T. Boone Pickens Statement on the Natural Gas Act

Washington, DC, April 1, 2009 – T. Boone Pickens offered the following statement of support for H.R. 1835, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions (NAT GAS) Act.
“America ’s national and economic security depends on moving off foreign oil as quickly as possible. Natural gas is the cleanest, most abundant, most economical domestic fuel to replace imported diesel. The U.S. has enough natural gas reserves to last us more than 118 years—we should turn to it as an immediate replacement for foreign oil in fleets and heavy duty vehicles. A battery can’t move an 18-wheeler—the technology isn’t there yet. Natural gas buys us a bridge to the future.
“The NAT GAS Act will provide the immediate incentives and long-term stability for companies to seriously move from imported diesel and gasoline to domestic natural gas. Last month, AT&T announced a program to replace 8,000 vehicles—or one fifth of its fleet—to run on natural gas. I know that this legislation will motivate many others, from major corporations and municipalities operating fleets to individual owner-operators, to choose a truly American fuel at the pump.”