No college football this weekend, so we hitched up the T. Boone Express and headed over to Atlanta for a meeting with the National Conference of State Legislatures.

There was an article in the Los Angeles Times about the California Air Resources Board voting unanimously for a measure to “retrofit or replace older heavy-duty trucks starting in 2011.”

You know I have been talking about how important it is to move 18-wheelers off diesel. I want it done because such a huge percentage of that diesel fuel is imported. California wants to move 18-wheelers off diesel because of the air quality concerns.

Either way, same answer: Move 18-wheelers off diesel onto something else. What is the only fuel that will fit that bill? Natural gas.

You knew that already.

Seventy percent of all the oil used in America is transportation fuel. Thirty percent of all the oil used in America is used by those heavy-duty trucks to move goods, haul garbage, deliver building materials, and so forth.

Other states are going to start to do something about diesel after they see what California has done.

These State Legislators can take another step to move us off foreign oil. They can require that any new state vehicles - trucks, cars, pick-ups, whatever, have to run on natural gas. Most of those vehicles go back to their “barn” every night so, having a large infrastructure cost to refuel isn’t really a problem. They can all pull up to the pumps at the state garage and fill the CNG tanks.

One of them asked me what State Legislators can do.  I didn’t ask them to pass any legislation.  They’ll come to that by themselves.

I told them to get informed and communicate with their Members of Congress and Senators and make sure that they understand what the situation is and what can be done to fix it.

I asked the Legislators how many had heard of the Pickens Plan and almost every hand went up. We’ve told them about the problem. Now, we have to help them find a solution.

– Boone

T. Boone Pickens spoke to a sold-out breakfast in Phoenix this morning sponsored by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Boone delivered the message about the Pickens Plan with an emphasis on trucking and solar power, according to the Phoenix Business Journal coverage.

On trucking, the BizJournal reported Boone pointed out that the “Phoenix-based Swift Transportation Co. Inc., could switch its fleet to natural gas in a matter of a few years by converting or buying new about 7,000 trucks a year. At similar turnover rates, the country could convert about 1 million trucks to natural gas in the next several years.”

Boone also talked about solar energy - you know that he has often coupled the “solar corridor” which runs from western Texas to California, with the “wind corridor” which runs from northern Texas to the Canadian border.

The BizJournal said Boone “added solar power to the discussion, saying the Western states could do with solar what he’s proposing for a central wind corridor.”

For a look at the entire article in the Phoenix Business Journal click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

Tuesday afternoon, at a press conference in New York City, with Boone Pickens, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the President of the American Lung Association (ALA), Stephen Nolan, the ALA endorsed the Pickens Plan.

“The American Lung Association applauds Mr. Pickens’ goal of harnessing cleaner energy alternatives because cleaner energy will make our air healthier to breathe,” Nolan said. He also said the ALA is “enthusiastic about engaging in this effort to build further support for the Pickens Plan. Cleaner energy, such as the wind and solar power that the Pickens Plan recommends, is a solution that we support.”

Photos by Ed Reed, Office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg

The Pickens Plan calls for increasing power generation through the use of wind and solar farms in the Great Plains and the Southwest which will free up natural gas (now used to generate about 22 percent of the electrical energy produced in the U.S.) to be used as a transportation fuel instead of imported diesel.

Mayor Bloomberg said “Hosting this event with the American Lung Association gives us the perfect opportunity to congratulate Boone on the growing support for his plan, and also to show him how New York City is putting some of its key concepts into action.

“New York has long been recognized as a national leader in the acquisition of low-emission vehicles, and our fleets make use of compressed natural gas, hybrid and solar power and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel to keep the City running,” Mayor Bloomberg said.

To read the full release by the American Lung Association, click HERE.

Click here to view the full press conference.

– The Pickens Team

The Texas Legislative Conference, a non-partisan organization of Texas business and political leaders has named T. Boone Pickens as its “Texan of the Year.”

The Conference pointed to Boone’s “ambitious, self-funded grassroots campaign (the Pickens Plan) aimed at reducing the nation’s dependence on imported oil” as a principle reason for the award.

The group also noted “Pickens’ generosity as a philanthropist, making contributions of more than $600 million to date. The Pickens Foundation is focused on improving lives through grants supporting educational programs, medical research, athletics and corporate wellness, at-risk youth, the entrepreneurial process and conservation of wildlife initiatives.”

