Pew Charitable Trusts Releases Report on Department of Defense Renewable and Alternative Energy Programs

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Today Phyllis Cuttino, director of Pew’s Clean Energy Program, joined by John Warner, former five-term U.S. Senator from Virginia and senior policy adviser to the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate; Jackalyne Pfannenstiel, assistant secretary of the navy for energy installations and the environment; and Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the army for installations, energy and environment, launched a report listing Department of Defense renewable and alternative energy projects. These projects aim to achieve the goals of reducing battlefield fuel demand and securing reliable, renewable energy supplies for combat and installation operations.

Biofuels is mentioned prominently in the report, with particular attention given to advanced biofuels both in the report and during the launch press conference as the Department of Defense only has an interest in "drop-in" biofuels that meet existing military specifications and can be used in existing equipment and vehicles. Former Senator Warner emphasized the role that the Navy and Air Force testing on jetfuels and other aviation fuels has for expanding their acceptance in the private sector.

Unfortunately, this report only lists programs and projects, along with justifications for them. It includes no analysis, evaluation or specific recommendations. The closest thing to a recommendation comes after 57 pages in the Conclusion:

However, it does not indicate what those policies or resources might be. Nor does it discuss what would constitute a satisfactory budgetary goal. It does not even evaluate the adequacy of $510 Million (over 3 years) to accomplish the aggressive goals of the joint Navy/DOE/USDA project described in the report or compare this level of commitment to the $7.1 Billion the Army plans to spend on renewable energy projects over the next 10 years.

In response to a question on this topic, Secretary Pfannenstiel noted that $510 Million is of course not enough to create an entire biofuels industry; but it should be enough with private match of "at least 50% and probably quite a bit greater," to meet the goals of the project. She emphasized that this project doesn't represent the end of the Navy’s contribution to developing an advanced biofuels industry; that the Navy anticipates being a customer, a long-term customer, as long as the Navy can purchase advanced biofuels at a price that makes sense to them. In the meantime, she sees this project gives an opportunity to investors.

Senator Warner seconded her remarks and underlined the importance of getting to a market-based price structure. Congress will demand competitive prices, he noted, and reiterated that the private sector has to begin to market these fuels to more customers than to the department of defense. He pointed out that the DoD has done the work to prove that these advanced biofuels work. The rest of the work is up to the private sector.

Secretary Pfannenstiel was quite confident that there were many investors who have been in contact with the Navy who are very interested in contributing more than the 1:1 match for this project.

With regard to threatened repeal of Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which prohibits Federal agencies from procuring alternative fuels unless their life cycle greenhouse gas emissins are less than those for conventional petroleum sources, the Department of Defense has taken a formal position against repeal, although the importance of that policy is not specifically emphasized in this report as one of the policies that should be "sustained."

Phyllis Cuttino did mention the possibility that a report in the future might delve more deeply into analysis, evaluation and recommendation. This report serves only to inform the public about DoD's goals and projects for renewable energy, conservation and alternative fuels, including advanced biofuels. READ MORE (Bio-Tech Now) Download report