August Call to Action

On January 20, 2009, a new President will take office and the new Congress will convene.

During the first 100 days of Congress, we want legislation to be passed creating policies that embrace domestic energy alternatives to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Between now and then, we need to build an army to ensure our voices will be heard by the next Administration and Congress.

Call to Action for the Month of August

1. Please recruit 5 friends to join us at Push.PickensPlan.com. Get everyone you know signed up - friends, family, neighbors, business associates.
2. During the August recess, many Members of Congress will be back in their home states and districts. If they are in your area at a public event or appearing on a call-in radio show, please ask them the following questions:
   • Do you agree that we need to slash our foreign oil dependence by at least 30% within 10 years?
   • Do you agree that we need to generate at least 20% of our electricity from domestic renewable sources by 2019?
   • Do you agree that we need to have incentives in place to get these technologies installed and operational within 10 years?
   • Do you agree that private enterprise should provide the investment and execute the deployment with government clearing the way?
   • Do you agree with the Pickens Plan?

If you are able to speak with your Member of Congress, please leave a comment on this page to let us know what they said. And keep us updated on your recruitment efforts in the comments section, as well. Also, continue to check the Push homepage for more information and updates.

We will continue to be in touch, and look forward to hearing from you as well.

Thank you.

Use these links to find your local Members of Congress:

House: https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

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Comment

Comment by Diane on August 31, 2008 at 7:44pm

I plan on calling my congressmen and senators to ask them to invest in Pickensplan. I don't see why our govenment wants to stick their heads in the ground about this idea. The future has so many possiblitlies and there is no reason to shut any ideas out just because they are afraid to stop drinking out of the nipple of oil.

Comment by Marlene H. on August 31, 2008 at 2:42pm

I will be making lots of calls to the politicos.

Comment by Vincent J. Ortega on August 31, 2008 at 11:33am

I believe & faith in Mr. Pickens plan, American government has done nothing for decades, regarding energy policy, now
other countries have america by the neck America is totally
adicted to "OIL" & We do not have any, America needs new
clean energy from the our country, American government
is worthless, that is why they all work for government, they could
not make it in the REAL world.

Comment by Janis Oney on August 27, 2008 at 5:28pm

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 197, a bill to extend the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. Wind Energy is an important and valuable new resource for the citizens of West Texas and I share your interest in its success.

Introduced by Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), H.R. 197 would extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy until 2013. The PTC is currently worth 1.9 cents/kwh and is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2008. H.R. 197 is currently awaiting consideration in the House Committee on Ways and Means. Although I do not serve on this committee, please be assured that I will keep thoughts in mind should it come before the whole House of Representatives for a vote.

You may also be interested to know that I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1772, the Rural Wind Energy Development Act. H.R. 1772 was introduced by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and proposes to provide for tax credits to individuals who construct wind turbines on qualified property. This legislation has also been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for further consideration.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts about wind energy production with me; I appreciate your interest in the legislative process. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call, write, or email me. For more information on my work in Congress or to sign up for my weekly e-newsletter, please visit the 11th District's website at www.conaway.house.gov.

Comment by Rmackinn on August 26, 2008 at 9:31pm

Received this automated response after emailing my congressmen and senator.


All Americans continue to be concerned about the rising price of gasoline in Arizona and throughout our country. These increases have occurred for a variety of reasons. The reality is that there are a myriad of factors impacting the price of gasoline and other fuels we consume. Crude oil price, world demand, production levels, taxes, refining costs and distribution all affect the price of gasoline. Crude oil inventories have the single biggest impact on gas prices. The single largest entity impacting the world's oil supplies is the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a consortium of 11 countries: Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Together, these nations are responsible for more than 40 percent of the world's oil production and control two-thirds of the world's crude oil reserves.

Dependence on foreign oil has grown from only 35 percent during the 1973 OPEC oil embargo to nearly 60 percent today. Given the instability in the Middle East, it is now more apparent than ever that it is in our national security interest to better develop our own sources of domestic energy. The alternative, American consumers held hostage by wild price spikes resulting from political developments in countries half-a-world away, is undesirable to say the least.

Taxes, including federal and state excise taxes, account for increasing the overall total price of gas in the United States. Federal excise taxes are 18.4 cents per gallon, and Arizona state excise tax is 18 cents per gallon. That is more than 36 cents that you and I pay in taxes per gallon of gasoline. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I co-sponsored H.R. 3683, the Gas Tax Relief Act, which would put a 30 day moratorium on the federal gas tax.