To read the coverage of the “Texan of the Year” announcement click HERE

– The Pickens Team

After Boone’s conversation with the people attending the Barclays meeting, he held a press conference with business writers. If you spend any time around Boone, you know that he is not one to stand behind a lecturn and take questions. As you can see by this photo, Boone likes to stroll around and answer reporters’ questions informally.

We wanted to bring two comments to your attention because we hink they speak volumes. First, Boone said in response to a question about what he thought about the results of the election:

“I always think change is better than the status quo. That’s why young people get what I’m trying to do.”

Then, later, Boone was asked if the political will to develop an energy/alternative fuels plan will weaken with falling gas and oil prices. Boone said,

“It’s the same crisis, only cheaper.”

– The Pickens Team

Hey Army!

Another week, another city. We hitched up the T. Boone Express and flew it into New York City for a meeting put on by Barclays Capital which is the investment division of Barclays Bank, PLC over in London.

Matter of fact, if you look up Barclays Bank you see that their head office is at “1 Churchill Place, London. I don’t know if that’s the best address in London for a big commercial bank, but it seems like a pretty good one, to me.

Anyhow, they asked me to come and speak at this conference which they’re putting on for men and women in New York who are in the business of trading commodities futures. This, as I think you know, has not been a very good time for folks in that particular business.

But, I went and chatted with them about the Pickens Plan and why it is the only

way to quickly move down the percentage of foreign oil we’re using.

I told them what you’ve heard me say a hundred times - and I’ll say another hundred times: You can’t move an 18-wheeler with a battery. The only domestic fuel available to substitute for foreign diesel is domestic natural gas.

These are pretty smart people, but they understood that I’ve been doing this a lot longer than they have and when I say that as soon as we see signs that the world’s economies are beginning to move, that oil and gas will move up right quick.

The Obama transition team is moving quickly to get the team in place so that when President-elect Obama becomes President Obama at noon on January 20, he’s ready to go.

Keep the pressure on, Army. We’re marching forward!

– Boone

Tell us what steps East Tennessee is taking to secure America’s energy independence.
We’ve created the Knox County Green Team.

What’s that?
We’re looking at every way possible that we can reduce energy consumption and not hold ourselves hostage to foreign oil producers. We’re taking some very practical steps such as campaigns to turn out the lights, turn down the heat, back off on the air-conditioning, and things like that. We’re using some hybrid cars in our fleet.

What sort of a difference can the Green Team make?
When you’re a community of 400,000 and have over 80 school buildings it can go a long way toward helping us meet our budget requirements. It also enables us to spend more dollars on the things that are important like public education, public safety, parks and recreation, and less dollars on energy sources.

Is the Green Team limited solely to Knox County facilities?
We’re trying to take it not only inside the workplace but outside the workplace as well. So we’ve encouraged our county employees to become a member of the Green Team. Sign up for the Green Team and the Tennessee Valley Authority comes and does an energy audit of your home. You also agree to use certain recyclables and make personal steps as well to make America more energy independent.

It sounds like Knox County is taking a multifaceted approach to tackling its energy needs.
I think a lot of times we look for one big initiative that’s going to solve all our concerns. I don’t think life works that way. In this particular case I think we have to use lots of different steps to get back our energy independence.

Practical solutions can often have far-reaching effects.
That’s right. For years we’ve had struggles in our area with air quality control. Our air is cleaner now than any time it’s been in the past 20 years, and there’s a reason for that. We’re using cleaner fuels, more efficient fuels, and we’re also trying to reduce the number of trips that people take in their vehicles around town. So again, it’s some very practical steps that we’re taking and we’re seeing some great efficiency.
And also one thing that I think is oftentimes overlooked is that if you’re using more efficient fuels and cleaner fuels, it helps the environment compared to strictly using petroleum and coal.

Last question. Are you a Green Team member?
I’m proud to be a member

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, CONDENSED, AND EDITED BY ERIC O’KEEFE

 Hey, Army! I have two pieces of news to share with you.

First, on Wednesday we met with Carol Browner who is the former EPA Commissioner under President Clinton but - more important - she is the head of the Energy Transition Team for President-elect Barack Obama.

We met with her and her team for an hour in the transition offices in Washington, DC which gave me the time to outline the Pickens Plan and answer the questions they had about it.

