The big thinking of a Texas billionaire might help the nation get moving toward more energy independence.

T. Boone Pickens may or may not have the best plan to attack America’s dependence on foreign oil, but he deserves credit for putting forth a proposal that invites the country to break its current pattern of energy production and consumption.

In a video reminiscent of Al Gore’s global warming presentation, Pickens drives home the point that the nation’s current energy policy is a losing strategy. The United States now uses about 25 percent of the world’s oil. Seventy percent of our oil supply comes from foreign sources at a cost of $700 billion a year. That kind of dependence on foreign oil endangers national security as well as the U.S. economy.

Pickens’ plan is aimed at capitalizing on domestic energy sources, primarily wind power and natural gas. His plan is to deploy wind generators across the central Plains from Texas to North Dakota. Currently, 22 percent of the nation’s electricity is generated using natural gas. He wants to replace that 22 percent with wind-generated electricity, freeing up the natural gas to be used as a cleaner, less expensive fuel for American cars and trucks.

The plan seems reasonable and practical. It also has the advantage of being able to be implemented fairly quickly compared with some other energy options. Pickens acknowledges it isn’t the ultimate solution to the energy crisis, but he says it could provide “a bridge” to tide America over while other energy strategies are being explored.

There are, of course, reasons for skepticism. First is that Pickens stands to profit nicely from the plan because of his investments in wind energy and natural gas. That’s true, but any energy plan that isn’t profitable for someone isn’t very likely to succeed.

Critics also point out that wind is a sporadic power source and that, because wind generators are mostly located in rural areas, the nation will have to invest in additional transmission lines to carry the electricity to the customers who need it. Building additional transmission lines doesn’t seem less practical than building large pipelines to carry oil, and although wind is a sporadic source, it could be one piece in a larger energy strategy that included other energy sources.

That larger strategy is what our nation is lacking now. Pickens’ figures clearly illustrate why the nation needs to commit to a bolder, more creative approach to our energy future. Continuing on our current path could lead to dire results for our economy and our environment. Pickens may not have the ultimate plan, but he will have done the nation a great service if he can get American leaders to think seriously about new ways to meet our energy challenges.