Pickens would OK Gore as 'energy czar'

WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) -- Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens says if Barack Obama is elected president, "I think I would be for Al Gore for energy czar."

Pickens, in an interview aired Friday on National Journal On Air, was speaking about his campaign to promote a national move to domestic energy sources, switching from gasoline to natural gas for vehicles and replacing gas-burning power plants with a variety of sources, including coal, solar, wind and nuclear power.

"The problem first: We are paying now $700 billion a year for foreign oil," he said. "We're going to break the country, is what's going to happen."

Pickens said there is one natural resource in America that can replace foreign oil -- natural gas. He said he spoke last week with former Vice President Al Gore, who he said "is not big on natural gas."

"He wants to go to the electric car, and I think you have to bridge to the electric car, and natural gas is ready to go now."

As to whether Gore should be energy czar if presumptive Democratic nominee Obama wins in November, Pickens said, "In that case, I think I would be for Al Gore for energy czar."