Texas State Senators Robert Duncan and Kelton (Kel) Seliger respond to T-Bonehead Pickens' latest scam, but they failed to note another conflict of interest in T-Bonehead's latest scam: wind power and natural gas as vehicle fuel. T-Bonehead's swindle includes his water scam to pump an aquifer dry and the use of the land surface above the water wells to provide right of way for the power transmission lines from the nearby wind farm. T-Bonehead's Mesa, Inc. owns most of the Hugoton Natural Gas Field in SW Kansas and NW Oklahoma. Guess who would supply the lion's share of the natural gas that would replace gasoline in T-Bonehead's latest scam? In the 1980s, T-Bonehead made a billion bucks (conservative estimate) by staging phony takeovers of oil companies like Gulf Oil and Unocal. The target oil companies sold themselves to other oil companies (white knights) rather fall into T-Bonehead's clutches. T-Bonehead then sold the shares he bought in the target oil companies at a huge profit. The losers were the Gulf and Unocal employees who lost their jobs in the mergers with the white knights. How many geologists does an oil company need? I knew a Gulf "retiree" who would spit (no matter where he stood) at the mention of T-Bonehead's name. It was kind of messy in his living room. T-Bonehead portrayed himself as the savior of oil companies that were not earning as much as they would with T-Bonehead as their CEO. Actually, T-Bonehead was stuffing his pockets. If anyone thinks that T-Bonehead doesn't have the same scam in mind with his wind/natural gas scam is a prime prospect for a real estate deal. There's a bridge in NYC that can be had for a steal; the folks in Manhattan and Brooklyn won't miss it. If this is (fair & balanced) delusion, so be it.
[x Austin Fishwrap]
Don't Cut Off The Lifeblood Of West Texas
By Texas State Senators Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) and Kelton (Kel) Seliger (R-Amarillo)
Many angry landowners have contacted us about a plan that, contrary to good public policy, will affect property rights of rural Texans. The new Roberts County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1, acting as an alter ego of businessman T. Boone Pickens and Mesa Power Pampa LLC, has launched a private venture that may force landowners across 11 counties to submit to the power of eminent domain so that district can pump water from the shrinking Ogallala Aquifer and sell wind-generated electricity. This new governmental entity is composed of only five people, all employees or associates of Pickens. Mesa is Pickens' private company; he controls the various corporate shells identified with this project in filings with the Public Utility Commission.
Pickens' plan is to sell 200,000 acre-feet of Ogallala water each year to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, even though the plan has not been embraced by water policy planners as an economically viable solution. Such an extensive extraction of water from the Ogallala Aquifer will affect natural spring flows and on the Panhandle and West Texas communities that depend on that water.
Enabling the wind part of the project stems from a last-minute House amendment last year that allows a fresh water supply district to host transmission lines from wind energy projects on its rights-of-way or easements. The amendment lets Pickens' personal fresh water supply district develop right-of-way to build the transmission lines for wind-generated energy he intends to sell. This part of the plan also taps the emotions of those who support development of wind energy resources in the Panhandle (as we do).
Many believe that if they oppose Pickens' supply district's Ogallala-to-Metroplex water project, they will miss out on wind energy opportunities. That is not true.
Pickens isn't the only one seeking to develop wind energy. He's just the only one who personally owns a governmental entity to obtain the right-of-way for him.
There is an undeniable demand growing for renewable energy. Wind power has come to Texas, and it will be developed in the Panhandle and West Texas, regardless of whether Pickens' latest venture succeeds. To transport the much-needed renewable energy to the rest of the state and nation, companies will build transmission lines. Mesa Power is proposing one transmission line, but it isn't the only proposal.
Within the next few weeks, the PUC will complete its Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZs) proceeding, consistent with the public policy priority of efficient and orderly development of wind energy. A transmission route will be selected to carry wind energy to the state's energy grid. Since this process began in 2006, more than 100 people have filed comments with the PUC, and 85 parties, Mesa among them, have participated in this process.
The Panhandle and West Texas have a long history of helping our neighbors. Our cotton, grain, beef and oil have clothed, fed and moved Texans for generations, and we're proud of that heritage. Though we look forward to developing renewable energy to be purchased by our neighbors, we cannot give up an important future source of water for our region — nor are we required to do so. The Ogallala is not "surplus" water; it is a critical source of water for future generations who choose to settle and raise their families in the Panhandle and West Texas.
We are working with our colleagues in the Legislature to develop long-term solutions for water and wind resources. We intend to address the issues raised by this poorly conceived project. Water is not like oil; it is like blood — life-sustaining.
[Senator Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) represents District 28 (46 Panhandle and West Texas counties). Duncan attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock: BS and JD; he served in the Texas House of Representatives (1993-1996) and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1997. Senator Kelton (Kel) Seliger (R-Amarillo) represents District 31 (26 counties from the Panhandle to the Permian Basin; the district includes Amarillo, Midland, Odessa and Big Spring). Seliger was elected to the Texas Senate in 2004 and before that served for four terms as Mayor of Amarillo. Seliger graduated from Dartmouth College in 1975.]
Copyright © 2008 Austin American-Statesman
Get an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Reader at no cost from Google. Another free Reader is available at RSS Reader.
