For immediate release
December 14, 2016
Contact: Jay Rosser, [email protected]

Statement from T. Boone Pickens on Former Texas Governor as Pick for U.S. Secretary of Energy

Rick Perry is a friend. He was a great Texas governor, and I believe he will be a great Secretary of Energy.

Believe me, the man understands energy. He’s been a long-serving Texas governor who has witnessed first-hand what natural gas and oil mean to the state and national economies and the workforce.

He also presided over Texas during a time in which deregulation and transmission projects enabled wind energy production in the state to grow from 184 megawatts of installed capacity in the year 2000 to over 14,000 megawatts at the end of 2014. Texas continues to be the largest producer of wind energy with now over 17,700 megawatts of installed capacity followed by Iowa with 6,200 megawatts of wind energy.

He understands what happens to the oil and gas industry with too much government regulation and he understands how important domestic production is to our economy and our national security.

In accepting this role, I’m hopeful Rick will inject a dose of reality to an agency that has for far too long focused on research of energy resources that can be employed decades from now and not pursuing policies that can take advantage of America’s rich energy resources today.

In taking the job, I hope Rick recognizes that with five key factors we can “Make America Great Again” on the back of our nation’s expanding supplies of oil and natural gas and how it can be used to address our national security and economic concerns.

First, we must assign clear accountability for energy decisions.

Second, we must inject real fuel competition into the transportation mix.

Third, we should focus on meeting our own energy needs before we worry about other countries.

Fourth, we should pursue a North American Energy Alliance.

Fifth, we should remember that, globally, energy is not a free market.

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