The oilman with the clean energy plan

What do you get when you cross a grizzled oilman with one of the most dire energy crises in America’s history? The answer may be surprising, at least for anyone not familiar with T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oilman who has been traveling the country in support of what he sees as the solution to America’s energy problem: the Pickens Plan. Speaking in Gaston Hall on Monday, Pickens laid out a clear strategy for reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil through natural gas and wind power. With oil prices showing no signs of decreasing, the U.S. needs to wean itself off foreign oil or face serious economic and environmental consequences. Pickens offers a clear way of doing this.

The Pickens Plan maximizes the potential of two key energy sources: natural gas and wind. The plan calls for using the natural gas that currently powers our homes and businesses as a means for powering transportation, thus greatly reducing our consumption of gasoline. In addition to being cleaner, natural gas is far more plentiful than oil, not to mention about a quarter of the price.

In the Pickens Plan, the void left by the natural gas in the energy supply will be filled by wind power. Naturally, this will call for massive amounts of new infrastructure, which would create an additional benefit: jobs. Pickens stressed that the creation of the new grids and the gigantic turbines would employ thousands in rural America. Wind energy is squeaky clean too, helping reduce our carbon footprint and slow the warming of the planet.

Which brings up the question: what can Georgetown students do? Well, unless you have a few spare 300-foot high wind turbines lying around or several million dollars in disposable cash, your best bet is the ballot box. The difference between the candidates on energy policy is striking. John McCain, while offering platitudes about renewable energy solutions on the campaign trail, has consistently failed to support legislation which would promote alternative, environmentally friendly sources of energy. His “drill here, drill now” mentality is the opposite of what the country needs in the White House in 2009.

Barack Obama has consistently supported cleaner forms of energy. His energy plan includes a market-based pollution credit system, which taxes corporations for their use of dirty energy sources, giving financial incentives for them to invest in cleaner technologies, like wind. Partisanship aside—Pickens is a lifelong Republican, after all, and even he says that we can’t drill our way out of this one—for Hoyas who are serious about fixing America’s energy problem, the choice should be clear.