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Nancy Pelosi and her husband invested approximately $50,000 to $100,000 in T. Boone Picken's Clean Energy Fuels Corporation, launched on May 25, 2007.  And even though natural gas is a fossil fuel which emits CO2 - considered a main greenhouse gas - she and Harry Reid sent out a letter on February 26, 2009 to Stephen Ayers, Acting Architect of the Capital, requesting that the Capital Power Plant use 100% natural gas for its operation.  

With the Capital Power Plant considered the largest source of pollution in Washington, D.C., many feel this conversion is beneficial as it will not only reduce the amount of emissions in the area, but also prevent the transportation of coal. Her letter stated that the carbon and criteria pollutant emissions would be drastically reduced, with more than 95% of sulfur oxide and 50% of carbon monoxide being reduced as a result of it.

The problem here is that many advocates are not happy with the changeover to "another fossil fuel" even though her letter states natural gas is a clean alternative fuel. They also are not happy with the fact Nancy Pelosi and her husband have personally invested in the very energy company which will be responsible for the power at the Capital Power Plant. It does not look good for her, especially if she makes any money in the process when everyone else is going broke.

INVESTMENT RULES FOR PELOSIS

Nancy Pelosi and T. Boone Picket are typically an unlike alliance in energy. He has been shown to support Republican causes, also being welcomed by very powerful Democrats who like the fact he has developed alternatives to oil. According to the Wall Street Journal on August 23, 2008, advocates for Pelosi state this alliance "does not raise any direct conflict-of-interest issues" or violate any ethics rules of the House of Representatives. These Picket shares are valued at less than 1% of both Pelosis' total 2007 public and private investment assets, with their net asset value estimated of up to $156 million.

According to Andrew Littlefair, Picken's Clean Energy president, "We believe Clean Energy stands to benefit from the momentum generated from energy issues to the forefront in the U.S."  With Pelosi aligning herself with a financial interest in natural gas, the shares of natural gas companies at one time were doubled since Congress became Democratic-controlled in 2006. With many feeling this is due to the rising oil prices, others feel it has been the result of proposed legislation from Congress.

EXPANDING USAGE OF NATURAL GAS

Quickly becoming a Democratic key energy strategy, the promotion of natural gas has been in the hands of T. Boone Pickens, Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy, and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Even though many bills to promote natural gas have gone nowhere, with Rahm Emanuel in the White House many feel he is one of Congress's largest proponents of compressed natural gas cars. And with the car industry in serious financial problems, his ideas of building an auto fleet with natural gas fuels vehicles  and several tax incentives/mandates for the promotion of natural gas pumps  in filling stations may actually develop quicker than before.  Besides, the Appalachia area is rich in natural gas along the Marcellus Shale play, which would mean lots of jobs for the poor, rural area in this area---as long as the government protects the environment.  This would mean much needed jobs in an area where removing mountaintops for coal may be on the line under the Obama administration. The previous administration under Bush was very much for this sort of progress, whereas Obama is totally in opposition to it.

The expanding use of natural gas is actually firing up several thousand people who are gathering March 2, 2009, for a massive protest of the possible changeover to natural gas at the Capital Power Plant. Organizers from Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, and Chesapeake Climate Action Network will provide one of the largest displays of civil disobedience against global warming in the history of our country. Originally planned before Pelosi's letter went out as a protest against the amount of emissions in the area, it is now a protest by many against maintaining yet another natural fossil emission at the power plant. But overall, it is a protest calling for a solution to the climate crisis. It also is protesting the end of coal usage as our climate is still in crisis with coal driving it. Congress feels their move to natural gas reflects their awareness that change is being demanded by the public, and feels their letter is a demonstration of this.