Clean Energy Program | Idea Brief
Fighting for Innovation: How DoD Can Advance Clean Energy Technology... And Why It Has To
Between 2000 and 2008, the Department of Defense’s oil expenditures increased by almost 500%, peaking at nearly $18 billion. Estimates show that every $10 increase in the cost of a barrel of oil adds another $1.3 billion to the Pentagon’s fuel budget, swelling the national deficit and diverting resources from critical defense priorities.
And the issue isn’t just oil. 99% of electricity used by domestic DoD installations is generated off-site and relies on the civilian grid system, making it vulnerable to interruption from natural events or terrorist activity. The Pentagon knows this is a serious problem and they know that they will need to use less energy and to develop new clean energy technologies in order to rein in budgets and become a more effective fighting force.
This Idea Brief lays out four steps the Pentagon should take to better integrate adoption of clean energy innovation into its mission across all branches of service:
- Prioritize and integrate clean energy adoption across all services and commands;
- Inventory all domestic DoD facilities to determine their energy use and needs, as well as their capacity to advance DoD’s energy goals;
- Utilize procurement to encourage American innovation and the development of new technologies; and
- Leverage savings from efficiency and alternative financing to pay for innovation.
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