Surprising testimony should propel energy-policy discourse

Washington, July 27 2008 - Oilman T. Boone Pickens was on Capitol Hill last week advocating energy alternatives to the fossil fuels that made him rich. In testimony before a Senate panel Tuesday, the 80-year-old Pickens challenged senators and the American people to build enough wind turbines over the next 10 years to provide 20 percent of the nation’s energy and reduce oil imports by a third.

Pickens’ challenge raised some eyebrows among both the senators and energy experts, according to a report by Los Angeles Times writer Vimal Patel. The senators were a bit taken aback by the legendary oilman’s unrestrained enthusiasm for wind power. The energy experts were somewhat startled by the so-called Pickens Plan’s ambitious goal. More >>>