United States Military Green Project

United States Military Green Project

Introduction

With a rapidly growing budget for renewable energy (estimated to hit $10 billion annually by 2030), the United States military has one of the primary market presences in that field. As such, it has a rare ability to influence the course of development and create successful models for partnerships with private renewable energy companies. In her latest entry on the subject, Forbes' Amy Westervelt details how the Pentagon has worked with the Department of Energy as well as corporate partners to institute trial programs and comments that “as the various branches of the military pinpoint which technologies and solutions work for them, their approach has not been to seek more appropriations, but to meet with private developers and investors who can help fund projects and eliminate the need for more government funding.” Furthermore, as she crucially notes, “The Department of Defense is prohibited from paying a premium for goods or services, which is an obvious hurdle when it comes to many renewable energy technologies, but it's also driving innovation in the military's strategy and could eventually help to drive down costs in the renewable energy sector.” She also identifies the Army's Energy Initiatives Office as a key example of new DoD institutions that will be instrumental in creating and strengthening these partnerships going forward.

The two organizations announced a multi-part forum series to be held throughout 2012 in collaboration with the DOD to help increase U.S. military effectiveness through the integration and deployment of renewable energy solutions. Key areas of focus identified by the DOD include technological and financial opportunities and challenges related to the expanded use of renewable energy in support of national defense.

Discussion

The Department of Defense is the largest industrial consumer of oil in the world, using 125 million barrels of oil in FY 2010, which was more than that consumed by 82% of the world's countries individually in 2010. DOD is projected to spend $150 billion over the next decade on fuel and electricity. The use of renewable energy in combat operations can reduce the need for hazardous fuel convoys, which were associated with 12% of Army casualties in Iraq and 35% of Army casualties in Afghanistan in 2007. Renewable energy and efficiency improvements can also cut energy costs on military bases and other permanent installations (www.vitalethics.org).

The Department of Defense has pledged to draw 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, and recently committed as part of President Obama's recent State of the Union address that the Navy will purchase enough clean energy capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.

Again, the military's interest in clean technology and renewable energy, while certainly supported by federal policy, seems to be more about resource efficiency than any particular political agenda. And while the Solyndra debacle has had everyone complaining about the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program, when it comes to military projects the business case is very different (apps3.eere.energy.gov).

In September 2011, for example, the ...