A New Look At T. Boone Pickens' Energy Plan

Oil man and wind mill proponent T. Boone Pickens agrees with the GOP plan to drill for our own oil right here at home. In fact, he says, and I quote, 'Drill, drill, drill.'

Those were the magic words to get me to take a new look at the Pickens' energy plan.

Pickens, of course, believes that the key component of his plan is to harness wind energy by building wind turbines in numerous places across the country. I have spoken at length many times about my problems with such a plan.

However, I do believe that harnessing wind energy is part of the overall solution.

But it is Pickens' proposal to shift from gasoline to compressed natural gas that has caught my attention.

The U.S. possesses rich natural gas resources that could provide power for many years to come, particularly with regard to autos. Compressed natural gas, or CNG as it is called, is easily accessible, easy to make available to the consumer, and much cheaper than gasoline--40% cheaper to be exact.

CNG could be a very effective, low-cost way to bridge the gap between oil and new technologies that will make hydrogen fuel cell and electric autos more feasible in the future.

It is for this reason that I can get behind the Pickens plan, with some reservations about the wind-mill aspect of the proposal.

The Pickens plan is certainly worth a try. Let's get to work on that natural gas, and let's get drilling in our oil reserves off the coastal areas and in ANWR.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles?

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, are the key to the nation's energy independence, according to Jerry Asher of the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington, D.C.

Asher was in Union, South Carolina last week as part of a 50-state tour promoting the concept of a hybrid car that can be plugged into an electrical socket for recharging.

The car is a variation of the hybrids that are already on the market. But with a few modifications that presently cost roughly $6000, a Toyota Prius, for example, can get up to 101 miles per gallon, or about twice its estimated MPGs as sold.

Asher adds that with electric vehicles it is vital that drivers change their driving habits. The classic jump-starts and quick-stops ruin fuel efficiency, even with electric vehicles.