Blog: Department of Defense Energy Security Act

Statement

The U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world - consuming more energy per day than 85 percent of the world's countries. Both at home and abroad, a stable and secure energy supply is a challenge for our military, since the bulk of that energy comes from fossil fuels and is transported on our fragile electric grid. By increasing the Pentagon's consumption of clean energy, we can reduce costs and increase troop safety. My bill has four broad goals: It would reduce the Pentagon's reliance on oil on the battlefield; task the Department of Defense (DOD) to plan better for its energy use; decrease electricity consumption at our military facilities around the world; and increase the self-reliance of our military bases by increasing the development of on-site renewable electricity. It would also require DOD to develop an implementation plan for accomplishing its goal of deriving 25 percent of the military's electricity from renewable sources by 2025. With our military leading the way on new energy technologies and applications, these investments can be catalyzed to support efforts in the civilian clean energy sector, creating new technological breakthroughs and new jobs.

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