Oilman Urges Use Of Wind Power And Natural Gas
WASHINGTON (AP) - He made his fortune in oil. But he thinks the future is wind power.
Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens has asked Congress to “clear the path” for his plan to boost use of wind and natural gas.
Pickens is promoting his plan to erect wind turbines in the Midwest to generate electricity, replacing the 22 percent of U.S. power produced from natural gas. The freed up natural gas then could be used for transportation.
Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Pickens said the government should begin building transmission lines for wind-generated power or provide the right of way on private land and extend tax credits so the private sector can build the lines.
Pickens has leased hundreds of thousands of acres for a giant wind farm in West Texas, where he plans to erect 2,700 turbines and produce energy for urban areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth.
