Boone here,

Please take a minute or two and click here to check out Barack Obama’s transition website. He’s asking people to tell him what they think. It’s a perfect opportunity for each one of us, including me, to tell him and his people about our plan and why we believe it’s important to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Two times during the campaign, President-elect Obama said, “for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. We will do this. Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years.”

He gets it! He knows what the problem is. Now we just have to make sure his people know that the Pickens Plan is the answer.

I’m headed to the ranch for Thanksgiving with my family — and hopefully a couple days of rest. But when I get back, we’ll roll up our sleeves and get back to business.

In the meantime, have a great week and know that I’m grateful for all you’ve done, and that our country is going to be a better place because of the work we’re doing together.

-Boone

PS Click here to let me and the rest of the Army know what message you left for President-elect Obama on his transition website.

To date 168 Mayors have signed the Pickens Pledge, joining T. Boone Pickens’ national campaign to reduce foreign oil imports by utilizing abundant domestic resources including wind power and natural gas. From Las Vegas, NV, to Bismarck, ND, to Philadelphia, PA, mayors from cities large and small, East to West and throughout the heartland agree that the Pickens Plan is the best answer to solving the greatest issue facing our nation today: energy dependence.

Following is the list of all mayors in the United States who have signed the Pickens Pledge:

Alabama
Don Kyle, Mayor, Decatur
Charles Penhale, Mayor, Helena
Leon Smith, Mayor, Oxford
Charles Murphy, Mayor, Robertsdale

Arkansas
Mike Dumas, Mayor, El Dorado
Dan Coody, Mayor, Fayetteville
Mark Stodola, Mayor, Little Rock

Arizona
Jack Hakim, Mayor, Bullhead City

California
Art Madrid, Mayor, La Mesa
Armando Lopez, Mayor, Parlier
Ron Beilke, Mayor, Pico Rivera
Ronald Loveridge, Mayor, Riverside
Gavin Newsom, Mayor, San Francisco
Marty Blum, Mayor, Santa Barbara
Ryan Coonerty, Mayor, Santa Cruz
Ann Waltonsmith, Mayor, Saratoga
Osby Davis, Mayor, Vallejo

Colorado
Farris Bervig, Mayor, Alamosa
Lionel Rivera, Mayor, Colorado Springs

Connecticut
Paul Formica, Mayor, East Lyme
Peter Tesei, Mayor, Greenwich
Joseph Jaskiewicz, Mayor, Montville
Kevin Cavanagh, Mayor, New London
Paul Sweet, First Selectman, Plainfield
Allen Bacchiochi, First Selectman, Stafford
Daniel Malloy, Mayor, Stamford

Delaware
James Ford, Mayor, Lewes

Florida
Albert Jones, Mayor, Dania Beach
Mickey Marse, Mayor, Freeport
Mary Lou Hildreth, Mayor, Keystone Heights
Christopher Bull, Mayor, Marathon
Bill Barnett, Mayor, Naples
William Mischler, Mayor, Pinellas Park
Andy Steingold, Mayor, Safety Harbor
Norman Edelcup, Mayor, Sunny Isles Beach
Gary Matzner, Mayor, Village of Pinecrest

Georgia
Rowland Eskridge, Mayor, St. Marys
JG Carter, Jr., Mayor, Tifton
Donnie Henriques, Mayor, Woodstock

Iowa
Charles Allen, Mayor, Allen
Rodger Holm, Mayor, Clinton

Idaho
Nancy Chaney, Mayor, Moscow

Illinois
Patrick Kitching, Mayor, Alsip
Donald Sandidge, Mayor, Alton
Donald Peloquin, Mayor, Blue Island
John Miller, Mayor, Collinsville
Peter Silvestri, Mayor, Elmwood Park
James Sexton, Mayor, Evergreen Park
Gail Mitchell, Mayor, Fairview Heights
Michael Belsky, Mayor, Highland Park
Rich Hofeld, Mayor, Homewood
Mick Wisslead, Mayor, Macomb
Andre Ashmore, Mayor, Matteson
Gary Graham, Mayor, O’Fallon
Gerald Bennett, Mayor, Palos Hills
Mark Schwiebert, Mayor, Rock Island
Richard Hyde, Mayor, Waukegan
Lane Harrison, Mayor, Zion

Indiana
James Brainerd, Mayor, Carmel
Sally Hutton, Mayor, Richmond
Jon Costas, Mayor, Valparaiso
James Baldwin, Mayor, Vincennes

Kentucky
Elaine Walker, Mayor, Bowling Green
William Thomason, Mayor, Leitchfield
David Cartmell, Mayor, Maysville
Joetta Calhoun, Mayor, Mt. Washington

