Pickens Plan District Group SC-06

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Comment by Logan Berry on July 13, 2009 at 9:57am

Hey Everyone,

I would like to let you all know that I am the new SC state director for the Pickens Plan. I hope that all of you are as excited about eliminating our dependence on on foreign oil as I am! We have a long road ahead of us, but the more support we gain in SC the quicker we will get there! I would like to hear from all of you. There is something that everyone can do, and no matter how big or small the task is, it will bring us one step closer to our goal!

Thank You,
Logan Berry
SC State Director for Pickens Plan
Lnberry@presby.edu
(843)-532-0353

Comment by Ed Matricardi on July 8, 2009 at 6:58pm

Happy Energy Independence Day

Today is the one year anniversary of the release of the Pickens Plan...

Thanks to your support and Boone’s dedication, we have been able to get Congress’ attention on Energy Independence. In fact, the Dallas Morning News wrote a good recap of our first year that you should check out...and use as inspiration to redouble your efforts in the coming months to finally get America off our addiction to foreign oil.


T. Boone Pickens fueling dialogue on clean-energy efforts
Sunday, July 5, 2009
By ELIZABETH SOUDER / The Dallas Morning News
esouder@dallasnews.com

In July of last year, Dallas billionaire T. Boone Pickens began a $60 million advertising campaign and speaking tour designed to persuade Americans to stop using foreign oil.

The oilman-turned-environmentalist proposed a seemingly simple plan: Convert cars, especially big fleets operated by companies and municipalities, from gasoline to domestic natural gas. And start generating more electricity from wind.

By the end of this year, Pickens predicts, Congress will finish passing laws to implement his plan. And within two years, oil imports will drop.

"We have gotten everything we went after," he said. "I have people say it didn't go very fast. Go back and compare it to other things. I think we've moved very fast."

But oil import data don't yet show much direct impact from Pickens' campaign, and a key new natural gas law hasn't made it out of legislative committee. He's persuaded some companies and municipalities to buy natural gas-powered fleets, but the numbers remain tiny.

Still, Pickens' $60 million bought remarkable influence. Because of Pickens, the term "foreign oil" entered the presidential campaigns, executive speeches and everyday discussions.

And he brought many of his conservative followers into the discussion about clean energy through his warning about energy security, allowing them to discuss alternative energy without stepping into the thorny debate about whether humans cause climate change.

"When you have a successful investor from Texas, someone from a state that, some people say, doesn't care about clean energy, to have him come out as the champion, caught a lot of people by surprise and brought a lot of attention to the incumbent [energy companies] in Texas being part of the solution," said Paul Dickerson, a former executive with the U.S. Department of Energy and head of Haynes and Boone's clean technology practice.

Pickens would probably also benefit from his plan. Pickens invests in companies that produce natural gas and sell natural gas vehicle fuel, and a company that builds wind farms.

His retort: "If I'd wanted to make money, I would have kept my $60 million."

On a mission

Instead, Pickens said, he felt he was on a mission that only he could accomplish.

"I felt like it was a mission that you had to tell the American people, you now knew something that affected their lives, their future, their children and grandchildren and everybody else, generations to come. And you had properly analyzed it, you knew what the problem was, and you had a solution for the problem," he said.

Pickens has presented his plan to Republicans and Democrats, to top executives and blue collar workers, to President Barack Obama and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, a longtime supporter of more domestic drilling, credits Pickens with persuading House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to support natural gas vehicles.

"Apparently natural gas is not a fossil fuel," Barton said, tongue in cheek. (Of course, natural gas is a fossil fuel.)

The Sierra Club doesn't oppose Pickens, a longtime Republican supporter who decorates his office with Ronald Reagan memorabilia.

"We haven't given out a wholesale endorsement of the plan, but at the same time, we think that natural gas is a good bridge fuel as we transition to a full clean-energy economy," said Josh Dorner, a spokesman for the Sierra Club.

