Pickens proposes North American energy alliance

Oklahoman native T. Boone Pickens is pitching a new idea as part of his Pickens Plan to reduce the nation’s reliance on OPEC oil.

In a two-minute video posted on his website, Pickens suggests a North American energy alliance to help the United States, Canada and Mexico maximize their resources.

“We are obviously the market for their oil. They are both exporters of oil. This is the safest oil that we can bring into our country. We should bring the countries together.”

Pickens said the U.S. should approve the Keystone XL pipeline to improve energy security and create a market for Canada’s oil.

He said Canada also could provide additional markets for U.S. natural gas.

Pickens said Canada provides more than 3 million barrels of oil a day to the U.S., while Mexico contributes more than 1 million barrels each day.

“These countries are extremely important to us and we’re extremely important to them. Tie up with them, have a NA energy alliance and it would make our country much, much more secure.”

The Pickens Plan, which is supported by more than 1.7 million Americans, is Pickens’ vision of using abundant American natural gas to break the country’s dependence on foreign oil.

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