Navy Goes Green

According to the U.S. Energy Administration, in 2010 the U.S. imported 11.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products, and exported 2.9 million barrels. Some 49 percent of our petroleum needs that year were supplied by imports. The United States defense establishment has long recognized that this represents an unacceptable security risk. History has shown that foreign supplies can be affected by war, embargo and civil unrest. The security of the U.S. has a strategic interest in where its fuel comes from.

The United States Navy and the Marine Corps are significant users of petroleum products. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus talked with reporters today about the services' interest in alternative energy sources. On land, the two services own more than 3 million acres of land and maintain some 72,500 buildings. At sea, they field 284 deployable ships and over 3,700 aircraft of all types.

Secretary Mabus has set a goal for the Navy and Marines to be obtaining 50 percent of their energy needs from renewable sources. This includes land, sea and air operations, bases throughout the world and even base housing for sailors, Marines and their dependents. He touted some success stories.

The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake has gone from being an electric user to being an electric supplier. The geothermal plant on base is able to sell electricity to the local grid and also supply all the Navy's needs at the site.

The Marine Corps base at 29 Palms, Calif., has nearly reached a net zero energy use, generating as much energy as it needs to operate. It uses a combination of technologies to do this, solar power and energy from trash.

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is using a landfill gas-to-energy project to supply some of its energy needs. Begun in 2009, the project is expanding by adding a second generator.

Secretary Mabus also talked about the recent tests using different biofuels in a mix with standard fuels for a number of Navy and Marine aircraft types. The F-18 Super Hornet, the MV-22 Osprey and the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter have all had successful test using a mix.

Mabus was especially enthusiastic about the Marine Corps adoption of renewable energy for its combat unit. By using solar blankets, one Marine company deployed in Afghanistan has been able to replace 700 pounds of batteries. Some Marine outposts in that country are completely using renewable energy and its use in Forward Operating Bases has reduced the need to truck in fossil fuels by 20 percent or more. He cited data that suggested that for every 50 trucks of fuel brought in to Afghanistan, one Marine is killed or wounded. Renewable energy is saving lives.

The Navy has ambitious goals for its energy program. It intended to demonstrate a carrier battle group using biofuels and other green technologies in 2012 and hope to deploy such a battle group in 2016. Secretary Mabus reminded reporters that the Navy does not favor one type of biofuel over any other as long as it meets four criteria and compares in price with petroleum products. The criteria are:

* Domestically produced. The biofuel must be "made in the USA."

* Drop-in condition. No changes must be necessary to engines or systems to use the biofuel.

* The biofuel source must not take land away from food production or be a food product.

* The biofuel should reduce the carbon footprint of the users.