adn.com | Alaska Politics : T. Boone Pickens on ANWR

Alaska Politics

This is the place to talk about Alaska politics -- state, local, national. Public life in the Last Frontier has probably never been more interesting than right now -- the governor as candidate for vice president, the broad and still-evolving corruption investigation, a big election, powerful members of Congress under scrutiny, and the usual hardball Alaska politics. Come here for news, tidbits and information, and join the discussion. Keep your comments civil and on point. Avoid personal attacks. Do not use profanity. Posts that violate the Terms of Use will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be banned.

Contributors

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau in 2007, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the ADN before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins covers politics and other stories for the ADN. He covered the 2006 campaign for governor, has blogged extensively about Alaska politics, covered Anchorage city government and was a reporter based in the Mat-Su. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and previously was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Features

2008 Election

At one point the races with Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young promised to be the highest-profile campaigns in Alaska history.

PHOTOS

The Photo Blog: From the RNC

Photographer Marc Lester is blogging on Sarah Palin and the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis this week.

SECTION

Gov. Sarah Palin

Get past and current coverage of Alaska's Governor as she battles to become the next vice president.

Photo galleries

Reader-submitted Palin photos

T. Boone Pickens on ANWR

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: July 22, 2008 - 2:28 pm

From Erika Bolstad in Washington D.C. --

Legendary Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens has been making a lot of noise in Washington D.C. (You've probably seen his national television commercials emphasizing his new wind energy projects.)

Here's a McClatchy story about Pickens' testimony today on Capitol Hill. An excerpt: "Pickens, ranked by Forbes as the 117th richest man in America, has amassed a $3 billion fortune as one of the nation’s most successful oilmen. But the 80-year-old entrepreneur is now urging Americans to quickly shift to other forms of energy to escape what he called a national security crisis over the nation’s "addiction" to foreign oil."

Steve Hansen, who serves as a spokesman for Rep. Don Young on the House Natural Resources Committee, points out that Pickens also has strong opinions about developing domestic resources. From CNN's Situation Room this afternoon:

CNN’s WOLF BLITZER: "What about drilling offshore? There's a debate, as you know, McCain says, 'yes, go ahead and drill off the coast of Florida and California.' Obama says, 'No.' You're an oilman. What do you say?"

T. BOONE PICKENS: "Okay. McCain says, 'OK off the East and West Coast.' I say East, West Coast and ANWR –- get it all! To get off of foreign oil, that is the enemy. … You're drilling and whatever you are able to find and put into the domestic system will help us."

login or register to post comments

6 July 23, 2008 - 11:44am | jmacinak

It`s too bad

that our own energy "partners" and the republican party deem it bad business and "socialistic" to give us here in Alaska a break on oil and gas prices when we own the damn resource. Maybe those 80 villages will get another gift from CITGO. There is no legal reason Alaska should be tied to the henry hub price for natural gas. There is no legal reason we are charged the highest gasoline and heating oil prices in the nation. And the companies wanted ten billion MORE dollars to even say they would build a gas pipeline?, and that only when they deemed it "profitable enough"?... pure greed, gouging, and warehousing. Then they have the balls enough to overcharge us for transporting our royalty oil down their oil pipeline. I hope the senate has the same gumption and wisdom that the house showed in voting for the AGIA license.

5 July 23, 2008 - 1:49am | Sheridan_Sheraton

Funny story about one of

Funny story about one of T Boone Pickens' other projects here.

4 July 22, 2008 - 8:39pm | TheSdog

Anybody notice

that oil crazy Texas partly under encouragement from T Bone is moving ahead with wind power in a big way.

Texas is booming for a number of other reasons as well including affordability, legal climate, and an increasingly favorable tax structure.

It seems to be fashionable to hate Texas up here but Texas would be a better place to emulate then Venezuela.

3 July 22, 2008 - 7:38pm | erak

As T Boone would say, that dog won't hunt

Unless the obamasiah (hey, did I just make that one up?)has a revelation and decrees ANWR should be explored...after the election.

July 22, 2008 - 7:45pm | rfn

A Flip-Flop?

Never happen.

He's as much a Democrat as, and as flip-flop proof as.....

John Kerry?

2 July 22, 2008 - 4:41pm | ak_iceman2003

Swift Boat Pickens

Isn't this the same guy who reneged on the Kerry wager?

1 July 22, 2008 - 3:08pm | rfn

Pickens is making too much sense.

Isn't he listening when Congress tell us all -- him included -- that only oil from OPEC countries can help with America's energy needs? The man's getting old and just doesn't listen!

Of course he's right but that's hardly politically correct in these days of looming obamanation. He may find himself under investigation!

Search Jobs | Place an employment ad

Alaska Politics

Contributors

Features

Archive

T. Boone Pickens on ANWR