T. Boone Pickens will be doing a Town Hall event at Rice University in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, January 6 in the Shell Oil Auditorium.

The event starts at 4:00 pm CENTRAL standard time.

The Town Hall is sponsored by the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. This is the Institute’s description from its webpage:

The Pickens Plan proposes measures to utilize U.S. wind and natural gas to build a bridge to the future-a blueprint to reduce foreign oil dependence by harnessing domestic energy alternatives and buying time for the United States to develop even greater new technologies.

The plan calls for generating 22% of our electricity needs through wind power and using the displaced natural gas for transportation fuel. According to plan estimates, a combination of these domestic energies could replace 30%-50% of U.S. foreign-oil imports over the next 10 years.

For those not in the Houston area, or otherwise unable to attend, the event will be WEBCAST from the 4:00 PM CST start time until approximately 5:15 PM.

Simply point your browser to THIS LINK to watch the presentation.

If you’ve never seen Boone’s lecture - complete with the famous whiteboard - this is a wonderful opportunity to watch.

– The Pickens Team

2008 Was No-Show Year for Local IPOs – Orange County Business Journal – 1/5/09

Wind Maven, Kylah McNabb, Wants to See Oklahoma’s Power – The Oklahoman – 1/4/09

Transportation Forum Looks at Road Ahead – Houston Chronicle – 1/4/09

Lower Dependence on Foreign Oil – The Register-Mail (IL) – 1/2/09

Less Oil, Less Credit: Forecasts for 2009, Part II – Howe Street – 1/2/09

Verner Column: Plugging Into New Energy Sectors – Salisbury Post – 1/4/09

Government Inaction Worsens Problems – Wisconsin State Journal – 1/5/09

The Law of Unintended Consequences: 20th Century and Beyond – Seeking Alpha - 1/5/09

What Happened and What’s Next? – Intellectual Conservative – 1/5/09

Wind Farms May Alter Weather Patterns – Baltimore Weather Examiner – 1/5/09

Top Stock Picks ‘09: Tetra Tech (TTEK) – Blogging Stocks – 1/5/09

Boone is featured in the January-February issue of the famous “Saturday Evening Post” titled, T. Boone Pickens - the Man with the Plan

The writer, Skip Hollandsworth, takes a look at Boone the man and the principles which guide the Pickens Plan.

On Wind

One 3-megawatt wind turbine, which stands 410 feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length, can produce the same amount of annual energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil. What’s more, those turbines produce no air or water pollution and do not interfere with land use.

On Upgrading the National Electrical Transmission Grid

“What we need is a commitment among our leaders that’s equal to the Eisenhower administration’s commitment to constructing the Interstate Highway system,” Pickens says.

“We came together to get our interstates built. And we can come together to get a wind energy system in place.”

On Natural Gas

Just about everyone has heard the statistics: the price of natural gas as an automotive fuel is not only half that of gasoline, it burns much cleaner, releasing one-third fewer carbon gas emissions than gasoline.

“The best thing of all is that all the natural gas we need can be found right here, not over in the Mideast,” Pickens says. “How can you beat that?”

And, of course, Boone walks Mr. Hollandsworth through the rest of the domestic alternative energy supplies: Solar, nuclear, ethanol, electric cars are mentioned in the article which are in addition to geothermal, biomass, hydro, oil, and coal.

To read this very interesting article in the Saturday Evening Post, click HERE

– The Pickens Team

The Dallas Business Journal has chosen T. Boone Pickens as its “Executive of the Year.” The Dallas Business Journal – one of the nation-wide organization of business publications, pointed to Boone’s extraordinary charity giving. The Journal quoted Bill Lively, “an authority on Dallas philanthropy” as saying, “I can’t imagine if many, or anyone, has given what he’s given.”

Journal wrote, “Pickens identifies areas where he focuses donations from his own pocket — namely conservative political causes, wildlife, hunting and preservation — while money from his foundation focuses on health care, education and at-risk youth, with his beloved Oklahoma State University topping the list.”