I’ve told you from the beginning that this was not a Republican deal or a Democratic deal. It is an American deal and I feel pretty good about the way things are moving in Washington.

I feel good the way things continue to move outside of Washington, too. Today we got the news that Idaho Governor Butch Otter has signed the Pickens Energy Independence Pledge.

That brings the number of sitting Governors who have signed the Pledge to 13. To prove my point there are seven Republicans and six Democrats. Can’t get any closer to a tie than that when you have an odd number!

The Governors who have signed are:

    Richardson (NM)
    Huntsman (UT)
    Henry (OK)
    Schweitzer (MT)
    Sebelius (KS)
    Pawlenty (MN)
    Gregoire (WA)
    Carcieri (RI)
    Perry (TX)
    Barbour (MS)
    Srtrickland (OH)
    Sandford (SC
    Otter (ID)

We hitched up the T. Boone Express this morning and hightailed it back from Washington, DC to Texas, stopping in Austin. The University of Texas runs a “New Members Seminar” for newly-elected members to the State House and Senate. They asked me to come by and talk about the Pickens Plan which I did.

It is important to be able to acquaint new members of the State Legislatures to the Plan because we need them to understand the benefits while they still have fresh eyes and want to know how to get things done.

Here I am just before I swung around and attacked the White Board to explain the Pickens Plan.

– Boone

The Dallas Morning News is carrying an article this morning about Wal-Mart and T. Boone Pickens teaming up to make Wal-Mart more energy efficient.

A Thanksgiving week article by Elizabeth Souder started with: “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. could become the poster child for the Pickens plan.”

Boone told the Morning News that “he has met with Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott about converting the company’s fleet of 7,200 trucks to natural gas.

“A Wal-Mart spokesman said the company is considering the idea, as well as other alternative fuels. Those are key planks in Mr. Pickens’ plan to get the U.S. off foreign oil.”

Wal-Mart announced earlier that it has struck a deal with Duke Energy to buy 226 million kilowatt-hours a year “enough to power 18,000 homes” for its Texas facilities.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Natural gas, wind & Wal-Mart. Sounds like a plan. A Pickens Plan!

– The Pickens Team

This is the time of the year where “lists” start showing up. The most, the least, the largest, the smallest, the best, the worst … you know them and, if you’re like us, you like having friendly arguments over whether Beyonce or David Cook should be ranked higher on the music lists. Or how Beyonce and Enya can be on the same list.

Two lists we’d like to bring to your attention one has Boone among the largest charitable givers in the nation. According to “http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/17.htm”> Business Week Magazine T. Boone Pickens ranks 16th in the nation who has donated move than $700 million over the past four years to various academic, social, and health-related charities.

When someone tells you “Boone is in this for the money,” you can point out that “the money” he’s in it for are the many charities he and his wife, Madeleine, support.

The second list which came to our attention was one from the editors of the website sikantisearth.com who write: “From our writings of the past year, we compiled our own list of people who already started to make their green life reality.”

The list ranges from a high school teacher in Sante Fe, New Mexico to a twelve-year-old who has developed a new solar cell to T. Boone Pickens for his work on wind energy.

Speaking of donating, as we all begin to think about what to get our friends and colleagues for Christmas, we would like to suggest buying and giving copies of Boone’s book, “The First Billion is the Hardest” published by Random House.

As Boone reminds folks at every book signing, all proceeds from sales of the book go to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and to the Fisher House which “provides a home away from home that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time — during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.”

If you want a great gift of a great book which will help two great causes, then you might think about giving copies of “The First Billion is the Hardest” for Christmas.

– The Pickens Team

Boone spoke to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce luncheon honoring the 25th anniversary of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (”The T”). In 1988 The T board committed to moving to compressed natural gas (CNG) to power its fleet of in-town buses. Today nearly every vehicle - including utility vehicles - run on CNG.

The T sent a CNG bus to Dallas for Boone to take Boone and reporters to the event.

After the speech Boone spoke with Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporter Mitchell Schnurman about the current state of alternative energy.  Schnurman wrote an article titled, “Despite Obstacles, Pickens is not Giving up on Wind Energy.”

Here are some excerpts:

In spite of falling oil prices and a sagging economy,

Pickens is not backing off plans to build a giant wind farm in West Texas, although the project is being delayed at least a year. Pickens can’t get financing, not with credit markets so tight, and he says government has to step up to keep the momentum moving on alternative fuels.

