T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oil investor who is building the largest wind farm in the United States, is also setting his sights on solar power.

Pickens last month launched a campaign aimed at weaning the United States off its dependence on foreign oil and is in the midst of a nation-wide tour to promote it. Following a speech in Los Angeles, Pickens told me he is looking beyond his wind investments to solar energy and is eager to share his “Pickens Plan” with both of the U.S. presidential candidates. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: Do you think your plan to meet with  Obama and McCain will happen any time soon?

A: Don’t know. It could. We’ll see.

 Q: Are you investing in technologies other than wind?

A: I’m interested in solar, but I’m not near as far along. But I have a bunch of engineers that are with me working on solar.

Q: Are there any emerging technologies other than wind and solar that interest you?

A: That’s what I got my attention on. Google is plenty smart on geothermal and I was real interested in what they had on that. Those guys know what they’re doing. I’m impressed with them.

Q: You are a businessman, so why launch this media campaign instead of trying to make deals with politicians and others behind the scenes?

A: You couldn’t get it into the presidential campaign. You go see some people, talk to them, nothing would happen. I’ve been to Washington hundreds of times, nothing happens. They are very polite, but nothing happens. You get the people with you, something will happen.