In addition to his well-publicized donations to OSU, the Journal reminded its readers that “in 2007, Pickens made a pair of $50 million donations to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.”

The Dallas Executive of the Year reminds us it is possible to do good while doing well.

To read the entire article, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team.

T. Boone Pickens: Man with a Plan – The Saturday Evening Post – January-February 2009

Executive of the Year 2009 - T. Boone Pickens – Dallas Business Journal – 1/2/09

Katie Couric’s Notebook: Year In Review – CBS News – 12/31/08

Remembering 2008 – Stillwater NewsPress – 12/31/08

ANDRES: Mideast Oil Debate Begins Anew – The Washington Times – 1/2/09

Energy Independence – Keizer Times – 1/2/09

Industrial Firms Analyzing $58B in Projects for 2009 – Reliable Plant – 12/31/08

Wasting Our Watts – Time – 12/31/08

Green Revolution Stalls on Cheap Oil – Guardian – 1/1/09

Slump Dims Alternative Energy Spark – Calgary Herald – 1/2/09

Seeing Green – CFO Magazine – 1/1/09

Editorial—Oil-Price Spike: Thanks, We Needed That – Business Mirror – 12/31/08

Looking Backward: 2008 Predictions – Business Mirror – 12/31/08

James Howard Kunstler: Forecast for 2009 – Georgia Straight – 12/31/08

Predicting Another Unpredictable Year – Grand Junction Daily Sentinel – 12/31/08

Let’s Reenergize America – Tulsa World – 1/2/09

Wind Power is Not the Answer Advocates Claim It Is – The Buffalo News – 1/2/09

‘08 Hall Of Blame – New York Post – 12/31/08

Alternative Energy Interest Falls With Oil Prices – Long Island Business News – 12/31/08

Ignorance, Humility, and Economics – Action Institute – 1/2/09

What’s your take on getting America off foreign oil?
It’s simple. We need more American energy. Oil, gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, hydroelectric - all of the above.

Is Mississippi doing its part?
Since I’ve been governor, we’ve approved seven major pipeline projects to carry natural gas west to east across the state. Right now we have under construction on the Mississippi Gulf Coast a huge liquefied natural gas terminal. It’s a joint venture by El Paso Corporation, some investors out of Houston, and Angola’s state-owned oil company. It will be up and going by 2012. And Pascagoula is already home to Chevron’s largest refinery in the U.S.

Most people don’t realize what a key role Mississippi plays in U.S. energy markets.
You’ve got to remember that Mississippi has been producing oil since 1939. The Tinsley Field came in on August 31, 1939, and it’s still producing. The interesting thing is that we’ve actually seen production gains in the Tinsley Field over the last two years.

How did that happen?
Through better technology. The field has already been through primary and secondary recovery. Now it’s in tertiary recovery, and a Texas company called Denbury Resources is pumping CO2 out of a huge pocket beneath Jackson, transporting it to the field, and pumping it in there.

Sounds like Mississippi is powering ahead.
That’s just the start.

Mississippi has large deposits of lignite coal, and the Mississippi Power Co. has announced that it will build a coal-fired electrical generation facility that will have carbon capture and sequestration. As I understand it, this coal-fired plant will have the emissions of a power plant powered by natural gas because the captured carbon will be compressed and then injected into older oil wells to boost production.

Rentech has announced that it’s building a coal-to-liquids fuels plant near Natchez. In Greenville we’ve got a biodiesel plant going in. And Entergy has already applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build a second nuclear reactor near St. Francisville.

The rest of the country might want to take a look at your state.
There’s plenty of American energy. For 400 years, America has had a cheap reliable energy economy. When they got off the boat at Jamestown, English settlers found all the timber they could use. Since then we’ve relied on whale oil, coal, oil, gas, and nuclear. Now we’re going to things like wind and solar.

As long as I’m Governor of Mississippi, where going to have an energy policy: more energy.

