Billionaire T. Boone Pickens says political conservatives and tea-party types should embrace his Pickens Plan for natural-gas use, not attack it because of its tax credits for natural gas.
Citing published reports, the Dallas energy magnate said the wealthy Koch Brothers of Koch Industries are behind the attacks. The Kochs, he said, have holdings in ethanol and oil and are merely looking to protect their interests. “They don’t want natural-gas prices to rise,” he said.
In comments made today, just before he attended a Dallas luncheon for Phoenix Houses of Texas, Pickens (pictured in photo by Jeanne Prejean) scoffed at charges that he’s pushing the Plan, now before Congress as the NAT GAS Act, because it would benefit him personally. “I’ve spent $82 million to give America an energy plan it’s never had,” he said. He added that continuing to buy OPEC oil subsidizes terrorists, and that he’s asked for any natural-gas tax breaks to “sunset” in five years. “You need a lift to get it started,” he said.
