Rapid Fire April 4, 2012: Retrofitting Energy Efficiency

• Pentagon Energy use data from a recent Congressional testimony [PDF] by Sharon Burke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs:

“For FY13, DoD anticipates spending over $16 billion on energy for military operations, which will provide more than 4 billion gallons of fuel for military operations and exercises. DoD will also invest $1.4 billion on initiatives to improve operational energy security, about 90% of which are aimed at reducing DoD’s demand for operational energy. […] DoD is the single largest consumer of energy in the nation, accounting for approximately 1% of national demand.”

• DoD is not only starting to inject energy considerations into requirements for new platforms via Fully Burdened Cost of Energy analyses, Burke also stated that “in FY12 and FY13, we also will look at how to ensure that improved energy performance will be incorporated into refit and upgrades of legacy platforms and equipment, whether through contracting or other methods. ” This comes in a context of $100+ per barrel of oil vs. a budgeted $88 for FY12. DoD comptroller Robert Hale said last month that every dollar above $88 translates into an extra $31M in spending.