Ad by T. Boone Pickens promoting alternative energy originally considered too controversial

By Matthew B. Zeidman

NEW YORK (Hollywood Today) 8/29/08 – For a moment, it seemed as if NBC had no love for Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens’ energy conservation plan, but the tide turned Wednesday, when the network reversed its decision to reject a commercial featuring Pickens promoting alternative energy.

According to Adweek, NBC’s original rejection letter, issued Tuesday, read, “The ad is not acceptable for air on the NBC network because the spots address controversial issues and it is our policy not to air ads addressing such issues on our network.”

At the heart of the controversy, according to the publication’s anonymous source, was Pickens’ on-air statement that America was “not doing a thing” to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, as well his accusation that Iran was converting its domestic vehicles to natural gas power in order to sell more oil to foreign markets.

NBC will also air the spot, which is part of a recent series of ads created by Pickens, on cable stations CNBC and MSNBC.

Pickens has been a vocal promoter of natural gas, solar and wind power and is currently in the process of building the world’s largest wind farm in his home state.  He has drafted what he calls the “Pickens Plan,” which calls for the replacement of 22 percent of electricity in the United States produced by natural gas with that produced by wind power, so the amount of natural gas being used to run U.S. vehicles could be raised to 38 percent, cutting oil consumption.