Military's green projects could benefit the nation.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Battlefield Energy

* The five billion gallons of fuel consumed annually by the Defense Department is a pittance compared to 200 billion gallons burned nationwide, but the Pentagon is better positioned than most other agencies to lead the way in renewable energy, said Dale Gardner, associate director at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, Co.

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"Since the military can pay a little more per gallon than the airlines or other civilian users, it could serve as a 'foot in the door' to get through the technology and implementation challenges," Gardner said in an interview.

But kicking the fossil fuel habit has been tougher than expected for the military. The adoption of biofuels is a case in point. The Defense Department became an early champion of biofuels, but program managers miscalculated the available supplies. The original plan for the Army, for instance, was to convert its "non-tactical" fleet of sedans and small trucks that are used on U.S.-based posts so they could run on biofuels.

Of the 68,000 vehicles in the Army's inventory, 40,000 are alternative-fuel vehicles. But just less than 50 percent of those are actually using alternative fuel because the E-85 biofuel is not available in some areas, said Tad Davis, assistant secretary of the Army for installations and environment.

To help government managers make better assessments of alternative fuel options, the Energy Department created an Internet portal called "alternative fuels data center," said Gardner. It allows users to make calculations that are based on the size and makeup of the fleet. "Each fleet has to be looked at on an individual basis," he said. "It's a tool that fleet managers at the Defense Department can use. They can gauge alternatives that are available and make choices, and it shows you the effect of those choices in fuel reduction."

Gardner said he is optimistic about the military's forays into the renewable energy world. The lab currently is working with the Air Force office of scientific research on a project to make jet fuel from algae. This is part of a $100 million program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The goal is to produce a $2 a gallon algae-based synthetic fuel that would be made locally.

The Air Force decided to shift its focus to making synthetic fuel from algae--or other biological feedstocks that do not compete with food supplies--after earlier attempts to develop coal-based synthetic fuel...