Military aggressively investing in clean technology

Sept. 21, 2011 - Dana Hull - mercurynews.com

The Department of Defense -- eager to reduce its dependence on oil in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq and keen to become energy-efficient at home -- is aggressively investing in clean technology, from advanced biofuels to electric vehicles, solar-powered batteries and blankets for soldiers in the field and bases that generate their own electricity.

" From Barracks to Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America's Armed Forces," a report released Wednesday by Pew Charitable Trusts, gives an overview of what each branch of the military is doing to reduce the use of fossil fuels and test new clean technologies.

Each branch has adopted ambitious energy goals. But Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, has made energy security and independence a cornerstone of his tenure.

" There are great strategic reasons for moving away from fossil fuels. It's costly," Mabus said at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas last month. "Every time the cost of a barrel of oil goes up a dollar, it costs the United States Navy $31 million in extra fuel costs. But it's costly in more ways than just money. For every 50 convoys of gasoline we bring in, we lose a Marine. We lose a Marine, killed or wounded. That is too high a price to pay for fuel."

Several Silicon Valley cleantech companies have already discovered that the military is an ideal early adopter, willing to take risks on clean technologies that may not yet be fully commercialized.

Skyline Solar of Mountain View is installing its solar arrays on two domestic Army bases. South San Francisco's Solazyme has developed algae-based biofuels that the Navy is testing in Seahawk helicopters. And Foster City-based Solar City is installing solar panels on military housing across the country.

" We're talking to many biofuel companies in Silicon Valley," said Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, "and we're very interested in the smart grid and microgrids for our bases."

The military's support of clean energy innovation is tied to the desire to save American lives, the report says. Today's soldier requires 22 gallons of fuel per day on average, an increase of 175 percent since the Vietnam War. In Afghanistan alone, 20 million to 50 million gallons are delivered each month. Eighty percent of the convoys into Iraq and Afghanistan are for fuel, and last year there were 1,100 attacks on fuel convoys.

The Department of Defense is the largest institutional energy user in the United States, and the sheer size of its footprint and purchasing power can help bring new technologies to scale. It manages more than 500,000 buildings and structures at 500 major bases and installations around the world, totaling 2.2 billion square feet. That's three times the square footage operated by Wal-Mart.

" As one of the largest energy consumers in the world, the Department of Defense has the ability to help shape America's energy future," said Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Clean Energy Program. "DoD's efforts to harness clean energy will save lives, save money and enhance the nation's energy and economic future. Their work is also helping to spur the growth of the clean energy economy."

And while the military is under pressure from Congress to reduce its operational costs, the Pew report notes that its budget for energy security initiatives has increased from $400 million to $1.2 billion over the past four years.