Gone with the Wind

Our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels could be gone, if we would only use the wind. In a surprising take, oil and gas executive T. Boone Pickens said the nation could reduce its dependence on imported oil by 38 percent if it used natural gas to power cars and trucks instead of generating electricity. Part of his plan would involve developing solar and wind power, but would also include generating more power using nuclear plants (which obviously comes with its own set of problems.)

“If wind plays a bigger part, and you bring solar on, and you take natural gas being used in electricity generation and move it to transportation, then you reduce the imports we need by 38 percent,” Pickens said. “That is huge. There hasn’t been anyone yet who’s come up with a similar plan.”

The state of Ohio is also looking to wind power for a sustainable future. The otherwise imperfect energy bill—filled with compromises—due to be signed by Gov. Strickland this week, requires utility companies to begin generating a portion of their power with wind, solar and other renewable technologies. Wind turbine installers have promised to rush into the Buckeye state after the bill becomes law, because opportunities here will be extensive, according to news reports.