Oil Billionaire Touts Energy Alternatives

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A Texas billionaire oil tycoon who spent $60 million promoting a plan to wean the nation off foreign oil spoke at Indiana University Friday about advances in wind power and natural gas.

T. Boone Pickens, 81, has written a book, made numerous media appearances and gone on tour to support his plan, 6News' Jennifer Carmack reported.

"It's not my problem. I can make it to the finish line … and my standard of living's not going to change, but for you and the generations to come, you better get it fixed," Pickens said.

Pickens envisions his plan as a grassroots effort that touts wind energy and natural gas as the solutions to the nation's growing energy crisis.

"It has nothing to do with politics, but we are going to get legislation in this country that is going to fix the energy problem that we're facing," Pickens said.

Several new wind farms have been built in Indiana within the last two years, with the largest operation in Benton County, but there is some controversy about those farms.

A recent study found that people who live near turbines suffer from something called wind turbine syndrome, with symptoms of headaches, heart problems and panic attacks, apparently caused by low frequency sound and vibration that leads to an inner-ear imbalance.

"I've never seen one of those studies," Pickens said. "I don't know anything about headaches. I'm not going to spend any time on this, because there's no vibration that I know of. I've been around them."

More Info: Pickens Plan Web Site