Report Says U.S. Military Needs to be Petroleum Free by 2040

Nov 10, 2010 - energyboom.com

A new report, entitled Fueling the Future Force [pdf], from the Center For a New American Security states the U.S. military must become oil free by 2040 in order to reduce operational vulnerabilities and cost, and security risks caused by climate change as well as dwindling oil reserves.

The U.S. military is a fossil fuel burning machine. Over 77% of its energy is derived from petroleum, while natural gas and "other electric" sources account for the rest.

The authors say the 30-year time frame represents a conservative hedge against the political, economic, and environmental trends, constraints, and conditions associated with oil. To further elucidate the need for the military to find alternative energy sources, the report states that for every dollar increase in the price of oil, the U.S. Department of Defense spends an additional US$130 million.

The authors, Christine Parthemore and Dr. Joh Nagl outline a 12-method scheme to transition the U.S. military toward sustainable energy.

Parthermore and Nagl explain, "Moving beyond petroleum will allow DoD [Department of Defense] to lead in the development of innovative technologies that can benefit the nation more broadly, while signaling to the world that the United States has an innovative and adaptable force."

Read the full story at TreeHugger: US Military Needs to Get Off OIl by 2040: Report