USA - Pickens gambles on wind energy

He's been called America's energy savior. T. Boone Picken says he has a plan to help fuel America's energy future. He made his fortune in the oil industry. And would seem to be an odd champion for alternative energy.

But Pickens deeply believes in his plan to use natural gas for fuel and building wind farms across the great plains from Texas to North Dakota. "That's where I'm headed and I think I'm going to be able to get there," says Pickens. Spending just a few minutes with Pickens will have you convinced that he will keep his promise.

He spoke with Senator John McCain and President-elect Barack Obama before the presidential election about how critical it is to the nation's future stop funding both sides of the war on terror with every drop of oil we import from the Middle East.

"Neither one of them I thought had an in-depth plan," he says. "But when asked by Bob Schieffer in the fourth debate, they both answered the question in the same way, that in 10 years we are not going to be importing any oil from the Middle East. That is a goal that I think we can do that."

He says Obama had the best grasp on the issue and believes he will follow through. "I think that what's going to come out of the Obama plan, they are very keen about solar and wind. I think you're going to have opportunities on his energy plan to do that."

Pickens says plummeting prices at the pump are a trap. If the U.S. doesn't cut its dependence on foreign oil, we will be paying dearly for that dependence in a decade from now. "And I promise you, you're going to be paying $200 to $300 per barrel. So, the $5 diesel goes to $10."

"We are in a bad spot today. We will be a dead duck by 2018 unless we come up with an energy plan. We have no energy plan."

Pickens also had a one-word answer when asked if the feds should bailout the big three automakers - an emphatic ‘No.'

Reporter: "Where do you see Arizona, as far as its energy future, where is it going?"

Pickens: "Well, there's no question that Arizona's been out front and it came from air quality."

For more information, please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net