Pentagon on Energy: "We Need to do it in a Cleaner Way"

Pentagon Streamlines Approval for Energy Projects

July 26, 2011 – A Defense Department clearinghouse for renewable energy projects has approved 229 of 249 projects proposed in 35 states and Puerto Rico, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said last week.

“These projects represent 10 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity in wind energy alone,” Lynn said at an Army and Air Force energy forum.

“Our action removes a major stumbling block for developers who are trying to attract financing, showing the department’s commitment to supporting the president’s vision for energy … without compromising our national security,” the deputy secretary said.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu noted during a speech at the same forum that the Defense Department has played a crucial role in developing technologies, including the GPS system, the Internet and semiconductor electronics.

“As an early investor and adopter, [DOD] has actually advanced those technologies that have become the core wealth generators … of today,” he said.

Chu likened the development of renewable energy technology to a second industrial revolution. “We still need the energy and the power to propel our military, our economy, our world -- but we need to do it in a cleaner way,” he said. read more>>>