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, CONDENSED, AND EDITED BY ERIC O’KEEFE

Get With It on Renewables – The Oregonian – 12/29/08
A Call to Join Pickens Plan for Energy Independence – Clackamas Review – 12/30/08

BusinessGreen.com Review of 2008: July to September – Business Green – 12/30/08

This Oil Man Favors a Gas-Tax Hike – CNN Money – 12/30/08

Wind Industry Projections for 2009 – Sustainable Business – 12/30/08

Top 10 Earth2Tech Stories of 2008 – Earth2Tech – 12/30/08

VIEWPOINT: Obama was Wrong to Scuttle His Windfall Oil-Profits Tax Plan – Grand Forks Herald – 12/29/08

JWT Forecasts 2009 Trends – Media Post – 12/29/08

BlueGold, Clive Capital Beat Most Hedge Funds in Commodity Rout – Bloomberg – 12/30/08

Industrial Firms Analyzing $58 Billion in Project Spending for 2009 in U.S. Southwest Region – Pumps & Systems – 12/30/08

The highly respected tech mag, “Wired” magazine has included T. Boone Pickens and the Pickens Plan as one of its “Top Ten Green-Tech Breakthroughs of 2008.”

Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens might be a lot of things, but environmentalist he is not. That’s why his support for a nationwide network of wind farms generated so much excitement. While his solution for transportation, natural gas vehicles, may not pan out, his Pickens Plan is the most visible alternative energy plan out there and it began to channel support from outside coastal cities for finding new sources of energy.

Among the other picks is new solar cell technology, green homes, and their number one pick: A new technology for making cement without the large amount of fossile fuel energy needed to produce cement in the traditional way.

To read all of the Wired Magazine’s top ten green-tech picks, click HERE.

– The Pickens Plan

Geneva Man Leading Pickens’ Wind Energy Plan in 14th District – Chicago Daily Herald – 12/28/08

T. Boone Pickens: Energizing a Movement – Fort Worth Star-Telegram – 12/28/08

Re-Igniting the Global Warming Debate – Toronto Star – 12/29/08

The 2008 DMN Texan of the Year — DA Craig Watkins – Dallas Morning News Blog – 12/26/08

Best Earth-Friendly Texan 2008: T. Boone Pickens – Dallas Environmental Policy Examiner – 12/28/08

My Top 10 Energy Stories of 2008 – The Oil Drum – 12/29/08

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Victories of 2008 – Gigaom – 12/29/08

The Top 10 Green Tech Breakthroughs of 2008 – Wired Blog – 12/29/08

Political Notebook: Isakson Takes Energy Independence Pledge – Gwinnett Daily Post – 12/28/08

Major Donors Boone Pickens, Phil Knight are Polar Opposites – The Oklahoman – 12/28/08

Low Cost of Oil No Reason to Ditch Alternative Energy Projects – Calgary Herald – 12/27/08

Gonzales, BISD Almost ‘Texan of the Year’ – Brownsville Herald – 12/27/08

Top Stories of the Year: National Troubles Catching up with Amarillo Markets – Amarillo Globe-News – 12/28/08

2008 in Review – Plenty Magazine – 12/29/08

The Worst Predictions About 2008; Just About Everybody Got Wrong-Footed by 2008, But Some People’s Mistakes Were Truly Spectacular – BusinessWeek – 12/29/08

BTW: Many Happier Returns – BusinessWeek – 12/29/08

What New Yorkers Should Dread in the New Year – New York Times – 12/28/08

Pickens, Drillers Promote Natural Gas Cars – Dallas Morning News – 12/29/08

‘Shovel Ready’ Stimulus – Projects That Should Be Supported – Environmental Leader – 12/26/08

Don’t Let Big Oil Off Windfall Profits Hook – Hartford Courant – 12/28/08

EDITORIAL: Inertia is Threatening Long-Term Energy Strategies – Fort Worth Star-Telegram – 12/28/08

Year’s Losers Outnumber the Winners – Houston Chronicle – 12/29/08

Obama Set on New Energy Economy – Marketplace – 12/29/08

A Quick Look/Outlook at the Stock Market and the End of the Recession – Motley Fool – 12/28/08

The Dallas Environmental Policy Examiner has named T. Boone Pickens the “Best Earth-Friendly Texan of 2008″ for his work on the Pickens Plan.