Natural gas burns more cleanly than oil or coal. Used in a vehicle, natural gas emits 70 percent less carbon monoxide, 87 percent less nitrogen oxide and 20 percent less carbon dioxide than gasoline vehicles, according to lobby group NGV America.

Electric cars might be cleaner than natural gas, but only if the power is generated with cleaner technology, such as wind or solar. Most power in Texas comes from natural gas-fired plants.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson, appointed by Obama, said Pickens "points out some really important policy issues."

For example, Pickens rightly talks about the importance of building transmission lines to carry wind-generated power from rural areas to population centers, she said.

Drop in imports

U.S. oil imports dropped 14 percent in June from the year before, according to the government's Energy Information Administration. But that probably is due to the ailing economy rather than a shift to alternative fuels.

The number of natural gas vehicles on U.S. roads has risen in the past two years by only about 8 percent to around 120,000, according to Rich Kolodziej, president of NGV America, a natural gas vehicle lobby group. That's hardly enough vehicles to account for the oil import drop.

However, Kolodziej said, demand for natural gas vehicle fuel rose about 25 percent last year as older models, which could use either natural gas or petroleum fuels, are replaced with new, natural gas-only vehicles.

Natural gas costs less than gasoline or diesel. How much less changes constantly. But the vehicle technology can be costly, and stations to fill up aren't always convenient. With few refueling stations outside of major cities, natural gas vehicles aren't as attractive to regular drivers who expect to use their cars for road trips.

But the nation's supply of natural gas is growing rapidly.

A study released last month from the Potential Gas Committee, associated with the Colorado School of Mines, estimates that the U.S. has 2,074 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, 35 percent more than in 2006. The committee said the amount grew partly because of new technology, like that developed for the Barnett Shale.

Pickens said once all of the planks of his energy policy become law, it will only take a couple of years for oil imports to decline for good.

That's only if the tax incentives are sweet enough to offset the extra costs and, in some cases, the inconvenience of using the technology.

Congress has passed the wind portion of the Pickens Plan, and wind power capacity has already risen 50 percent during the past year. The stimulus bill includes money to upgrade the power grid, and Congress has passed incentives for wind and solar energy. In Texas, new transmission lines to accommodate more wind power will cost electricity consumers around $5 billion.

Still, Pickens is missing incentives for natural gas vehicles themselves.

In April, two representatives from Pickens' home state of Oklahoma, Dan Boren and John Sullivan, introduced legislation to extend and create tax incentives for natural gas vehicles and fuel. The bill hasn't been voted out of House committee.

The bill would extend natural gas fuel, vehicle and infrastructure tax credits for 18 years. The credits are scheduled to expire this year and next. It would also provide incentives for auto manufacturers to produce natural gas vehicles, and require half of all new, federal government vehicles to be capable of operating on natural gas by 2014.

Pickens Army

While Pickens hasn't accomplished everything he wants in the halls of Congress, he has amassed a following of 1.6 million people, known as the Pickens Army, through his Web site. Members write letters to their legislators, encouraging them to adopt the Pickens Plan.

He is also meeting with executives, including those at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., to stump for his favorite fuel.

Last week, AT&T Inc. said it would spend $350 million converting 8,000 of its vehicles to run on natural gas, the largest such fleet in the country. AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson chose to include natural gas in his alternative fuel fleet after an hourlong meeting with Pickens.

Pickens is indirectly connected to the company that will carry out the conversions, BAF Technologies. Pickens sits on the board of natural gas fuel supplier Clean Energy, which loaned BAF money, according to Clean Energy spokesman Bruce Russell. The loan is convertible into a 49 percent stake in BAF.

Comment by Ed Matricardi on July 1, 2009 at 4:40pm

Take Back Our Energy Future

A video reviewing the first year of the Pickens Plan has been completed and is available for you to view. It has snips of Boone talking about what he's done, where he's been, and why it is so important for America.

