The Pentagon has a green program to use alt energy: Congress moves to block it
Republicans Move to Cut Military's Alternative Fuels
By Ari Natter on May 29, 2012
Legislation in both chambers of Congress would limit the Department of Defense’s ability to buy alternative fuels, reflecting congressional Republicans' criticism of Pentagon efforts to green the military.
A $554 billion defense spending bill approved by the House earlier this month would limit DOD's ability to produce or procure biofuels if the cost exceeds the price of traditional fossil fuel.
Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas), who inserted the provision into the legislation as an amendment at the committee level, said,“This is just an extra cost the department does not need to incur at a point in time when we are contemplating cutting 80,000 soldiers out of the Army, 20,000 Marines out of the Marine Corps, ships not getting built, planes not getting bought.”
The Defense Department, which spent $19.4 billion on energy in fiscal 2011 and is the nation’s largest energy consumer, has said new energy research is needed for the sake of national security and to hedge against oil price volatility. According to the Pentagon, every $1 rise in the price of a barrel of oil costs the department $130 million more in fuel costs.
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http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-29/republicans-move-to-cut-militarys-alternative-fuels
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