Louisiana
Euguene Smith, Mayor, Arcadia
Harold Rideau, Mayor, Baker

Massachusetts
William Scanlon, Mayor, Beverly
Micheal Tautznik, Mayor, Easthampton
Christine Forgey, Mayor, Greenfield
Joan Meschino, Mayor, Hull
Michale Boulanger, Mayor, Westfield
Susan Kay, Mayor, Weymouth

Maryland
Ellen Moyer, Mayor, Annapolis

Maine
Laurent Gilbert, Mayor, Lewiston
Bruce Chuluda, Mayor, Westbrook

Michigan
Jerry Ellis, Mayor, Farmington Hills
Jerry Ludwig, Mayor, Jasckson
Cameron Priebe, Mayor, Taylor

Minnesota
Michael Maguire, Mayor, Eagan
Gary Peterson, Mayor, Columbia Heights
Richard Lehman, Mayor, Bemidji
Don Ness, Mayor, Duluth
Bjorn Skogquist, Mayor, Anoka

Missouri
James Woestman, Mayor, Carthage
Darwin Hindman, Mayor, Columbia
William Jenks, Mayor, Rolla
Len Pagano, Mayor, St. Peters

Montana
John Engen, Mayor, Missoula

North Carolina
William Bell, Mayor, Durham
John Grogan, Mayor, Eden
Alfonzo King, Mayor, Goldsboro
Yvonne Johnson, Mayor, Greensboro
Raymond Pennington, Mayor, Lumberton

North Dakota
John Warford, Mayor, Bismarck

Nebraska
Mike Fahey, Mayor, Omaha

New Jersey
Paul Medany, Mayor, Deptford
John Bencivengo, Mayor, Hamilton
Richard J. Gerbounka, Mayor, Linden
Michael Fresolla, Mayor, Manchester
Anthony Suarez, Mayor, Ridgefield
Pat Lepore, Mayor, West Paterson

New Mexico
Harry Mendoza, Mayor, Gallup

Nevada
Oscar Goodman, Mayor, Las Vegas
Susan Holecheck, Mayor, Mesquite

New York
Satish Mohan, Mayor, Amherst
Matthew Ryan, Mayor, Binghamton
Damian Ulatowski, Mayor, Clay
John McDonald, Mayor, Cohoes
Thomas Gallagher, Mayor, Cortland
James Sottile, Mayor, Kingston
Paul Dyster, Mayor, Niagra Falls
Lawrence Soos, Mayor, North Tonawanda
Elizabeth Neville, Mayor, Shouthold
John Ramindo, Mayor, West Haverstraw

Ohio
Tom Orr, Mayor, Cambridge
David Berger, Mayor, Lima
Donald Culliver, Mayor, Mansfield
Scott Schertzer, Mayor, Marion
Bob Diebold, Mayor, Newark
Ralph Infante, Mayor, Niles
David Koontz, Mayor, Norton
Martin Zanotti, Mayor, Parma Heights
Georgine Welo, Mayor, South Euclid
John Agenbroad, Mayor, Springboro
Carleton Finkbeiner, Mayor, Toledo

Oklahoma
T.L. Gramling, Mayor, Altus
Gene Brown, Mayor, Duncan
Tony Rivera, Mayor, El Reno
Philip Siberts, Mayor, Henryetta
Mick Cornett, Mayor, Oklahoma City
Mike Brown, Mayor, Weatherford

Oregon
Robert Severson, Mayor, Hermiston

Pennsylvania
Stephen Reed, Mayor, Harrisburg
Jayne Young, Mayor, Landsdowne
Michael Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia
Thomas McMahon, Mayor, Reading
Robert Lucas, Mayor, Sharon
Richard Yoder, Mayor, West Chester

Rhode Island
Charles Moreau, Mayor, Central Falls
Dennis Canario, Mayor, Portsmith
Scott Avedisian, Mayor, Warwick

South Carolina
Mary Clark, Mayor, Camden
Joseph Riley, Mayor, Charleston
Floyd Nicholson, Mayor, Greenwood
Kevin Johnson, Mayor, Manning
Doug Echols, Mayor, Rock Hill

Tennessee
Darrell Helton, Mayor, Jefferson City
Michael Ragsdale, Mayor, Knoxville
Bobby Gene Spivey, Mayor, Smyrna

