Billionaire oilman T. Boone Pickens will be the 2009 WASTECON Presidential Keynote speaker. Pickens will speak at 10:00 am at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif. Pickens will “share his vision for reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil with strategies that include renewable energy sources from solid waste,” according to a Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) press release.

“Mr. Pickens is an internationally acclaimed visionary in the quest for alternative renewable energy supplies,” said John Skinner, executive director and CEO of SWANA, in a press release. “I am sure his presentation will inspire and motivate WASTECON attendees.”

Pickens is the architect of the Pickens Plan, which calls for the increased use of clean, renewable energy and the expanded use of nuclear energy.

The keynote session is open to all WASTECON attendees.