Montana Cattlemen's Association

Press Release

Release Date:      April 6, 2009

Montana Cattlemen's Association has endorsed the national energy plan put forth by T. Boone Pickens known as the Pickens Plan.  This plan, among other things, calls for a huge investment in wind energy and transmission lines to move electricity from rural areas to metropolitan areas.

MCA leadership met with Mr. Pickens while he was in Helena.  The plan calls for drastic cuts in the use of foreign oil, and in its place the utilization of natural gas of which the U.S. has in abundance.  Presently, as T. Boone Pickens points out, our importation of foreign oil results in the largest transfer of wealth in the history of man.  Secondly, he believes we've reached  peak worldwide production of 87 million barrels per day.  We can only achieve energy independence by utilizing the resources we have:  wind, solar, and natural gas.

For farmers and ranchers the $4 per gallon fuel costs we absorbed last summer are not sustainable.  MCA President Brett DeBruycker points out, "The winter wheat crop put in the ground last fall with high fuel costs and high fertilizer costs will be problematic come summer harvest."

MCA is also calling for farmers and ranchers to explore the prospect of wind turbines on their farm and ranch homesteads as a means of protecting themselves from high electrical costs.  Each farm and ranch will have to determine if such an installation is viable to their respective operation.  Such forward thinking fits in with the Pickens Plan.

Finally, MCA Vice-President Kim Baker notes, "The Pickens Plan is the first workable and comprehensive energy plan put forth by the U.S.  At this time, it is the only energy plan that fits the needs of Montana's farmers and ranchers." 

To more fully learn of the plan visit http://www.pickensplan.com/.