Texas
Roy Floyd, Mayor, Bonham
Alan Smith, Mayor, Burnet
John Reider, Mayor, Harker Heights
Donald McMannes, Mayor, Humble
Judith Hetherly, Mayor, Lampasas
Bill Whitfield, Mayor, McKinney
John Harper, Mayor, Rowlett
Ronald Wilkinson, Mayor, Waxahachie
Buddy de la Rosa, Mayor, Weslaco

Utah
Lewis Billings, Mayor, Provo
Russ Wall, Mayor, Taylorsville

Washington
Mark Lamb, Mayor, Bothell

Wisconsin
Jack Chiovatero, Mayor, New Berlin
Don Richards, Mayor, River Falls
Ronald Krueger, Mayor, Watertown
Kristine Deiss, Mayor, West Bend

Wyoming
Timothy Kaumo, Mayor, Rock Springs

The Texas Monthly Magazine is the premier magazine of its type in the Lone Star State. Editor-in-chief Evan Smith has written an op-ed piece about Boone Pickens suggesting that he be named the Dallas Morning News “Texan of the Year.”

Mr. Smith’s blog “T. Boone Pickens is my pick for Texan of the Year” is an honest and humorous look at Boone and Boone’s work for and in Texas.

“The energy magnate,” Smith writes, “could have chosen to sit on his behind, watch his beloved Oklahoma State Cowboys thrash around on the football field, and generally enjoy life. Instead,” Smith continues, “he decided to write yet another memoir – his third – and to promote, with great fanfare, his eponymous plan to reduce and hopefully eliminate America’s dependence on foreign oil through wind turbines, natural gas-powered cars and the like.”

You can read the entire op-ed piece in the Dallas Morning News by clicking HERE.

– The Pickens Team

T. Boone Pickens was the featured speaker at a luncheon celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Fort Worth, Texas Transportation Authority - known as “The T.”

The lunch was sponsored by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and attracted over 400 people. Boone and the Executive Director of The T, Dick Rudell, had a conversation in which Boone congratulated The T for having had the foresight to commit to converting its bus fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) 20 years ago.

Boone told the crowd about his appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When the subject of bus fleets came up, Boone said that the DART - the Dallas transportation authority - was still using buses burning diesel and 30 miles away The T had been on natural gas for 20 years.

“I told Jay,” Boone said, “If DART stays with diesel buses for its fleet, I may have to move to Fort Worth!” which brought a great round of applause from the Fort Worth crowd.

– The Pickens Team

Hey, Army!

We are having an impact just about everywhere. You know that Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has announced he will be introducing some of the Pickens Plan in the United States Senate when the new Congress convenes next year. That’s very good news.

On the vehicle side, Toyota is displaying a concept car which they say is the world’s first hybrid natural gas vehicle.

That’s good news, too, but the way the story was written tells me that you are all out there doing your jobs.

Here is the way the Wired Magazine blog about the Los Angeles Auto Show begins:

LOS ANGELES - T. Boone Pickens, your car is ready.

Toyota rolled into the Los Angeles Auto Show with what it says is the world’s first and only compressed natural gas hybrid vehicle …

To read the whole article click HERE.

This is important because it means our message is getting into every corner of the county and every segment of society.

Let’s keep the pressure on.

Great work, Army!

– Boone

T. Boone Pickens had an op-ed piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today congratulating the city’s transit authority (called “The T”) on its decision 20 years ago to switch its bus fleet from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG).

He points out that Fort Worth was well ahead of its time in being concerned about the environmental damage that diesel fueled buses do.

“The forward-thinking T board provided the benefit of environmentally clean buses to downtown Fort Worth well in advance of its becoming the mantra of the nation.”

He also made it clear that The T was a national leader in utilizing a domestic source of fuel far in advance of most governmental bodies even thinking about it.

“Natural gas is not just a domestic resource. In fact, if you are reading the Star-Telegram in Tarrant County, you are standing on it. The Barnett Shale, which extends well beyond Fort Worth and Dallas, is the largest natural gas field in the country.”

To read the entire op-ed piece, click HERE.

– The Pickens Team

Capping off a furious week of television and radio appearances, speeches, “conversations” and interviews, Boone had a major opinion piece published in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday.

He reminded the readers of President-elect Barack Obama’s home-town newspaper that despite the (temporary) decline in oil prices, we are still importing 70 percent of the oil we use.

Boone quoted a new study by the International Energy Agency which warned “Output from the world’s oil fields is declining faster than previously thought . . . annual output will decline by 8.6 percent.” So, when the world’s economies recover and the demand for oil goes back up: “Higher demand. Lower supply. Spiking prices.”

In writing that we must “end our addiction to foreign oil” Boone reminded Chicago’s readers that “Natural gas is cleaner, cheaper, abundant, available now, and completely domestic.”