Another significant source for our nation's susceptibility to gas price spikes is the stringent environmental standards that regulate the construction of new oil refineries. In the last 30 years, nearly half of all refineries have been closed and no new facilities have received permits to build.

The U.S. refining industry was running at 97% capacity before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. As we have witnessed, a critical portion of our energy industry is operating with no margin of error. That is why I was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3836, the Fuel Supply Improvement Act which would have encouraged expeditious construction new refineries and expansion of existing refineries.

Perhaps the best way to improve our current situation is to increase the emphasis on domestic oil and gas exploration and production. Ultimately, we must make America less dependent on foreign oil. It is not only a matter of energy security, but more importantly, a matter of national security. Through exploration, innovation and conservation, we can grow our economy, create jobs and make our nation even stronger than we are today. I have always supported and will continue to support the exploration and development of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The entire ANWR consists of 19 million acres, but technologically-advanced oil development facilities would occupy only 2,000 acres on the Coastal Plain of Alaska. Ninety-nine percent of ANWR would not contain any development whatsoever. We must continue to secure abundant and affordable supplies of energy to move the nation forward.

While demand in Asia is expanding exponentially as their economies continue to grow, America no doubt faces a new set of energy challenges. I believe that if the United States is going to meet future energy needs in the coming decades, it will be due in part to continued advances in energy efficiency, including renewable energy technology, production and commonsense conservation reducing our demand on foreign supply, stimula

Comment by Mike Anthony Fernald Sr. on August 25, 2008 at 4:06pm

Like Kim M says

Some people are so out of the loop with their head in the sand,

The time is now to get off our GAS & get busy :o}

Comment by Garth Penrod on August 25, 2008 at 3:49pm

lets get the process started I have invited all of my friends and family and look forward to all the participation this should generate. All Americans should get this wake up call. All solutions should be on the table and I think we finally have the economic incentive to really drive the process and the time really is now!!!!

Comment by KIM M LOUBAT on August 25, 2008 at 2:16pm

I sent out invites to join up. Out of the 15 only 2 have responded.
Some people I know are so out of the loop or think that the energy problem is made up by Gore and other Democrates. I wish they would wake up and smell the coffee, get their heads out of the sand and stop voting for whomever their parents do. Maybe then some things would change around here.

Comment by Marc S. Young, PE on August 24, 2008 at 7:13pm

In Response to Joe Jenkins comment on shipping power.

In 1973 during the Arab Oil Embargo, the US needed to supply power to the east coast from places like Oklahoma where there was an abundence of electrical generation capacity fueled by Natural Gas and Hydroelectric power to replace power that was being generated from residual oil. That transfer was made by shifting power from each generating power utilities companies grid through interconnects to an adjoining power companies grid. Power Company by Power Company the power was transferred by displacement until power for the plant I worked at in Oklahoma was able to supply power to New York City. Because of line losses there is a tremendous penalty to be paid in the loss of power the lower the voltage and the longer the lines. However, by raising the voltage to higher voltage levels less is lost.

Similar principles are used by natural gas transmission pipelines. The natural gas transmission pipelines move molecules of gas by increasing the pressure of the gas but lose that pressure the longer it has to be moved due to friction of the molecules rubbing together and against the walls of the pipeline. By adding compression stations the pipeline consumes some of the gas it is transporting to get the gas to it's ultimate customers.

I see no reason that transmission of the wind generated power from the front range of the rockies cannot be economically be sent to California, New England or Florida if the interconnects are in place to allow for the power to be transferred.

Comment by Stephen E. Ambrose on August 24, 2008 at 7:06pm

Message To the following recipients:
Representative Weldon
Senator Martinez
Senator Nelson
FROM:
Stephen Ambrose
785 ANTILLES RD. N.E.
PALM BAY, FL 32907-1612

August 24, 2008

Americans want access to our own energy supplies.


We want and expect our senators and congressmen to represent our wishes.

Do not renew the ban on offshore drilling!

Do not adopt the Gang of 10 compromise! It will limit development of
American energy supplies and be very costly to taxpayers.

An important vote on the offshore drilling ban is coming by Sept. 30.
Don't let Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue to hold American energy
hostage!

As a voter I want the offshore drilling ban lifted.

As a voter I want drilling in ANWR.

As a voter I want oil shale developed.

As a voter I want full access to new supplies of American energy!

I have had enough of Republican compromise in the Senate.

It is time for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to get out of the way
and stop holding American resources hostage!

Drill Here! Drill Now! Drill American!

Sincerely,


Stephen Ambrose

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