The Pickens Plan, billionaire energy investor T. Boone Pickens‘ plan to reduce American dependence on foreign oil, has been getting a tonne of attention since Pickens launched the initiative at the beginning of the month.

And so it should.

First off, Pickens, a qualified geologist, knows a thing or two about oil and energy. In 1956 he founded Mesa Power. The company grew into the largest independent exploration companies in the US.