While watching CNBC over the summer, one would have certainly seen commercials about T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan. The oil magnate made his fortune in the 1980s in various takeover and buyout operations and is currently advocating the use of domestic and alternative energy. Pickens is pushing the use of wind farms for electricity generation and natural gas for use as a transportation fuel.

The plan calls for two big changes in domestic energy production. The first is eliminating natural gas as an electricity generation fuel and using it for transportation. Natural gas is highly available domestically and could be widely used for transportation. The second change is the use of wind power for electricity generation. Pickens looks to build wind farms in rural areas throughout the United States, which would free up natural gas supplies for use as a transportation fuel. Although natural gas is fairly cheap and abundant, it is much more valuable if used as a transportation fuel.

Pickens Plan is fairly simple in context, but the implementation will take a great deal of time and effort. Pickens has already invested $2 billion in wind turbines for delivery in 2010, but the project has been temporarily halted due to the decrease in oil prices the past few months. A hurdle to the initiative is inadequate electric grid infrastructure for the widely dispersed wind facilities. Further, natural gas turbines play an important role in managing short term demand variation on the power grid in a way wind, nuclear and coal power cannot.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/pickens-delays-his-plan/

If you are looking to support the Pickens Plan, you can join his New Energy Army below. He is currently looking for 2 million supporters by inauguration day with a goal of having a new energy plan within 100 days of the new president taking office.

http://www.pickensplan.com/act/

(image from pickensplan.com)