Pickens Pushing For Wind Power And Natural Gas

There are efforts to clear the way for more energy production right here in the U.S. The high cost of gasoline has affected all of us and not just when we fill up the tank. We're spending more on goods and services and even the electricity we use to cool our homes on these hot summer days, but a legendary oilman says we shouldn't have to.

Six in the Morning's Carina Sonn reports T. Boone Pickens made his fortune in oil. Now he wants Congress to make it easier to use wind power and natural gas.

Pickens went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to push his plan which includes big wind farms. He says switching to a renewable resource would free up natural gas to power cars. And in turn, Pickens says it will make the country more stable and save Americans money.

"If the government wanted to build a grid, I mean, do it. But if they don't want to do it, I think the money is there to do it private, and so it's kind of like either do it or get out of the way," said Pickens.

But Pickens' plan has its skeptics, even here in Oklahoma.

People in Piedmont live in the path of high voltage power lines, which pump electricity from wind farms to homes in Oklahoma City. Neighbors say the power lines are ugly and make a lot of noise.

"Nobody wants to live around these lines and a lot of these people have substantial investments.  And they're concerned about their property value with the line being there," said Piedmont resident John Brown.

The power company says it's already avoiding schools, churches, cemeteries and nature preserves, which leaves them little freedom on where to put the power poles.