Pickens Plan District Group CO-04

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Comment by Geoff Bailey on November 9, 2009 at 10:12pm

Friday, November 06, 2009

Too often in Congress, and in our political debate, people stake out a position and, in the course of defending that position, refuse to credit anything their opponent is saying. We’ve all seen that.

When it comes to passing a clean energy plan for the United States, we need to take a broader, longer look at all of the tools we have at our disposal to accomplish two very important goals: Enhancing national security and reducing our dependency on foreign oil.

Far from being mutually exclusive, these two crucial goals are complementary and should be understood as goals that are beyond partisan politics. They really are crucial for our country’s future, along with the pressing need we also have to spur job growth and get our economy fueled up.

In spite of all the talk about energy independence since the first “energy crisis” in 1973, we are still importing nearly two-thirds of the oil we use in the United States. Why is this a national security problem? Because we are dependent on that oil from many countries and regions that are unstable or unfriendly to the United States.

Month after month, we are spending about $25 billion to buy foreign oil. Over the course of a year, that may add up to $300 billion. That is money that should be circulating through the economy of the United States, instead of the economies of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela.

To show just how dangerous this situation is becoming, earlier this month CNBC reported that Russia has surpassed Saudi Arabia as “the top crude oil producer in the world, pumping a record 10.01 million barrels of output in September.”

Russia is the largest single supplier of natural gas to much of Europe. Last year, in the dead of winter, in a price dispute with Ukraine, Russia simply turned a valve and shut off supplies to Europe to force the affected countries to bring pressure on Ukraine to settle.

This is where using all the tools in our toolbox comes into play.

One bill making its way through the Senate and the House is the NAT GAS (S.1408) Act, which will help provide tax incentives to change cars and trucks running on imported gasoline and diesel to natural gas.

With recent improvements in the techniques and technology to recover natural gas from the enormous shale deposits under the continental United States, studies indicate we could have natural gas deposits that would last for more than 100 years. This is a sea-change from what we thought our natural gas reserves were prior to being able to utilize these so-called “shale plays.”

Going to domestic natural gas as a principal transportation fuel will also have significant, if not almost immediate, impacts on the U.S. economy. Along with jobs being created in other alternative energy areas, we can produce and/or save thousands of jobs in the supply chain of natural gas vehicles, from the well-head to the manufacturing floor and from sales and distribution to fueling and maintenance.

Seventy percent of the oil we import is used as transportation fuel. We can’t run 18-wheelers on batteries and, while we can and should do more with renewable energy sources like wind and solar, putting fuel in the gas tank is a special challenge. There are over 10 million natural gas vehicles in the world, but only about 130,000 in the United States. Natural gas can be used in virtually any vehicle running on our streets and highways.

Natural gas is cleaner than either oil or coal. In fact, natural gas emits almost 30 percent less carbon dioxide than oil, and just under 45 percent less carbon dioxide than coal. And natural gas produces almost no particulate emissions.

Natural gas can and must be developed in an environmentally responsible way that includes involvement from local communities. But properly developed, it can play a significant role in our energy future.

It is a bridge fuel that can get us to the next era of clean fuels. Natural gas will not last forever, and we will not need to use it forever. But, as a transition fuel, it can help us do our part in cleaning up the planet, it can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and it can provide a real boost for jobs and the economy.

Mark Udall, a Democrat, is the senior senator from Colorado. T. Boone Pickens is chairman and CEO of BP Capital, which operates energy-focused commodity and equity funds.

To read more, please click here.

Comment by Geoff Bailey on August 19, 2009 at 3:46pm

Good Afternoon!

We are smack dab right in the middle of August Recess. Members of Congress (MOC) are back in their districts, holding events and Town Hall meetings. This is our time to shine army! While the majority of the current Town Hall meetings are focusing on Health Care, other issues are covered as well. I would encourage you to attend your MOC Town Hall and ask them a few quick questions:

1. What is your plan to end our dependence on foreign oil?
2. If you don’t have a plan, do you support the Pickens Plan?
3. If so, would you sign the Pickens Pledge?
4. Are you a Co-Sponsor of HR 1835, “The Natural Gas Act of 2009?” It’s a vital piece of legislation that, for the first time, gives the right incentives for natural gas to become a viable transportation fuel alternative to foreign oil. It currently has 77 bipartisan Co-Sponsors in the House – split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

To find out where your MOC is having their next Town Hall meeting, visit their website and email/call their office for more information. You can do that here: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml or by calling the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Also, don’t forget about your Senators! S 1408 is the sister bill of HR 1835 and we need to make sure all 100 members of the United States Senate have signed up as Co-Sponsors! You can check out where your Senators are having Town Halls in your area by emailing/calling their offices for dates and locations. You can do that here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm or by calling the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Together, we can end our dependence on foreign oil. But it is going to take all of us working together. The effort we put in today will give us the secure energy future we want for tomorrow!

