Owens Corning joins forces with T. Boone Pickens

Owens Corning, a leader in building materials systems and glass fiber reinforcements, is partnering with T. Boone Pickens, author of the Pickens Plan, in an effort to advance energy independence and energy efficiency in homes and buildings, the Toledo, Ohio-based company announced.

The Pickens Plan, which came into the national spotlight during the 2008 presidential election campaign, calls for reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil through investment in domestic renewable resources -- such as wind and solar -- and through the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. For the first time, the plan will now also call for increased energy efficiency in homes and buildings.

The goals of the Pickens Plan are consistent with key elements of the energy program being discussed by President-Elect Barack Obama and Congressional leaders, the company said. Part of this is achieving greater energy efficiency in buildings.

“Buildings consume 40 percent of our nation’s energy. That’s more than industry or transportation,” said Mike Thaman, chairman and CEO of Owens Corning. “Energy efficiency in homes and buildings is critical to the achievement of true energy independence.”

According to Pickens, increasing energy efficiency in homes and buildings can save the U.S. the equivalent of more than one billion barrels of oil per year. “Owens Corning shares the same concerns that millions of Americans share: reducing our dependence on foreign oil, which has threatened our security, economy and environment,” he said.