WASHINGTON, 29 Nov. 2012. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) can move forward with initiatives to diversify its fuel sources and decrease its dependence on oil now that the Senate voted, by a margin of 62 to 37, against a National Defense Authorization Act proposal that would have prevented the military from buying biofuel to meet its growing energy needs.
More than 14,000 jobs and $10 billion-plus in economic activity could be created if the military meets its previously announced biofuels goals, according to a recent Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) report. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy, two of the largest oil consumers in the world, seek to obtain half (50 percent) of their fuel from biofuels by 2020.
“The Senate rightly stood behind America’s military with this vote, but it also stood behind American businesses. From commercial aviation to the Internet, the military has historically led some of our nation’s greatest economic transformations--and the military’s leadership on biofuels is no different. Military programs are already driving innovation, private-sector investment and job creation in the biofuel industry. Now that the market has a clear signal from Washington, that growth can continue,” says Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) Co-founder Nicole Lederer.
“The military has been on the forefront of energy innovation for 150 years. Biofuels are just the next stage of innovation that will help our military’s energy security future, help improve the effectiveness of our military operations and help improve our economy,” affirms Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, an E2 member and president of the Crockett Policy Institute.
Read E2’s report on the potential economic impacts of the military’s biofuel programs at: http://www.e2.org/jsp/controller?docId=30299
More details on the military’s clean energy initiatives are offered online at: http://www.e2.org/jsp/controller?docId=29269
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