Read the entire column from Sunday’s Chicago Tribune HERE.

– The Pickens Team

In his first interview since winning the presidency, Barack Obama sat down for a lengthy discussion with Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes that was broadcast nationwide Sunday night. Among the many topics the President-elect spoke about were the country’s addiction to foreign oil and the longstanding American habit of not developing and implementing an energy plan. A key portion of their conversation follows:

(CBS) Kroft: When the price of oil was at $147 a barrel, there were a lot of spirited and profitable discussions that were held on energy independence. Now you’ve got the price of oil under $60.

Mr. Obama: Right.

Kroft: Does doing something about energy is it less important now than…

Mr. Obama: It’s more important. It may be a little harder politically, but it’s more important.

Kroft: Why?

Mr. Obama:Well, because this has been our pattern. We go from shock to trance. You know, oil prices go up, gas prices at the pump go up, everybody goes into a flurry of activity. And then the prices go back down and suddenly we act like it’s not important, and we start, you know filling up our SUVs again.

And, as a consequence, we never make any progress. It’s part of the addiction, all right. That has to be broken. Now is the time to break it.

CLICK HERE TO SEND THE PRESIDENT-ELECT AN EMAIL AND LET HIM KNOW YOU AGREE THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO BREAK OUR ADDICTION TO FOREIGN OIL.

CLICK HERE TO READ OR WATCH THE INTERVIEW.

T. Boone Pickens was a guest on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, discussing the future of domestic energy with host Tom Brokaw.

In the discussion, Boone made it clear that the only way for President-elect Obama to make good on his promise to import no oil from the Middle East within 10 years was the Pickens Plan.

“I believe him when he says that, which tells me he has a plan, and that plan would have to use natural gas, because natural gas is the one and only fuel that moves an 18-wheeler other than diesel and gasoline.

“You can’t do it with a hybrid. You can’t do it with battery. You can’t do it with a fuel cell. the only fuel — so when you — it’s not like we’re choosing a fuel. It’s the only fuel that we have in America that will replace foreign oil. “

Boone also talked about the future of Wind Energy and the effect developing wind will have on the economy:

“I don’t receive my first turbine until 2010, so I’ll get it done, and we’ll be going by 2010. It’s — we have to get — in America we have to get on our own resources, and wind and solar are going to have to be used.

“The first year when you start that program — and it should be started within the next year or two — that when you start that program, the first year will be 138,000 jobs and by the time you finish it, it will be 3.5 million jobs.”

Brokaw asked Boone whether the drop in oil and gasoline prices will have an effect on the drive toward alternative fuels:

“Well, first, we’re importing almost 70%. I think that is a huge security problem for the country. If you look back over the history of oil prices, gasoline prices, we’ve yo-yoed at times. In the 1970s the price went up, and then we had plenty of oil all at once from the Middle East. When we did, the price went down. We put away any ideas of renewables at that point, and then in the 1908s, the 1990s, and here we are again, the price has gone down, so, oh, boy, we’re fixed.

“Well, we’re not fixed because we’re still importing almost 70%. This is great to have cheaper gasoline prices. No question about that. If there’s anything that helps our economy it’s lower energy costs. There are only two ways you can go, Tom, on this. One, you have an energy plan to solve the problem and if you don’t have an energy plan, that means you’re for foreign oil.

“It’s going to come down to very clear up or down, and it’s going to be the American people are going to — are going to demand an energy plan for the future generations of our country.”

For a transcript of the entire conversation between T. Boone Pickens and Tom Brokaw, click here.

– The Pickens Team

You and Boone are big believers in natural gas. Not only is it clean, cheap, and ours, but it’s better for you car.
My buddy has got a ’38 Packard that he’s been running natural gas for 25 years. He’s never had a problem with it. The benefits of natural gas are cleaner combustion. You don’t need to change your oil only half as much.

How long between pit stops?
You can go 10,000 miles between oil changes, 15,000 miles.

So in addition to being cleaner, there’s less wear and tear on your vehicle.
Easier on the motor. When you start your car, a gallon of gas displaces almost a gallon of water. You see water coming out of people’s tailpipes when they first start up? That’s why. With natural gas you get none of that. There are a few things you need to do if you want to do it properly.

What about convenience?
Honda makes a fantastic car they’ve been running on natural gas for 10 years. In Los Angeles you can actually put the filling station in your home. You can get the car and the filling station and everything with all the government give-back and all the tax breaks for under twenty grand. It’s a brand-new Honda that does everything the regular Honda does except it’s 99.99999 percent pollution free.

