T. Boone Pickens brings energy message to ABQ

BILLIONAIRE OILMAN T BOONE PICKENS IS IN ALBUQUERQUE PITCHING HIS IDEAS FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY AND HE SAYS NEW MEXICO HAS A ROLE IN AMERICA S ENERGY INDEPENDENCE CRIS ORNELAS IS LIVE DOWNTOWN WITH OUR TOP STORY T BOONE PICKENS MADE HIS FORTUNE IN THE OILFIELDS OF TEXAS BUT NOW HE SAYS AMERICA HAS TO TURN TO A DIFFERENT SOURCE FOR ITS UNQUENCHABLE THIRST FOR ENERGY THE EIGHTY YEAR OLD IS HOSTED A TOWN HALL MEETING HERE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER THIS MORNING PICKENS SAYS WIND AND NATURAL GAS ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO AMERICA S 700 BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR OIL ADDICTION HE SAYS GIANT WIND FARMS COULD ONE DAY SUPPLY 20 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY S ENERGY NEEDS AND HE SUPPORTS NATURAL GAS INSTEAD OF ELECTRICITY TO RUN VEHICLES IT MAY SEEM STRANGE FOR A BILLIONAIRE OILMAN TO BE PUSHING ALTERNATIVE ENERGY BUT PICKENS IS INVESTED IN BOTH NATURAL GAS AND WIND TURBINE TECHNOLOGY PICKENS WIND FARM IDEA WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED 1 2 TRILLION DOLLARS COST AN ESTIMATED 1 2 TRILLION DOLLARS BUT HE SAYS PART OF IT WOULD BE A CORRIDOR OF GIANT WIND TURBINES ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO RIO RANCHO CITY COUNCILORS WILL