The US consumes 25% of the world's oil -- but as energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens points out onstage, the country has no energy policy to prepare for the inevitable. Is alternative energy our bridge to an oil-free future? After losing $150 million investing in wind energy, Pickens suggests it isn't, not yet. What might get us there? Natural gas. After the talk, watch for a lively Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson.

T. Boone Pickens: Let's transform energy -- with natural gas

Let's transform energy -- with natural gas

Shifting 8 million 18-wheelers to natural gas can slash imports from OPEC by 60%, a decisive step toward US energy independence.

With natural gas touted as the bridge fuel, the quest for sustainable energy shifts focus to innovation in cleaner alternatives.

A candid discussion on the realities of transitioning from fossil fuels, highlighting natural gas as a pivotal, yet interim, solution.