The Distance Project

T Boone Pickens, Wind Power, And National Security.

Posted on July 14th, 2008 by Zach.
Categories: General, Renewable Energy, Systems of the World, Industry.

Does this look like the traditional face of an environmentalist? Take a look at this interview with T. Boone Pickens about why he is investing in Wind Power in West Texas:

Pickens Article on Investing in Wind

The concept of viewing our dependence on foreign oil as a historically massive transfer of wealth is excellent. It allows people on every side of the energy debate to frame it in a way that shows what is critically important about our dependence on oil.

I am a fan of locally produced energy. Even when we mine and burn coal, at least as a country we see the impact on our soil. Divorcing ourselves from our consumption (and consumption of anything, not just oil) is one of the first mistakes we need to rectify, and in a hurry.
I am a firm believer that once you frame consumption, reduction becomes a set of quantifiable goals. If you don’t have that frame, you have no place to start.

Now I am not naive enough to think that a lifelong oil guy like T. Boone Pickens is doing this out of the goodness of his heart. Like all of us he has larger motives - in his case mainly profit motives. In fact I would put money on the fact that this story is way more complicated than it seems.

Pickens has been taking advantage the odd regulations regarding drilling in Texas and is buying up land above a set of aquifers. So along with lobbying himself into a Water Authority and distributing water into the Dallas metropolitan area, I have no doubt that wind generated electricity can be easily transmitted down those same pipe lanes.

Eminent Domain is a wonderful concept.

If it turns out that there is Natural Gas on his land, then you can see the whole plan come together - one $2 billion pipeline, three critical services.
There is big money in this thing for Pickens, and all in all it is pretty brilliant if totally shady.

But in the end, I sit here and ask myself; “Do I Care?” And the answer is no. From the outset of embarking on this journey, I told myself that I didn’t care why people came to the table as long as they came. Well Pickens, came to the table because he saw huge money in wind power. I may not personally love all of his reasons, but his reasons frame the problems in ways many other people can identify with. And for that I am excited to welcome an old Oil Wildcatter to the party.

Let’s talk more about the transfer of wealth, it is a great point and one that I never would have conceived of if not for Pickens’ approach. It is simple and straight forward, and it matters.
Here is the You Tube explanation of the plan.

Here is the full website: www.pickensplan.com

Judge for yourself.

2 comments.

Tags: oil, wind, water, Natural Gas, T. Boone Pickens, Pickens Plan, Eminent Domain