Despite appearances, T. Boone Pickens has not become an instant environmentalist. But he has become an advocate of wind power, because he sees the country’s dependence on imported petroleum as a security threat. As he puts it, ‘You don’t have to attack the United States to put us on our back. You just cut 30 percent of the oil.’ Pickens advocates replacing natural gas with wind power to generate electricity. In turn, that natural gas would fuel cars, buses and trucks, replacing gasoline, and reducing petroleum imports. Out of concern for national security, he has devised a strategy that is attractive to environmentalists. Much of the detail of Pickens’ plan remains to be filled in. Aside from a vague reference to the need for tax credits, he has not publicly dealt with the issue of financing the enormously expensive construction of new wind turbines and the vast extension of the national electrical grid that will be required. He is similarly silent about wind power technology not having advanced sufficiently to carry the burden he assigns to it and will require government investment in research and development before it can. Pickens is a steadfast Republican who notoriously financed […]