Did you know that it can cost the military as much as $40 a gallon for diesel fuel? By its own estimates, that’s how much it costs to buy, ship, and transport imported oil to remote bases and outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan. What makes matters worse is that protecting the military’s fuel supplies has turned out to be one of the leading causes of American casualties.
And Uncle Sam has had enough. As CNN reports, the Department of Defense is actively engaged in transitioning its forces away from diesel-powered machinery to alternative energies:
From experimental solar-powered desert bases for the Marines to Navy robots that run on wave energy, the military is quickly becoming a leading buyer of cutting-edge renewable energy technology. For the armed services, the benefits extend beyond reducing fuel convoy casualties. A fighting force that isn’t restricted by the reach of a tanker truck or weighted down by heavy batteries is more nimble and, as a result, more lethal.
To the powers that be at the Pentagon, energy security isn’t a catch phrase. It’s an all-important concept that has been dominating discussions about America’s 21st-century armed forces.
Much like those who support the Pickens Plan, military planners recognize the importance of developing dependable sources of energy, ones that can ultimately be more cost effective:
Being energy self sufficient in places like Iraq or Afghanistan isn’t just a tree-hugging point of pride. These bases currently use diesel or other fuels to run generators that power everything from air conditioning in tents, to computers running battlefield management software.
This fuel has to be trucked or, in some cases, helicoptered in. In addition to risking lives, it’s also pricey. The military says it can cost up to $40-a-gallon to get fuel into the most remote and dangerous places.
Read the entire CNN story HERE.