Geoff
Geoffrey@pickensplan.com

Comment by Geoff Bailey on August 19, 2009 at 3:45pm

Letters to the editor are some of the most effective ways of communication today! Op-Eds and local LTE are terrific marketing tools that allow you to convey your thoughts and ideas to your friends, family and neighbors. They are fun, make an impact and, best of all, FREE!

Help Boone spread his message of ending our dependence on foreign oil.

Do you want to have a letter to the editor you write published in your local newspaper? If so, message me on Push or email me at Geoffrey@pickensplan.com and I can help you come up with a LTE of your own.

It's the little effort we make today that makes the big difference tomorrow!

Geoff
Geoffrey@pickensplan.com

Comment by Geoff Bailey on August 13, 2009 at 9:32am

By T. Boone Pickens
08/13/2009
Denver Post

America has enough natural gas to meet all our needs for the next 100 years. We should be using this vast natural resource to help provide electrical power, as feedstock for our chemical industry, and as a principal transportation fuel.

There is strong national interest in moving away from high-carbon fuels to non-carbon fuels. That will not happen overnight, but natural gas is the perfect solution for this transition period. It is the lowest cost carbon fossil fuel; we have huge reserves in the continental United States; and it is the most widely distributed proven, stable domestic energy source.

As we move toward more alternative sources of electrical energy, we have to deal with the fact that the wind does not always blow, nor does the sun always shine. Natural gas will play a critical role in keeping the grid stable; providing electricity during peak periods is much more efficient with natural gas because gas turbines can be turned on and off with relative ease.

We continue to import an unconscionable percentage of our oil needs. In June, we imported 374 million barrels at a cost of $24.7 billion. Putting aside our imports from Canada and Mexico, we have placed our economy, our environment and our national security into the hands of the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Angola, Nigeria and Venezuela. These are countries in unstable areas, and some of them do not have America's best interests at heart.

Of all the oil we import, 70 percent is used for transportation, for the gasoline and diesel which powers our 250 million cars, light trucks and 6.5 million 18-wheelers.

On the climate side, Americans dump about 20 tons of carbon per person per year into the atmosphere. Most of that carbon waste stays in the atmosphere for 100 years or longer.

We are working hard to move to a non-carbon transportation system. Batteries and hydrogen fuel cells are the most likely candidates, but they are far from ready to deal with the scale of America's rolling fleet.

There are about 10 million vehicles in the world operating on natural gas. Only about 146,000 of these are in the U.S. Natural gas is a proven, ready-to-roll technology.

Batteries will not power 18- wheelers. The only domestic fuel available to move America's goods around and across the nation is natural gas, which, because it produces virtually no particulate emissions, has a huge environmental advantage over imported oil/diesel.

Recent studies have estimated that, because of advanced completion techniques, we have over 100 years of reserves of natural gas in the continental U.S., largely in the shale deposits under Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Appalachia.

A study completed by the Potential Gas Committee, a group of academics and industry specialists supported by the Colorado School of Mines, concluded that the energy contained in our natural gas reserves exceeds the energy contained in all the oil in Saudi Arabia.

AT&T, one of the largest commercial fleet operators in the country, recently announced it would be buying more than 8,000 new vehicles that operate on natural gas. It is estimated a fleet of trucks can go from one coast to the other with only 20 refueling stops.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are moving their trucks from diesel to natural gas to meet air quality standards. Using natural gas as a transportation fuel is gaining momentum. Companion bills in the U.S. House and Senate provide tax incentives to jump start the use of natural gas as a major transportation fuel.

No matter how you approach it, natural gas is crucial for America's environmental, economic and national security future.

T. Boone Pickens is a featured guest at today's New West Summit at the Colorado History Museum. Go to projectnewwestsummit.com for more information.

To read more, please click here.

Interested in writing an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor? Email Regional Leader Geoff Bailey at Geoffrey@pickensplan.com for help with content and ideas! Letters to the editor are free, easy, fun and effective ways of communicating the Pickens Plan message to your friends, family and neighbors!

Comment by Geoff Bailey on July 16, 2009 at 6:59am

U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., was praised by energy billionaire T. Boone Pickens on Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington while celebrating the anniversary of the launch of the Pickens Plan and Energy Independence Day.

