Conference: Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure USA 2012

April 18th - 19th 2012, Sheraton Mission Valley Hotel, San Diego, California. Registration here. Full brochure. Top level speakers include: Michael Pesin, CTO, Seattle City Light; Chris Chen, Market Development Manager, SDG&E; Jon Bucci, Vice President of Telematics, Toyota; Greg Tabak, Director, Business Sales, Enterprise Holdings; Aaron Cohen, Director of Marketing, Coda Automotive; Leslie Baroody, EV Team Leader, CA Energy Commission; Oliver Hazimeh, Partner & Emobility Lead, PWC’s PRTM Management; John Gartner, Analyst, Pike Research; Helena Perslow, Market Analyst, IMS Research; Marinana Gerzanych, CEO, 350 Green; Robert Langford, Manager, Electric Vehicle Sales and Marketing, American Honda; Mike Ferry, Transportation Programs Manager, California Center for Sustainable Energy; Jason Wolf, VP of North America, Better Place; Ryan Popple, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers; and Brendan Jones, Director - Nissan LEAF Marketing & Sales Strategy, Nissan North America.

T. Boone Pickens: Let's transform energy -- with natural gas

T. Boone Pickens talks about national security and domestic energy.

The US consumes 25% of the world's oil -- but as energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens points out onstage, the country has no energy policy to prepare for the inevitable. Is alternative energy our bridge to an oil-free future? After losing $150 million investing in wind energy, Pickens suggests it isn't, not yet. What might get us there? Natural gas. After the talk, watch for a lively Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson.

He's Just A Bill

The classic...

T. Boone Pickens Interview With Orlando Sentinel

The video of the interview of T. Boone Pickens is available here.

Texas billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens was in Central Florida on March 7 to talk with the Orlando Sentinel’s editorial board. Pickens has shifted his energy interests to natural gas, which he says is the best way for the United States to reduce its dependence on foreign oil imports. Pickens talked with the board about natural gas, the government’s lack of an energy policy and the unwillingness of President Obama and his Republican challengers to face up to the nation’s energy problems.

U.S. Dept. of Energy Secretary Chu Recommends Natural Gas

Speaking at this year's Green Truck Summit in Indianapolis, Secretary Chu said "We want to diversify our source of transportation energy."

Chu likened America's fuel crisis to a beef-eater who can no longer afford to buy beef. With crude oil prices at well over $100 per barrel, producers are investing in riskier sources, Chu said. Arctic or deepwater oil wells cost as much as $5 billion each to start up, so producers want to get the highest price possible for the investment. "That's why it's so important to diversify, to be able to use pork and chicken and pasta," Chu said.

Pickens' 5-year plan for energy prices

Obama’s Budget FY 2013 Request Includes NGV Incentives

An article in NGV Global News:

1. Provide a Tax Credit for Medium & Heavy-Duty Alternative Fuel Vehicles (page 34). The credit is $20,000 for vehicles weighing more than 14,000 pounds but not more than 26,000 pounds and $40,000 for vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds. However, incentives for light-duty vehicles are not included.
2. Extend several expiring tax credits through FY 2013 (page 65 and Table 4) including six alternative fuel incentives: biodiesel, renewable diesel, alternative fuel, alternative fuel mixtures, cellulosic biofuel, alternative fuel vehicle refueling property, plug-in hybrid conversion.
3. Extend to 100 percent the first-year depreciation deduction for qualified property (pages 3-4). This provision was available at 100 percent during the period September 8, 2010 to December 31, 2011. It currently is available at 50 percent.
4. Request $26.5 million in funding for the Clean Cities program for FY 2013.

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