T. Boone Pickens kicked off two days of media and meetings in New York and Washington to celebrate the first anniversary of the Pickens Plan which was announced last July 8.

Boone was the CNBC set beginning at seven o’clock Eastern time with Becki Quick, Joe Kernan, and Carl Quintanilla. He pointed out that new research has indicated America’s natural gas reserves would provide more energy than all the oil in Saudi Arabia.

“A window has opened,” he said about America’s huge reserves of natural gas, “and we need to move now to get off foreign oil.”

Boone said that H.R. 1835 - the NAT GAS Act - has been introduced in the U.S. House and that a companion bill was scheduled to be introduced in the U.S. Senate tomorrow by New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch.

When Boone was asked if he favored cap-and-trade legislation he said, “I’m for something bigger than cap-and-trade. I’m for saving America.”

To watch the entire CNBC interview, click HERE.

While Boone was on-set at CNBC the Dallas Morning News published an editorial pointing out that,

AT&T, the Dallas-based communications giant recently promised to spend $565 million over the next decade to buy 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles. At least $350 million of the investment, believed to be the largest of its kind by a U.S. company, will go toward purchasing 8,000 compressed natural gas vehicles.

The editorial gave credit to Boone Pickens.

A year ago, Pickens introduced a broad energy plan that, among other things, would convert trucks and company fleets that burn diesel and gas into vehicles running on compressed natural gas.

His advocacy has been bipartisan and broad: He has buttonholed mayors, business executives and lawmakers in his crusade to change the way Americans produce and use energy.

The Dallas Morning News editorial makes the point that tax incentives must be passed by Congress but

Pickens deserves a big share of the credit for the progress so far. His relentless advocacy for this issue is part of the reason the nation is thinking about energy in new ways.

To read the entire editorial, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

Army:

We want to let you know about some media appearances Boone is making tomorrow, July 7. Following is a schedule so you can tune in:

** In the morning starting 7:00 am EDT Boone will be on CNBC’s Sqawk Box

** Later at 5:00 pm EDT he will be on Fox News Channel’s Glenn Beck show

Boone will have additional appearances on Wednesday so look out for more information to come for national and local coverage. Please check your local listings to confirm times and stations.

– Team Pickens

Two Members of Congress, U.S. Reps. Ken Calvert (CA-44) and Dan Burton (IN-05), have become the latest to sign the Pickens Plan Energy Independence Pledge.

This brings to 55 the number of Members of the U.S. House who have signed the pledge in addition to nine Senators, 15 Governors, 184 Mayors and over 200 state legislators.

In the House, nearly 70 bi-partisan Members of the House have co-sponsored H.R. 1835 - the NAT GAS Act.

– The Pickens Team

Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that took some important first steps toward requiring power companies to generate more electricity from renewable sources. When does China plan do this? How about two years ago! According to a story that ran in the business section of The New York Times last Friday, China is poised to go from a coal-belching steam engine to a green energy superpower.

Based on The Times’s figures, China will surpass the U.S. as the largest market for wind turbines worldwide in 2009. Moreover, China has doubled its wind power capacity each year for the last four years. These guys mean business!

According to The Times, there are six humongous wind farms being built around China at this very moment. Each has a capacity that exceeds 16 coal-fired plants. Not only that but each one dwarfs any other project anywhere on earth.

HSBC predicts that China will invest more money in renewable energy and nuclear power between now and 2020 than in coal-fired and oil-fired electricity.

And, in a final note, the different state-owned power companies in China are now competing amongst themselves on another related project: to build power plants that run on solar energy.

Read the entire article here.

– The Pickens Team

Everyone knows the “50-Mile Rule.” That is: An “expert” is anyone who lives more than 50-miles away.

The Dallas Morning News ignored the 50-mile rule with a major article about T. Boone Pickens - who lives in Dallas - on the upcoming first anniversary of the Pickens Plan.

In her article, DMN reporter Elizabeth Souder wrote:

The oilman-turned-environmentalist proposed a seemingly simple plan: Convert cars, especially big fleets operated by companies and municipalities, from gasoline to domestic natural gas. And start generating more electricity from wind.

Although we are still importing about two-thirds of the oil we are using, Boone said, the Pickens Plan is having an effect:

“We have gotten everything we went after. I have people say it didn’t go very fast. Go back and compare it to other things. I think we’ve moved very fast.”

There has been movement on a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), a 21st Century Transmission Grid, a Green Bank, investment tax incentives and the NAT GAS act has been introduced in the House with nearly 70 bi-partisan co-sponsors.

On the non-legislative impact of Boone and the Pickens Plan, Souder wrote:

Because of Pickens, the term “foreign oil” entered the presidential campaigns, executive speeches and everyday discussions.

In addition to the article, there is a very interesting interview with Boone which you can access from the same page.

Further demonstrating the non-partisan nature of the Pickens Plan, Souder quotes the EPA administrator:

Lisa Jackson, appointed by Obama, said Pickens “points out some really important policy issues.”

For example, Pickens rightly talks about the importance of building transmission lines to carry wind-generated power from rural areas to population centers, she said.

To read the entire article - and to view the video - click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

“A single wind turbine will generate enough energy to power up to 732 homes per year which is the equivalent of taking around 1,170 cars off the road annually.”

New South Wales, Australia Premier Nathan Rees after announcing the launch of Australia’s largest wind farm.