It also includes scenes of Army members, President Obama, former Vice President Gore and interviews with many of the leaders of the drive to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

You can be among the first to view the new video by clicking HERE
http://www.pickensplan.com/boonecam/2009/07/01/take-back-our-energy-future/

Comment by Ed Matricardi on June 18, 2009 at 5:35pm

We are fast approaching our one-year anniversary of the release of the Pickens Plan on July 8th and we need to jump-start our efforts!

Thanks to your help and Boone’s dedication, we have been able to build an army of almost 2 million online supporters...and we have put energy independence on the agenda in Congress. That is an amazing accomplishment and you can take great pride in your contribution to the effort.

But we are not done yet...not even close.

As we move into our 2nd year, we need to expand our efforts to include the offline community too...we need to approach a broad-based group of potential state and local allies that will partner with us to urge Congress to act on energy independence...everyone from progressive groups like the Sierra Club/etc to more conservative business-oriented groups like the state/local/regional chambers of commerce.

Every one of you has unique contacts at the local level that we need to spread the word about the Pickens Plan. Please let me know if you have any friends or other contacts at local groups and organizations (such as chambers of commerce, environmental groups, alternative energy associations, local elected officials, etc.) so that we can develop a game plan to recruit them as Pickens Plan supporters and mobilize their members to contact their elected officials.

We have done a great job recruiting and mobilizing online supporters...now we need to expand our outreach to local groups and leaders that have credibility with elected officials in your area. Please give me a buzz to discuss any specific contacts you have in your area...

Thanks again for all your help and I look forward to talking with you about any ideas you have on jump-starting activities in your area.

Ed Matricardi
202-531-4717

Comment by Ed Matricardi on May 17, 2009 at 7:25pm

Hope all is well and that you had a nice weekend...now we need to jump-start our efforts and make sure Congress acts on Energy Independence soon...otherwise they will go back to business as usual and hope nobody notices.

Thankfully, Boone is determined to keep the heat on Congress and ensure they don’t forget that the American people expect them to get us off our addiction to foreign oil. But we need your help!

We would like to discuss our efforts to identify and recruit local supporters in your area by using the Pickens Plan Petitions and Sign-Up Sheets on the Resources Page. You can circulate them in high-traffic areas – like shopping centers, post offices, community events or sporting events – and have an immediate impact on the debate by identifying local supporters in your area that we can incorporate into the effort.
http://push.pickensplan.com/page/page/show?id=2187034%3APage%3A1095041

After you print off the forms and collect the signatures/contact info, please contact me and I will give you information so you can send them in to Boone.

Thanks again for all your efforts.

Comment by Ed Matricardi on May 8, 2009 at 8:38pm

As many of you know, Boone attended this week’s Wind Power 2009 Conference & Exhibition in Chicago and generated a lot of interest in the NAT GAS ACT and Renewable Energy Standard (RES) legislation. As reported by the Associated Press, “Pickens told the American Wind Energy Association conference in Chicago on Wednesday that the renewable energy standard the industry wants could come as soon as six months from now.”

But Boone knows that this will only happen if the people continue to demand that their elected officials act on energy independence.

Thanks to your efforts (and Boone’s), we generated millions of contacts with Congress and it is making a difference. Now, Boone wants us to submit as many Letters to the Editor as possible to local newspapers. Believe it or not, every congressional office closely monitors the Letters to the Editor that appear in local newspapers within their home districts and this is a simple way to help define the debate in Congress.

If every Pickens District Group (ie- you) submitted just one LTE, that would be 435 LTEs in the next week...and it would be even better if you could get a couple of your most active local supporters to do the same. We could literally generate thousands of LTEs all across the country.

For a minimal effort, we could really drive the debate!!

Please draft a short LTE (maybe 3-4 sentences) and submit to your local newspaper ASAP. If you reference the Wind Conference, it will make your LTE more timely and more likely to get published. If you are not sure where to send your LTE or you need help finding contact info, just let me know. But please do something. The time is now and we will never have a better opportunity to convince Congress to act on energy independence by supporting the NAT GAS ACT and Renewable Energy Standard (RES) legislation.

