USA Broadening Conservation Focus to Weapons Systems

LHA-R: go nuclear?(click to expand) The Pentagon’ has increased its attention to energy conservation in the wake of a recent Army Corps of Engineers report, as well as its rising outlays for fuel. House Armed Services committee force Projection subcommittee chair Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD] is looking at current and projected fuel prices, and asking seriously about expanding the use of nuclear power plants in the US Navy. Others are floating technologies like KiteShips. Meanwhile, Inside Defense adds further insights as the breadth of the issue and its implications seep in at the Pentagon: “A departmental focus on improving energy conservation in weapon systems would represent a change from the current DOD emphasis on reducing energy consumption at its facilities. One observer familiar with the Pentagon’s energy programs says there appears to be “growing recognition” within the department that the energy conservation issue is much broader than facilities. Sticker shock(click to view full) While the Defense Science Board in 2001 said the department could significantly reduce costs and boost performance and environmental benefits if it were to make fuel efficiency a priority across its weapon platforms, more recent factors, such as the Gulf Coast hurricanes and rising fuel costs — […]