PickensPlan Pushed by Patton Boggs

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In July, oil industry figure T. Boone Pickens launched the PickensPlan to promote "energy independence" from "foreign oil" for the United States. In the plan, Pickens promotes the use of wind power to generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity, and natural gas and biofuels for transportation. Pickens now has business interests from funds management, water projects and the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. O'Dwyers PR Daily reports that Pickens has hired the Washington D.C. lobbying firm Patton Boggs "to win Washington support" for the plan. One of those managing the account for Patton Boggs is Benjamin Ginsberg, who was national counsel to the two Bush-Cheney campaigns and, his biographical note states, "played a central role in the 2000 Florida recount." O'Dwyers reports that Pickens used Sloane & Co for the launch of his plan and has also been using North Bridge Communications for PR support.