If CNG is cleaner and cheaper, why aren’t more of us driving more natural-gas-powered cars? Right now for most Americans natural gas is equal. But because it’s harder to track down and not as convenient to fill up, it makes it a little less than equal. So they’re scared of it. They’re frightened that they’re going to be stranded or something of that nature might happen. That’s your biggest fear. The real trick is to put people in natural gas cars and drive them around. Then they say, “This is natural gas? Well, it feels like my regular car.”

Another problem with most Americans is that we like everyone to know the good work we’re doing anonymously. So when you drive around in a Prius you can make a statement that you’re saving the planet. When you drive around in a regular car that has a little natural gas sticker on the bottom of the bumper, it doesn’t quite have the cachet. You know what I’m saying?

Got it.
If somebody made a natural gas car that looked like it just stepped out of the future – I mean it could have a traditional internal combustion engine and just run on natural gas but look like something from outer space – oh my God, you would be seen as saving the planet.

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

Army:

I understand there is some confusion about our wind project in Pampa, Texas. The current economic situation is having an effect on our project, but my commitment to wind energy as a cornerstone of the Pickens Plan has not diminished one bit. The economy will recover, and we will be able to provide 3.5 million new jobs in the wind sector over the next ten years.

But that doesn’t change the focus of the Pickens Plan: We have to reduce our dependence on foreign oil through the use of wind, solar and natural gas or we will find ourselves in this economic ditch permanently.

Here’s the statement Mesa Power put out the other day.

“The capital markets are problematic for everyone, and we are keeping an eye on them. We are committed to wind development projects and believe it’s a viable business for us. The capital markets may lead us to slow down a bit but we are still going forward with our wind business,” said Jay Rosser, spokesperson for Mesa Power.

– Boone

In case any of you missed it, Boone was on the Daily Show last night.

Watch the video and see Jon Stewart announce that he and his audience would follow Boone out the building!!

Pass this along to five of your friends and get them to join Boone and the New Energy Army in the fight for American energy independence!

If you enjoyed Boone on The Daily Show, please digg the video of the segment now.

Hey, Army.

We’re in New York City for a bunch of meetings and media. On Wednesday I met with, probably a dozen reporters including the New York Times and a group of energy papers and web sites.

The centerpiece of the day was a conversation with Steve Forbes at his Forbes Magazine “Energy Conference.” Steve and I talked about the Pickens Plan and what I think is going to happen with it when the new Congress and the new Administration start up in January.

Someone asked why I thought the federal government would do anything about an energy plan if they haven’t done it in 40 years.

I told them about you.  The New Energy Army.

I said “I now have about 1.4 million people behind me and having a good plan with that size of an army is, I think, going to make them act.”

I also reminded Steve Forbes that President-elect Obama has said, at least twice on the record, that in 10 years we would no longer be importing oil from the Middle East.

The only way to get there, is substituting natural gas for diesel as the principal fuel for over-the-road trucks.

I am very confident we are going to get action on the Pickens Plan in Washington next year.

The most fun of the day was an appearance on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When I was explaining about the need to cut down on foreign oil and use domestic fuels.

Jon Stewart said, “mayonnaise and white bread? We should run our cars on mayonnaise and white bread?” I said, “As long as they’re made in America!”

After I got into the full explanation Stewart said, “I think I would … and my audience would … follow you out of this building right now!” and the audience cheered and applauded.

You can watch the entire interview, which is very entertaining, by clicking HERE.

– Boone

T. Boone Pickens will appear on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight to discuss the Pickens Plan and his new book, “The First Billion is the Hardest.”

The Daily Show airs at 11 PM (10 Central) on the Comedy Central network.

Tune in tonight and watch Boone and Jon on the Daily Show!

– The Pickens Team

Hey, Army! This is a late-breaking story that I wanted to share with you.

The polling firm of Zogby International did a national survey sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation right after the election and asked about investing in clean energy.

According to the poll, 78 percent “believe investing in clean energy is important to revitalizing America’s economy.”

The survey of over 3,300 voters found that “Support for clean energy investment is particularly strong among younger voters - 87% of those age 18-24 and 80% of those age 18-29 believe this type of investment is necessary to help improve the U.S. economy.”

This is important as the new Congress and the new Administration look for ways to get our economy turned around. You’ve read, I know, that the Department of Energy believes buildling out or wind energy production throughout the Wind Corridor could add 3.5 million new jobs over the next ten years.

Click HERE to read the entire analysis.

This is very important news and I wanted to share it with you.

– Boone.