Markey, whose district includes Greeley, was a co-sponsor of HR 1835, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act. In a press release, Pickens called Markey an energy independence crusader because of her support for the NAT GAS Act.

“Colorado is blessed with abundant natural gas in addition to our vast wind, solar and agricultural energy resources,” Markey said in the statement. “It's time to get serious about reducing our country's energy costs and we can get there by focusing on energy produced right here at home.”

The NAT GAS Act is designed to reduce dependence on foreign energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the release, the Potential Gas Committee estimated last month that natural gas reserves have increased by 35 percent.

To read more, please click here.

To thank Congresswoman Markey for here leadership on energy, please click here.

Comment by Geoff Bailey on July 13, 2009 at 11:35am

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter was the closing speaker at the annual Colorado Oil & Gas Association’s annual three-day conference. In an article written by Cathy Proctor in the Denver Business Journal, Ritter said,

“Natural gas is a vital part of the New Energy Economy. It is a permanent part of the New Energy Economy. It’s not a bridge fuel, not a transition fuel, but a mission-critical fuel.”

Recent studies have shown that the amount of natural gas which is available for recovery in the continental United States contains more energy than all the oil in Saudi Arabia.

According to Proctor’s article, “The Governor’s Energy Office is applying for a $10 million federal grant to expand the use of natural gas for transportation uses.” Gov. Ritter, told the 2,000 attendees that he is calling for the “state’s expansion of tax credits for vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, and credits for converting vehicles to run on natural gas.”

Ms. Proctor wrote, “Ritter’s comments drew applause and praise from industry executives,” including Peter Dea, president and CEO of private Cirque Resources LP in Denver who said,

“I thought the governor’s comment that natural gas is a vital part of the New Energy Economy and a permanent fuel - not a bridge fuel - and a critical fuel for Colorado and the nation is right on point.”

To read more, please click here.

Comment by Robert Schultz on May 7, 2009 at 2:33pm

Invitation to join the NW Renewable Energy Group
I have started a Regional group, welcoming comments, ideas, and suggestions for Renewable Energy in the NW Region. Including states from the Pacific, Cascade and Rocky Mountain areas. I realize that some of my Pickens Plan friends are outside this region, but you are always welcome to join and add your thoughts to the discussion. We should be looking at best available sources of energy in our region, and ways to improve the power grid to transfer energy from region to region as it is needed.

Robert Schultz
Pickens Plan
WA-05 District Leader

Comment by Geoff Bailey on April 2, 2009 at 11:39am

VIRTUAL MARCH DAY 2 - Boone Needs YOU

The Department of Energy has released the oil import figures for the month of March 2009. The data shows we imported 386 barrels at a cost of $18 billion. While we are importing less oil because of the recession, the percentage of oil we are importing is remaining disappointingly stable. The March numbers show we imported 65% percent of the oil we used.

Over the past 12 months, America has had to import nearly two-thirds of the oil we need. In 2008 that amounted to $475 billion dollars. Keep in mind, this is not a one-time payment like a stimulus package or a bail-out bill. This is an annual cost of over $400 billion per year.

CLICK HERE TO EMAIL YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TODAY AND ASK THEM TO TAKE ACTION TO REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCY ON FOREIGN OIL.

Geoff

Comment by Geoff Bailey on April 1, 2009 at 1:43pm

As you know, today is the start of the Pickens Plan Virtual March on Washington. I included some messages below that you should feel free to use when trying to get friends and family to participate.

This is going to be my Facebook status over the next three days:

“Boone Pickens, Rock the Vote and I urged policy makers to pass energy legislation. You can too: http://tinyurl.com/c6b53s”

This is what I emailed my friends, family and neighbors – and then sent to all of my Facebook friends:

“Join me, Boone Pickens and Rock the Vote in telling Congress and the President: Help improve our environment, economy & bring us toward energy independence by passing energy legislation now! Be heard today! http://tinyurl.com/c6b53s”

April 1-3 is going to be an exciting time for the Pickens Plan and everyone involved! We have over 4.5 million people participating in this March with us. The more folks who contact Congress, the more impact we have on the debate.

For the first time in our nation’s history, we have millions of people converging on Washington, speaking with a unified voice, and demanding a viable, sustainable energy policy that ends our dependence on foreign oil.

It’s Go Time! Contact your member of Congress today!

Boone is counting on you. Visit http://www.pickensplan.com/virtualmarch/ today and let your voice be heard!

Geoff
Geoffrey@pickensplan.com

Comment by Geoff Bailey on March 28, 2009 at 3:46pm

Sarge/Kenneth,

GREAT idea! It's one of the easiest ways to recruit folks!

Geoff

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