Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Picken's Energy Plan - New Direction Void of Foresight

T. Boone Pickens chose the presidential election season to push a revolutionary idea surrounding America's energy supply, energy independence, and green technology. The Picken's Plan was to begin with a $60 Million privately funded turbine wind farm in the Texas Panhandle, consisting of a MASSIVE 2700 turbine first phase. Texas law prohibits energy export to other states, so the intent was to become the sole energy supplier to the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area - creating a completely green city.

This plan created a buzz through the internet - drawing support from bloggers, YouTubers, and grassroots activists alike... that is, when the cost of oil was too much for Americans to bear.

Now, oil has fallen below $60/barrel, and Pickens has announced that his Pickens Plan is going to be put on hold. Though there is a hint that when oil pushes over $100/barrel in the future, the plan may be resurrected.

Was it all a publicity stunt? Perhaps it was some sort of distraction or strategy for the campaigns. Or perhaps the halt is due to uncertainties surrounding an Obama tax/spend policy, or his own energy policy? Speculation, of course...

However, the idea was brilliant. A private businessman challenging the government for fixing the problem of energy independence. Selling the idea of green energy investment at a private level, pulling in the support of the people, and providing a base for the infrastructure of the future - wind farms along the wind corridor of the Eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and the Eastern Plains. One could only imagine that the second phase would be a push for private solar plants on the rooftops of each homeowner, as suggested by me in a previous post.

Imagine if a state could build the private infrastructure to make the idea of energy independence a reality - a solar / wind combo punch that would flood the market with private energy - creating a possibility for an energy trade system between households, the private energy stock market, or energy eBay. It is a private enterprise dream...

Unfortunately, the Federal Government is squatting on private enterprise, selling the lie to the public that private enterprise is bad and immoral - and that government welfare is our only hope in this country. What a sham.

What Pickens' motive for holding his plan may be, I can only speculate... but one thing is for sure - such innovation, motivation, and foresight is needed!

1 comment:

  1. I just fell upon your blog by searching for other fellow conservative bloggers! I agree with you 100%

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