You’re running out of fuels
The Center for Naval Analyses has put out a snazzy new study of the problems energy presents for national security. It is well done, as far as I can tell-I’m no expert in this area. Some surprising angles are explored, like a discussion by retired Rear Adm. David Oliver Jr., a veteran submarine commander, of ...
The Center for Naval Analyses has put out a snazzy new study of the problems energy presents for national security. It is well done, as far as I can tell-I’m no expert in this area. Some surprising angles are explored, like a discussion by retired Rear Adm. David Oliver Jr., a veteran submarine commander, of the difficulties of the Navy’s transition from diesel subs to nuclear-powered ones:
You had to essentially destroy the diesel boat community in order to ensure that the nuclear boats could emerge.”
Here are the basic findings:
Priority 1: Energy security and climate change goals should be clearly integrated into national security and military planning processes.
Priority 2: DoD [the Department of Defense] should design and deploy systems to reduce the burden that inefficient energy use places on our troops as they engage overseas.
Priority 3: DoD should understand its use of energy at all levels of operations. DoD should know its carbon bootprint.
Priority 4: DoD should transform its use of energy at installations through aggressive pursuit of energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, and electrification of its vehicle fleet.
Priority 5: DoD should expand the adoption of distributed and renewable energy generation at its installations.
Priority 6: DoD should transform its long-term operational energyposture through investments in low-carbon liquid fuels that satisfy military performance requirements.”
Btw, this is an area is which Sharon Burke, the czarina of “natural security” at my own CNAS, is doing a lot of interesting work. More on that next week at the annual CNAS hoedown, which kicks off with some guy named Petraeus and winds up with a free beer for anyone who makes it through the whole day.
cliff1066/Flickr
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