In an on-line piece by reporter Caroline Calais, the Examiner summarizes the reasons Boone went on his Pickens Plan crusade saying:

Mr. Pickens found the dependence on foreign oil to form the intersection of the three most critical issues America currently faces - the economy, the environment and national security.

For those of us who have been marching side-by-side with Boone as part of the New Energy Army, we know that has been central to our entire campaign.

The Examiner presented Boone with the title of “Best Earth-Friendly Texan of 2008 for “for his inspiring decision to take action” and has “re-energized Americans tired of oil dependence, high gas prices, and skeptical that neither the new Administration nor the new Congress are up to the challenge.”

To read the entire article, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

Obama Tops History Makers of 2008 List – Asian News International – 12/26/08

Christmas 2008 Roundup – Chicago Tribune – 12/23/08

Editorial: Texan of the Year Finalist No. 3, T. Boone Pickens – Dallas Morning News – 12/24/08

Cramer: Good News Within the Gloom – The Street – 12/24/08

Blow to Oil Prices Isn’t Taking the Wind Out of Pickens – Smart Briefs – 12/24/08
Congress Considers Bailing Out Its Ethanol Mistakes – Seeking Alpha – 12/26/08

The 10 Biggest Cleantech Disappointments of 2008 – Earth2Tech – 12/26/08

Hostility is Out and Friendliness is in for Merger Deals – Bizmology – 12/26/08

Alternative Energy Storage: It’s All About Price vs. Performance – Seeking Alpha – 12/26/08

The Dallas Morning News annually picks a “Texan of the Year. In a Christmas Eve editorial, the Morning News has named T. Boone Pickens one of its finalists for the 2008 honor.

The paper points out Boone’s activism in the energy area of which we have all been a part:

“With characteristic enthusiasm, the billionaire launched headlong into his Pickens Plan, which seeks to put wind power onto the national agenda and sharply reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil.”

But it is not just the Pickens Plan which the Morning News points to. It is also Boone’s enormous heart in sharing his wealth with institutions and charities which mean so much to the people they touch.

”Mr. Pickens says he wants to use his money to make a difference. He impressed us last year by announcing a $6 million donation to help revive the low-income Jubilee Park neighborhood near Fair Park.

He also committed $50 million gifts each to UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. For four consecutive years, the Chronicle of Philanthropy has listed him among the nation’s top 50 donors. His total charitable donations top $600 million.

To read the entire editorial, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

Year in Review 2008: Celebrities – Dallas Morning News – 12/22/08

My Take – Coal Must Be Part of Our Future – Holland Sentinel – 12/22/08

The Year of Leg Thrills – Media Research Center – 12/23/08

Pickens Plan Could Benefit TransCanada, Enbridge – National Post – 12/23/08

Power for the Planet? – The Michigan Messenger – 12/23/08

Cheap Gas = Death of Green? – Huffington Post – 12/22/08

Is Wind Losing Power? – Progress Illinois – 12/23/08

RADIO/TV
Consumer News: Foreign Oil – WDEF – 12/22/08
NEWSPAPER/PRINT
Isakson Signs Pickens Energy Independence Pledge – The Beacon – 12/20/08
Gordon Signs Pickens Pledge – The Arizona Republic – 12/21/08

Financial Meltdown Slowing Wind-Power Boom – Associated Press – 12/21/08

Year’s Best: These Books Meant Business in 2008 – USA Today – 12/21/08

CEOs Find Inspiration in Books About Warren Buffett – USA Today – 12/21/08

EDITORIAL/OPINION
Uncover Stock Bargains of a Lifetime – Dallas Morning News – 12/21/08

Pickens Troops Mobilized – The Spokesman-Review – 12/19/08

INTERNET
Study Shows Wind Power Much Better than Ethanol – Beyond Fossil Fuels – 12/19/08

The Deflation Scam – Seeking Alpha – 12/19/08

Obama Eyeing Better Place? – Earth2Tech – 12/22/08

Trading Rules for 2009 – KCI Investing – 12/22/08