Clean Technology Investment Rebounds – WSJ.com – 7/1/09

Investment In Cleantech Picks Up – Forbes.com – 7/1/09

Power Alberta Company Actively Looking at Growing its Presence in Atlantic Canada and Plans to Expand Kent Hills Project by Bidding on NB Power’s Latest Request for Proposals – Telegraph Journal  - 7/2/09
 
Energy Independence in Our Backyard? – The Waukon Standard – 7/2/09
 
Venture Funding for Clean-Tech Rebounds – San Jose Mercury News – 7/1/09

Transportation Takes the Day in Cleantech Funding – BNET – 7/2/09

Cleantech Group: Green Investing Sees Uptick – CNET – 7/2/09

Cleantech Venture Funding Brightens for All But Solar – Xconomy – 7/1/09

Cleantech Investment Picks Up Again – The Business Insider – 7/1/09

Fearful Stocks for Greedy Investors – The Motley Fool – 7/1/09

T. Boone Pickens will be the guest on the popular Internet radio program, “The Green Revolution Show” at 11:00am (PST) on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mr-Wayne

Mr. Wayne and Boone will talk about the upcoming Energy Independence Day - July 8, 2009. From the Mr. Wayne website:

It’s the best plan we have on the table, and quite frankly, the only plan. Boone has said himself, that a fool with a plan is better than a genius without a plan, and…we look like a fool without a plan.

Listen in and join the conversation as we talk with T. Boone Pickens and hear how the 1-year anniversary of the Pickens Plan will be celebrated, and what exciting things lie ahead for America and her Energy Independence!

Tune in on your computer today at 11 am Pacific Daylight Time. The The Green Revolution Show.

– The Pickens Team

Compared to gasoline, propane yields 12 percent less carbon dioxide, about 20 percent less nitrous oxide, and as much as 60 percent less carbon monoxide.

Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Chris Benge and AT&T have announced that AT&T is going to deploy 30 vans running on compressed natural gas for its Oklahoma fleet.

Remember, in March, AT&T announced it was going to replace 8,000 of its domestic fleet with vehicles running on natural gas over the next few years.

AT&T recognizes that natural gas is an excellent replacement for imported gasoline and diesel. Recent studies have shown we have natural gas reserves in the United States which will last for 118 years.

The 30 vehicles, which will run on CNG, represent 10 percent of AT&T’s fleet in Oklahoma. This is the result of the State Legislature of Oklahoma providing incentives for companies and individuals to make better use of domestic fuels rather than using imported oil.

The number of jobs which will be created by up-fitting vehicles to run on domestic resources, plus the jobs in the production, distribution and fueling facilities for natural gas, will be a great net benefit to the State of Oklahoma.

It’s important to note that this is a further sign that America’s business and political leaders recognize that we have an abundance of natural gas, and this cleaner-burning American resource can be put to work to displace foreign oil/diesel/gasoline and offset that threat to our national security and economy.

In fact, as Boone has said, “On an equivalency basis, the study shows we have more natural gas than Saudi Arabia has oil. In fact, if the study is right, and you have to assume it is, we have more natural gas reserves than any other country. It’s time to put it to work as a critical bridge fuel in transportation.”

The Pickens Plan Army should be proud to take some of the credit for helping to create an environment that allows legislatures to look at our energy supplies in new ways and come up with creative solutions to our dependence on foreign oil.

Reactions to the Energy Bill: Obama, Cleantech Biz, Environmentalists – Earth2Tech – 6/29/09

Gray Construction Tapped for Automotive Project – Lexington Herald-Leader – 6/29/09

Charleston Gaz: COMMENTARY: ; Report of Coal’s Death Premature – Charleston Gazette – 6/30/09

For the past year, the New Energy Army has been working hard to push for American energy independence. The Army is the reason the Pickens Plan is going to become a reality!

July 8, 2009 is the 1 year anniversary of our campaign – we’re calling it Energy Independence Day. To celebrate, we want to give you – the Army – the opportunity to show everyone what you’re doing in your area to push the Pickens Plan.

We’re launching a video contest. For this contest, we want you to get together with other members of the army in your Congressional District and put together a short video about what you’re doing locally to push the Pickens Plan.

You can highlight any activity you want – members of your District Group signing up new members at a local grocery store, meetings with elected officials, making phone calls and writing letters to Congress, appearing on local talk radio, or hosting a rally in front of your state capitol. Whatever your District Group is doing to fight for energy independence…we want to know about it and we want it on video!

We are also encouraging you, the Army, to host rallies on July 8 – Energy Independence Day – so that on one coordinated day, Members of Congress across the nation will hear our voices and know that we demand an energy plan – now!

The best videos will be featured on the PickensPlan.com homepage and Daily Pickens blog.

To enter your video in the contest:

1. Shoot a 3-5 minute video with other members of the New Energy Army in your area.
2. Upload your video to http://push.pickensplan.com/video/video/new and tag it “anniversary”.
3. Once the video has been uploaded, email a link to the video to myenergy@pickensplan.com.
4. Be sure to post your video on your District Group page and share it with your friends!

All video entries must be submitted by 5 pm EDT on July 17, 2009.

Have fun and good luck!

The Palm Desert, CA, city council has approved the purchase of a natural gas-powered ambulance, becoming the first city in the country to use such an ambulance, and has applied for federal funds to purchase even more natural gas-powered vehicles to add to its fleet.