T. Boone Pickens Has Wind by the Panhandle

by Andrea Millar — May 26, 2008

An apology to all the Texas oilmen reading this article if this comes out as a slightly ignorant statement, but if I had to choose the perfect Texas panhandle oil tycoon name, "T. Boone Pickens" would definitely be at the top of the list. "T. Boone Pickens, at yer service! All your oil needs since 1985!" And yes, the cheesy white suit and cowboy hat is completely required. Now picture this image paired with the largest purchase ever recorded for wind turbines: the first ever Texas wind-power tycoon.

The 667 turbines cost a cool 3 million each, or about 2 billion total. That's certainly a lot of snakeskin boots to match that suit. But Pickens (who is also an anti-horsemeat activist and loves hunting bobwhite quail with a fierceness), plans to gather enough turbines into the wind-rich Texas panhandle to power 300,000 homes. While one erstwhile oil tycoon very politely asks our suppliers for more oil, pretty please?, this one is out to oust the oil regime with wind power and a natural gas vehicle kickstart. Pickens is also heavily involved in popularizing natural gas vehicles as the next viable green fuel. Of course, big oil and the natural gas movement are rather strange sparring partners, considering most natural gas is produced in the very oil fields that form the current bone of contention in every political move these days. Maybe soon, thanks to people like Pickens, they'll find a way to make a buck or two and stop burning it off. In the meantime, Pickens' wind power project could prove to be one hugely profitable green collar job.