Thursday, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have been seeing several commercials featuring the legendary Texas oil baron, T. Boone Pickens making his pitch for a dramatic investment in wind and solar power to help alleviate the energy crisis battering every segment of American society. According to Pickens’ plan, by ratcheting up wind power to meet out electricity needs, we will have enough leftover natural gas to fuel our cars.

It is inspiring to see a person of great influence and power step up to solve a problem without resorting to partisan rancor. As Pickens himself says, “it’s our crisis, and we can solve it.” 

Hey, unless there’s something I’m missing here, sign me up.

And of course I recognize that there is financial self-interest involved here for this man. He’s investing huge amounts of his money to build a gigantic wind farm in a rural part of Texas. And I’m sure he expects to make a lot of profit from this. Well, bully for him. This doesn’t bother me lick.

I mean if we don’t encourage wealthy entrepreneurs to dig in and get involved in the energy crisis, who is going to do it? Do we really think it will be the government? I don’t think so. The insidious partisanship in Congress prevents almost every meaningful reform. Shackled as they are to the influence of lobbyists and special interests, there’s just no way I believe the government knows how to solve the problem.

So here comes T. Boone Pickens, who says straight out, “I’ve been an oilman all my life.”  From where I sit if he’s the kind of guy who can become a billionaire in oil, he’s probably the kind of guy who can become a billionaire in wind. And if Pickens becomes a billionaire in wind, it means that we are probably going to be less dependent on the psychotic Middle East for our energy.

Have at it T. Boone!