Army:

2010 may be ending with the nose of the football just shy of the legislative goal line, but we need to remember that we began the Pickens Plan from square one back in 2008 when few recognized the economic and national security implications of our dependency on OPEC oil.

First we had to convince the nation that there was a problem with oil from OPEC. Next, we had to show them what the solution to that problem was. Then we got the conversation picked up in every corner – the media, our elected officials, in business and among many others. Together, we’ve educated countless Americans and our voice gets louder every day.

2010 has some great success stories, including:

  • We saw AT&T and Verizon both build their commitment to convert large segments of their domestic truck and van fleets to run on American natural gas. General Motors announced plans to make natural gas powered vans available. Fiat – which is now a major owner of Chrysler – announced it would be bringing its highly developed NGV technology to the United States.
  • Newspapers – in major markets and smaller cities – weighed in on the need to decrease our dependence on OPEC oil. From the New York Times and the Houston Chronicle to the Amarillo Globe-News, these outlets carried editorials in support of the elements of the Pickens Plan.
  • Reports of larger reserves of domestic natural gas were produced throughout the year, including the Energy Information Agency’s report in December that doubled the amount of technically recoverable natural gas from shale in the United States.
  • Two countries are actually adopting the Pickens Plan – Iran and China! Both countries are aggressively moving toward NGVs instead of gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles. They’re taking the Pickens Plan and running with it.

We’re not going away. If I’ve learned anything during the many years of my business career it is this: No one has ever accomplished his or her goal by quitting or failing to meet and overcome a challenge. You reach your goal by hitching up your pants and wading back into the fight.

That’s what I’m going to do in 2011. And I know you’ll be with me.

I wish you and your families a happy and safe holiday. And to those men and women serving our country abroad, a safe return to your loved ones.

– Boone