Oil Is Biggest Military Weakness

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July 19, 2011

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by Senator Mark Udall (Politico) The Pentagon released its first-ever operational energy strategy last month — a plan that could dramatically cut costs and save service members’ lives. The plan is not about fielding a new weapons system, but rather is a comprehensive strategy to reduce the military’s reliance on fossil fuel.

By advancing cutting-edge energy technologies like portable solar power, algae-based diesel fuel and microgrids, the Pentagon’s energy strategy could transform the way we carry out military campaigns. This could even shift the geopolitics of oil in our favor, and ultimately lead to widespread use of renewable energy in the civilian world.

…The statistics are staggering and clearly illustrate what’s at stake. The U.S. military is the world’s single-largest industrial consumer of oil, using more oil than 85 percent of all other countries combined. Every $10 increase in the price per barrel of oil costs the Pentagon $1.3 billion.

…Some of my colleagues in Congress, however, have expressed concern about the cost of the Pentagon’s energy security initiatives. I agree we must make cuts to settle our crippling debt, but we also must heed the words of our military leaders, who caution that cuts should be strategic and not come at the expense of investments that can strengthen our economy and save billions of dollars in the near future. READ MORE

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