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Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens is now a crusader for energy independence. Today he called on Utahns to help solve America's addiction to foreign oil. He made his pitch in Salt Lake, but not everyone is sold.
The man has a message, he's a charismatic messenger, and his timing, during a key election battle in an energy-challenged era, couldn't be better. "I had a senator shake his finger at me and he said 'Quit doing those ads where you say you can't drill your way out of this.' And he was shaking his finger, and I gave him about 15 seconds, and I said, ‘Hold it Senator. You say what you want, and I'll tell you the truth,'" Pickens said.
Pickens is a legendary billionaire. He made his fortune in oil and gas, and now he's trying to shake up the status quo with a national campaign. He asked the crowd, "Did you know America uses 25% of the world's oil but only has 3% of the world's oil reserves?"
His plan starts with renewables like wind, but he says the technology, especially for cars, is not there yet. He wants to replace foreign oil with cleaner, cheaper U.S. natural gas.
Some advocates are encouraged by the push toward renewables. Sara Baldwin, with Utah Clean Energy, said, "This plan will provide economic stimulus to our economy; our rural communities and landowners will benefit."
But others are more cautious. Does the plan rely too much on renewables? Lee Peacock, with the Utah Petroleum Association, said, "We don't want to limit our options in looking at just wind and natural gas. It's our view we're going to need all sources of energy."
Plus, natural gas for vehicles is relatively cheap now, especially in Utah. But some worry natural gas producers, like Pickens' own company, could drive out competitors and drive prices higher.
Robin Erickson, director of Utah Clean Cities, said, "I think it needs to go up a little bit, but not to the point it's a rich man's fuel. We need to keep it down with the consumer."
Kelli Kammerer, a former natural gas vehicle seller, said, "We should be using natural gas for vehicles, but we don't want to put it into a situation where somebody is going in, monopolizing it and making a reaping profit."
You can learn more about Pickens' plan from the related links at the right.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
