American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY), an annual forum promoting powerful cross-sector dialogue and collaborations, announces that BP Capital Management founder and principal T. Boone Pickens will again participate at its annual summit, August 17 to 21 at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.

ASPEN, Colo., August 5, 2011 – American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY), an annual forum promoting powerful cross-sector dialogue and collaborations, announces that BP Capital Management founder and principal T. Boone Pickens will again participate at its annual summit, August 17 to 21 at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colo.

Pickens is scheduled to engage on a variety of levels at the eighth annual AREDAY summit, themed "Putting the Green in Green: Monetizing Carbon in the Global Economy." Joining U.S. General Wesley Clark (Ret.) and U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn (Ret.), he will participate in an armchair conversation entitled "National Security and Clean Energy." The discussion, to be moderated by Aspen Institute lifetime trustees chairman Jim Calaway, will take place on Friday, August 19 from 1:00 to 1:45 pm. Pickens will also sit on the panel discussion entitled "The Natural Gas Transition," to be moderated by United Nations Foundation president Tim Wirth. The panel discussion, which will be held on Friday, August 19 at 2:15 pm, will also include former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, Julander Energy president Fred Julander, Colorado Oil and Gas Association president and CEO Tisha Conoly Schuller, and Aspen Science Center geologist Rich Ward.

In addition to his notable history in the oil and gas industry, Pickens is well-known for his 2008 "Pickens Plan," which promotes a radical reduction in U.S. dependency on foreign energy. While the plan calls for an introduction of various alternatives to oil, such as wind and solar energy, its major component is a proposal to convert the nation's commercial transport sector away from OPEC diesel and toward natural gas.

According to AREDAY founder and director Chip Comins, Pickens' contributions were well-received at the 2010 Summit, where he joined Ted Turner, James Cameron and others in addressing the topic "Putting Wealth to Work." He called for "drying up the money going to OPEC," noted that "importing oil is dangerous," and said "we're paying for both sides of the war."

"T. Boone added a dynamic perspective to the 2010 AREDAY conversation," Comins said, "and we anticipate the same candor this year. His national leadership on renewable energy, energy independence and national security, along with his straight talk and no-holds-barred approach to problem solving is needed. We are fortunate that our Summit can bring together such powerful leaders on the climate agenda."

AREDAY co-director Sally Ranney added, "T. Boone's strategic insight and guidance are critically important as our country transitions from fossil fuels. His role in promoting energy independence through natural gas is a vital component of our national security."

Ranney also noted Pickens' expression at the 2010 Summit that the rules and regulations for creating safe, environmentally conscious methods of extracting natural gas are clear. He debunked claims that fracking damages aquifers, stating that "No one wants to destroy the environment," and noting that "Water is 500 feet down and fracking occurs at 10,000 feet – it's a huge difference."

Pickens' 2010 Summit contributions additionally included claim that natural gas is best employed for power generation, especially as 52 percent of today's power is generated from coal. "But be realistic," he said, "You're going to use coal. It won't work to use wind for 100 percent of our needs." Pickens also shared his beliefs that today's air quality challenges can be overcome by using natural gas, which is 30 percent cleaner than gasoline or diesel, and that natural gas will soon be extracted from landfills. According to Pickens' remarks, "It's real and can be done."

Pickens also discussed creating a "blueprint" to help shift attitudes among Americans about energy use. He specifically called for "Convincing the American people it's not a political issue, but it's about America and meeting the needs of generations in the future."

For additional information on AREDAY 2011 sponsorship opportunities and registration deadlines, visit www.areday.net. To learn more about exhibiting at the AREDAY 2011 Expo, log on to www.areday.net/expo.html.

About AREDAY
Since 2004, American Renewable Energy Day (AREDAY) has been bringing top leaders and educators together to promote the rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency strategies via demonstrations, presentations, performances, film screenings and dialogue. Each year, AREDAY has hosted nationally and internationally renowned speakers and attracted attendees from across the globe – resulting in unique, powerful cross-sector collaborations and actions around the climate change issue. For more information, visit www.areday.net.

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