Greening the U.S. Military

The U.S. military has made greening its operations a major priority in recent years, investing heavily in alternative fuels, onsite renewable energy generation equipment, and overall improved energy efficiency.  However, the military’s efforts have drawn their fair share of controversy.  A recent report by the RAND Corporation criticizes the military’s alternative fuel program as costly and ineffective.  Also the Department of Defense faces nearly $100 billion in operational budget cuts, with several military officials questioning if the time is right for risky investments in unproven technologies.  The debate has even caught the attention of those outside the military.  Given the size and influence of the armed forces purchasing power, its decision to invest in green technologies will have large spillover effects and promote the growth of these industries in commercial markets.  Today’s GR Energy and Climate Brief analyzes the military’s current green efforts and looks at its potential to catalyze developments in emerging industries.

Motivating Factors

The motivation for the military’s reforms stems from many of the same reasons as in other sectors; improved efficiency, less dependence on foreign fossil fuel sources, and a cleaner environment.  Greening operations also has the potential to dramatically reduce costs.  Today the U.S. military is the world’s largest single user of energy, spending 3.6 billion on its facility energy use, and $9.6 billion on fuel for vehicles and other equipment. In most cases, improving the efficiency of its operation has immediate benefits. For example, the Army invested $95 million for an insulating foam spray to be used on temporary inefficient structures in Iraq. 

Full article here.