The U.S. Navy operates almost 300 ships. Its fleet of aircraft is more than 3700. The U.S. Air Force has in its inventory more than 5500 aircraft. The U.S. Army is best known for its vehicles (tanks and things; it has more than 400,000 of those.) but it also has more than 5000 aircraft and about 50 ships. I’ll leave out the Marines in this summary since you’re probably starting the get the picture: The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) operates lots and lots of vehicles in its global operations. Lots and lots of vehicles means lots and lots of fuel. And its vehicles aren’t its only energy consumers: There’s all those military bases out there with all those buildings: more than 500 installations with more than 500,000 buildings that need heat, air conditioning, hot water and lighting. Altogether DoD spends $15 - 20 billion each year on energy, $11 billion of that on petroleum fuels.

      When the price of oil climbs so does it’s fuel tab, which of course taxpayers work hard to pay. With its energy bill climbing it’s no wonder the military is embracing renewable and energy efficiency in a big way. According to a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts. "From Barracks to the Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America's Armed Forces" DoD clean energy investments increased 300 percent between 2006 and 2009, from $400 million to $1.2 billion, and are projected to eclipse $10 billion annually by 2030.

 

      In the report’s words Pew has documented how DoD is helping to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies in three key areas: Vehicle Efficiency: Liquid petroleum fuels account for approximately three-quarters ($11 billion) of DoD's $15 billion annual energy bill. DoD spending to harness clean energy technologies for air, land and sea vehicles is projected to grow to $2.25 billion annually by 2015. To achieve its goal of increasing efficiency and reducing fuel consumption on ships by 15 percent between 2010 and 2020, the Navy is using hybrid electric technologies, improving hull coatings and using more efficient materials. A hybrid electric drive system will be tested on the USS Truxtun, a guided-missile destroyer, and is expected to save 8,500 barrels of fuel annually. Recent operational improvements that enhance efficiency will save the department $500 million this fiscal year alone.

      Advanced Biofuels: DoD has set ambitious goals and is taking concrete steps to utilize advanced biofuels. The Air Force intends to use biofuels for 50 percent of its domestic aviation needs by 2016. The Navy plans to demonstrate a "Great Green Fleet" and, along with the Marines, plans to use alternative energy sources to meet 50 percent of its energy requirements across operational platforms by 2020. To reach these goals, DoD has accelerated research on advanced biofuels, successfully testing and certifying them for use in existing fighter jets and ships.

      Energy efficiency and renewables at bases: With more than 500,000 buildings and structures at 500 major installations around the world, DoD manages three times the square footage operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Since 1985, DoD has reduced its facility energy consumption by more than 30 percent. By insulating 9 million square feet of base structures in Iraq and Afghanistan, energy consumption has been reduced by 77,000 gallons a day. Another initiative is the Army's "net zero" program, which aims to have each of six installations produce as much as they consume in energy, water or waste by 2020, and two other installations, Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort Carson in Colorado, will become net zero in all three areas.

      While many might like to see the military and its budget shrink, there is some good from its green energy spending: The more money it spends on clean and renewable energy the more it helps that industry which, in turn, reduces the cost of green energy in the civilian sector.