Thanks,
Ed

Comment by Ed Matricardi on May 6, 2009 at 2:46pm

AP - Pickens says wind-power mandate should come soon

CHICAGO - Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens believes a government mandate requiring the use of wind power could come this year.

Pickens told the American Wind Energy Association conference in Chicago on Wednesday that the renewable energy standard the industry wants could come as soon as six months from now.

Pickens announced plans last year for a massive Texas wind farm. He then put those plans on hold because of the economy.

Pickens told the wind energy group that he also believes federal regulators should have authority to make decisions about where power lines are built.

The wind-power industry says the country's current grid isn't big enough to support its development. Plans for new lines often run into opposition from landowners and others.

Comment by Ed Matricardi on April 27, 2009 at 7:06pm

Boone continues to push the NAT GAS ACT and RES legislation...and it looks like we are finally making headway in Congress...but we need to keep our foot on the gas or Congress will slip back into their old ways.

I know you are busy with a million other things, but Boone needs your help with a couple of small – but important – things that you can do to impact the debate and generate support in Congress. Please contact your local networks and work with local supporters to focus on these three things and it will make it easier when Boone meets with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

1) MOC Contacts. Boone needs you to contact your Members of Congress to urge them to support the NAT GAS ACT and RES legislation. Better yet, send an email alert to some of your friends and neighbors to get them to do the same. You can find your MOC contact info at http://www.house.gov/ or http://www.house.gov/

2) Earned Media Outreach. Boone needs you to send op eds and letters to the editor into local newspapers – and call local talk radio.

3) Local Meetings. Boone needs you to host a local meeting/happy hour/reception with local supporters to discuss a local plan of action.

You wouldn’t believe the impact we could have if everyone did just one of these action items...and – if you feel really ambitious – do two or three things...and we will be sure to move our Members of Congress to support Boone’s plan for energy independence.

And please keep me posted on your activities so I can let Boone know before his upcoming meetings on the Hill.

Thanks again for all your help. We really appreciate it.

Comment by Ed Matricardi on April 13, 2009 at 9:24am

Boone is lucky to have such a strong team of local supporters like you in congressional districts across the country. But we are not done yet...the fight for energy independence has only just begun...and we need to use the support we generated around the Virtual March and leverage it for action in Congress.

With the Virtual March behind us, the next stop in the fight for energy independence will center around 2 new pieces of legislation: NAT GAS Act of 2009 and RES. Boone needs your help to mobilize local supporters to call your elected officials during the congressional recess (which lasts until April 17th).

Here is what you can do:

1) Generate letters, emails and calls to your Members of Congress during the congressional recess
2) Set up meetings with your Members of Congress during the congressional recess
3) Submit Op Eds & Letters to the Editor to local newspapers and media outlets
4) Organize local meetings, events, happy hours, receptions with local supporters

Let me know if you need background information about this legislation or help drafting letters, op eds, etc. Also, you can find contact info for your Congressmen and Senators at http://www.house.gov/ or http://www.senate.gov/

Thanks again for all your help.

PS- Please keep sending me reports about activity in your area. Boone literally asks for daily updates on how things are going in specific states and congressional districts so he can cite examples of local support when he is meeting with Members of Congress. Your feedback helps him know exactly what’s happening locally.

Comment by Ed Matricardi on April 6, 2009 at 4:10pm

Congrats on a Successful Virtual March!

You did it!

Thanks to your help, Boone was able to rally more than 4.5 million people in a Virtual March on Washington from April 1st - April 3rd...and we got Congress' attention.

In fact, Boone was also able to help announce the introduction of Natural Gas legislation with several Members of Congress on Wednesday.

Now we need to keep the pressure on Congress and use the upcoming Spring recess to make sure our elected officials know that we expect action on Energy Independence.

Thankfully, it looks like Congress will will debate real energy reform in the coming months...and thanks to your efforts, Boone is well positioned to be a major player in the debate.

Keep up the good work.

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