for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, said he attended to get ideas about alternative energy development. Moore said the tribe is interested in wind power as well as potential options for the reliable flows of the Little White River.

"One of the things we have at Rosebud is wind and water energy," he said. "The Little White River always runs, and the wind always blows."

Pickens said all alternative energy sources should be considered, as long as they're American. And the recent declines in gas prices shouldn't lull citizens or elected officials back into the old pattern of inaction, he said.

"We'll be back at $4 gasoline, I promise you," Pickens said. "It may not be this year, but it sure will be next year."
 

jodywy

Well-known member
just fallow the money


Pelosi And The Big Wind Boone-Doggle
By MICHELLE MALKIN | Posted Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:30 PM PT

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently called congressional Republicans who want up-or-down drilling votes "handmaidens of the oil companies." Let's call Pelosi what she is: House girl of the Big Wind boondogglers.

Though she seemingly backtracked on labeling drilling a "hoax" this week, Pelosi refuses to consider GOP energy proposals that don't include massive government subsidies for so-called eco-alternatives that have never panned out.

Which brings us to the Speaker's 2007 financial disclosure form. Schedule III lists "Assets and Unearned Income" of between $100,001-$250,000 from Clean Energy Fuels Corp.-Public Common Stock.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) is a natural gas provider founded by T. Boone Pickens. Yep, that T. Boone Pickens — ex-oilman turned wind-power evangelist whose ads touting a national wind campaign are now as ubiquitous as Viagra promos.

Pickens and Pelosi share the same talking points downplaying the need to drill and open up more access to American oil. Instead, the Pickens pie-in-the-sky plan proposes to replace natural gas with wind power in power generation and theoretically free up natural gas for America's transportation needs.

All well and good in la-la land, but let's be real about the limitations and costs of wind power. Past and ongoing experience demonstrates the unreliability of wind and the miserably low operating capacity of wind-power facilities here and around the world.

Depending on wind requires supplemental fossil fuel plants as backup to be turned on and off to compensate for wind-power supply shortfalls — nullifying any reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, which are minuscule, according to the National Academy of Sciences.

Not to mention the thousands of sliced-up birds and other wildlife that have become wind-power casualties — a problem scientists say would be solved by "repowering" old turbines at a cost of untold billions.

Fittingly, the environmental mascot of the Democratic National Convention — the showcase of their alternative energy approach — is an eastern Colorado wind turbine propped up with Democratic carbon-credit funds that has never produced any substantial energy because of its chronic equipment malfunctions.

But I digress.

Naturally, the Pickens Big Wind plan is proudly endorsed by Do-Nothing Pelosi's friends at the obstructionist Sierra Club. Through another company, Mesa Power, Pickens has committed upward of $12 billion in wind farms on the Texas panhandle.

CLNE and Mesa Power are separate entities, but what benefits one piece of the Pickens puzzle benefits them all. The wind venture, as Pickens himself acknowledges, depends on permanent federal subsidies.

Pickens is banking on 'em. And Pelosi is banking on him. As reported on dontgo-movement.com, Speaker Pelosi bought between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of stock in Pickens' CLNE Corp. in May 2007 on the day of the initial public offering:

"She, and other investors, stand to gain a substantial return on their investment if gasoline prices stay high, and municipal, state and even the federal governments start using natural gas as their primary fuel source. If gasoline prices fall? Alternative fuels and the cost to convert fleets over to them become less and less attractive."

CLNE also happens to be the sponsor of Proposition 10, a ballot initiative in Pelosi's home state of California to dole out a combined $10 billion in state and federal funds for renewable energy incentives — namely, natural gas and wind.

Follow the money. Or, to put it in economist's terms as energy analyst Kenneth Medlock III did in an interview with the Dallas Morning News about the Pickens multibillion dollar wind farm investment: "A lot of what he's trying to do is add value to a stranded asset . . . he's obviously got millions of dollars on the line."

And so, potentially, does the Speaker of the House — all the while wagging her finger at the financial motivation of others.

Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate, Inchttp://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=303518267212243
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
So whats the Repubs doing- turning on one of their own- old T Boone :???: Just because he tells the truth and goes against their oilman buddies and says drill, drill, drill ain't going to cut it... And to have the audacity to talk to, or God forbid, work with the Sierra Club or a Democrat- and one of the top Dems at that- Pelosi.....Blashphemy- that good old boy will have to turn in his Cult membership :wink: :lol: :lol:
"She, and other investors, stand to gain a substantial return on their investment if gasoline prices stay high, and municipal, state and even the federal governments start using natural gas as their primary fuel source. If gasoline prices fall? Alternative fuels and the cost to convert fleets over to them become less and less attractive."

I thoughts thats what everyone says your supposed to do- invest in the company...When I complained about the Oil Companies ripping us off with profiteering- all the neocons said I should buy shares in and invest in the oil companies.. Looks to me like thats what old Boone and Pelosi are doing....
No different that our current two Oil boys in the White House doing the dealing off the bottom of the deck- and then playing their hands to fill theirs and their oil buddies pockets....

But thats right- the oil company puppet neocons only have one answer- drill, drill, drill...Don't look at a comprehensive long term program- just follow Cheney's oil company written drill, drill, drill energy policy...

But I agree with Boone- its time to end our Dependency on Foreign Oil- and all our dollars going to foreign countries that can hold us hostage at will- and to say NO to anymore drilling until we get a comprehensive Longterm ENERGY plan- that includes wind- solar- natural gas (that we have 75-100 years known supply of) coal ( that we have 600-1000 years known supply of)- biodiesel- electric- etc.-etc-- not just an oil and drilling policy as the Oil Boys in the White House want...
 

hopalong

Well-known member
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently called congressional Republicans who want up-or-down drilling votes "hand maidens of the oil companies." Let's call Pelosi what she is: House girl of the Big Wind boondogglers.

Though she seemingly backtracked on labeling drilling a "hoax" this week, Pelosi refuses to consider GOP energy proposals that don't include massive government subsidies for so-called eco-alternatives that have never panned out.

Which brings us to Madame Speaker's 2007 financial disclosure form. Schedule III lists "Assets and 'Unearned Income'" of between $100,001-$250,000 from Clean Energy Fuels Corp. -- Public Common Stock. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) is a natural gas provider founded by T. Boone Pickens. Yep, that T. Boone Pickens -- former oilman turned wind-power evangelist whose ads touting a national wind campaign are now as ubiquitous as Viagra promos.

Naturally, the Pickens Big Wind plan is proudly endorsed by Do-Nothing Pelosi's friends at the obstructionist Sierra Club. Through another company, Mesa Power, Pickens has committed upward of $12 billion in wind farms on the Texas panhandle. CLNE and Mesa Power are separate entities, but what benefits one piece of the Pickens puzzle benefits them all. The wind venture, as Pickens himself acknowledges, depends on permanent federal subsidies.

Pickens is banking on 'em. And Pelosi is banking on him.

CLNE also happens to be the sponsor of Proposition 10, a ballot initiative in Pelosi's home state of California to dole out a combined $10 billion in state and federal funds for renewable energy incentives -- namely, natural gas and wind.

Follow the money. Or, to put it in economist's terms as energy analyst Kenneth Medlock III did in an interview with The Dallas Morning News about the Pickens multibillion dollar wind farm investment: "A lot of what he's trying to do is add value to a stranded asset he's obviously got millions of dollars on the line."

And so, potentially, does the Democratic Speaker of the House -- all the while wagging her finger at the financial motivation of others.
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2008/08/13/pelosi_and_the_big_wind_boone-doggle?page=2
 
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