T. Boone Pickens is confident Congress will pass energy legislation this term. He's also confident his plan will be a part of it.

"Will it happen in this Congress? I think it will happen," Pickens said at a small, informal meeting with reporters on Thursday. "The change will come." The outspoken oilman was in town as part of a "virtual march" organized by his organization, the Pickens Plan, to bring pressure on lawmakers to pass new energy legislation. According to his Web site, around 4.5 million people have signed on for the march.

When not pushing his own plan, Pickens took time to promote several pieces of legislation, including a bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., one introduced by a bipartisan trio of congressmen and draft language of a climate and energy bill put forth by Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Edward Markey, D-Mass.

Pickens, who met recently with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, was frank about the clout he's held in Washington since first coming here three decades ago, saying that he's never had "any trouble getting in to see anybody." Pickens hopes that his virtual army of supporters will do more to turn those meetings into action. "With three or four million people, I'm a hell of a lot more important here in Washington than I am as a rich guy from Texas," Pickens said.

He also emphasized that his involvement with the Center for American Progress -- with whom he has been working on energy issues since July of last year -- has no political undertones, and he insisted that the country's dependence on foreign oil is an "American problem, totally away from politics." Pickens said he is "totally out of politics" and, lest there was any lingering speculation, added: "In 2012, I will not be a candidate for president. I knew you were going to ask that question, so I jumped ahead of you."