“They’re going to have to lead, there’s no question about that,” Pickens said.

To end our dependence on foreign oil, he proposes that compressed natural gas be widely used as a transportation fuel and that wind power and other alternatives become major sources for electricity.

Schnurman noted that Boone has not backed away from, just delayed his plans to build a windfarm in Pampa, Texas

He unveiled a plan for a $12 billion wind farm about an hour from Amarillo. About six months ago, he ordered 687 wind turbines from General Electric at a cost of about $2 billion, and he expects delivery in 2010.

Last week, President-elect Barack Obama appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes and was asked whether energy - in the face dropping prices - is more or less important.

“It’s more important,” Obama said. “This has been our pattern. We go from shock to trance. You know, oil prices go up, gas prices at the pump go up, everybody goes into a flurry of activity. And then the prices go back down, and suddenly we act like it’s not important, and we start, you know, filling up our SUVs again.

“And as a consequence, we never make any progress,” Obama said. “It’s part of the addiction. all right. That has to be broken. Now is the time to break it.”

To read the entire article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, click HERE.

The Texas Monthly Magazine is the premier magazine of its type in the Lone Star State. Editor-in-chief Evan Smith has written an op-ed piece about Boone Pickens suggesting that he be named the Dallas Morning News “Texan of the Year.”

Mr. Smith’s blog “T. Boone Pickens is my pick for Texan of the Year” is an honest and humorous look at Boone and Boone’s work for and in Texas.

“The energy magnate,” Smith writes, “could have chosen to sit on his behind, watch his beloved Oklahoma State Cowboys thrash around on the football field, and generally enjoy life. Instead,” Smith continues, “he decided to write yet another memoir – his third – and to promote, with great fanfare, his eponymous plan to reduce and hopefully eliminate America’s dependence on foreign oil through wind turbines, natural gas-powered cars and the like.”

You can read the entire op-ed piece in the Dallas Morning News by clicking HERE.

– The Pickens Team

T. Boone Pickens was the featured speaker at a luncheon celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Fort Worth, Texas Transportation Authority - known as “The T.”

The lunch was sponsored by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and attracted over 400 people. Boone and the Executive Director of The T, Dick Rudell, had a conversation in which Boone congratulated The T for having had the foresight to commit to converting its bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) 20 years ago.

Boone told the crowd about his appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When the subject of bus fleets came up, Boone said that the DART - the Dallas transportation authority - was still using buses burning diesel and 30 miles away The T had been on natural gas for 20 years.

“I told Jay,” Boone said, “If DART stays with diesel buses for its fleet, I may have to move to Fort Worth!” which brought a great round of applause from the Fort Worth crowd.

– The Pickens Team

Hey, Army!

We are having an impact just about everywhere. You know that Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has announced he will be introducing some of the Pickens Plan in the United States Senate when the new Congress convenes next year. That’s very good news.

On the vehicle side, Toyota is displaying a concept car which they say is the world’s first hybrid natural gas vehicle.

That’s good news, too, but the way the story was written tells me that you are all out there doing your jobs.

Here is the way the Wired Magazine blog about the Los Angeles Auto Show begins:

LOS ANGELES - T. Boone Pickens, your car is ready.

Toyota rolled into the Los Angeles Auto Show with what it says is the world’s first and only compressed natural gas hybrid vehicle …

To read the whole article click HERE.

This is important because it means our message is getting into every corner of the county and every segment of society.

Let’s keep the pressure on.

Great work, Army!

– Boone

T. Boone Pickens had an op-ed piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today congratulating the city’s transit authority (called “The T”) on its decision 20 years ago to switch its bus fleet from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG).

He points out that Fort Worth was well ahead of its time in being concerned about the environmental damage that diesel fueled buses do.

“The forward-thinking T board provided the benefit of environmentally clean buses to downtown Fort Worth well in advance of its becoming the mantra of the nation.”

He also made it clear that The T was a national leader in utilizing a domestic source of fuel far in advance of most governmental bodies even thinking about it.

“Natural gas is not just a domestic resource. In fact, if you are reading the Star-Telegram in Tarrant County, you are standing on it. The Barnett Shale, which extends well beyond Fort Worth and Dallas, is the largest natural gas field in the country.”

To read the entire op-ed piece, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team