We are transforming the Department of the Navy’s energy use to make us better warfighters, deploying next-generation capabilities that boost combat effectiveness, maximize strategic options, and better protect our Sailors and Marines.
Energy is critical to the Department of the Navy’s (DoN) ability to provide the global presence necessary to ensure stability, deter potential adversaries, and present options in times of crisis – wherever and whenever they might arise. In 2009, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus issued five aggressive goals aimed at transforming the DoN’s energy use.
Secretary of the Navy Energy Goals
- Increase Alternative Energy Use DoN-Wide: by 2020, 50 percent of total energy consumption will come from alternative sources.
- Increase Alternative Energy Ashore: by 2020, DoN will produce at least 50 percent of shore-based energy requirements from alternative sources; 50 percent of Navy and Marine Corps installations will be net-zero.
- Sail the “Great Green Fleet”: DoN will demonstrate a Green Strike Group in local operations by 2012 and sail it by 2016.
- Reduce Non-Tactical Petroleum Use: By 2015, DoN will reduce petroleum use in the commercial fleet by 50 percent.
- Energy Efficient Acquisition: Evaluation of energy factors will be mandatory when awarding Department of the Navy contracts for systems and buildings.
Navy Energy Strategy
The Navy’s energy strategy is centered on energy security, energy efficiency and sustainability while remaining the pre-eminent maritime power.
- Maintain Presence – Energy efficient operations and diverse energy supplies strengthen our ability to provide the presence necessary to ensure stability, deter potential adversaries, and provide options in times of crisis.
- Provide Strategic Flexibility – Diversifying our energy sources helps shield the DoN from volatile energy prices and/or supplies and arms us with operational flexibility.
- Boost Combat Capability – Optimizing energy use is a force multiplier that can increase range, endurance, and payload, and is essential for the effective deployment of next-generation weapons including the directed energy weapons and the rail gun.
- Protect Sailors and Marines – Using energy efficiently takes fuel convoys off the road and reduces the amount of time our ships are tied to oilers at sea, saving lives, time, and money.
- Ensure Mission Success – Our shore installations play a critical role in promoting readiness and generating the force structure necessary for mission success. Improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of alternative energy promotes more secure and resilient installation operations.
- Promote Sustainability – Increasing the use of environmentally responsible technologies afloat and ashore reduces greenhouse gas emissions and lessens dependence on fossil fuels, creating a sustainable model for national defense.
More on SECNAV Energy Goals
- Increase Alternative Energy Use DoN-Wide: The DoN has demonstrated certain alternative fuels to be effective drop-in replacements for conventional fossil fuels and qualified them to compete to supply fuel to the DoN through the Defense Logistics Agency Energy.
- Increase Alternative Energy Ashore: The DoN’s Renewable Energy Program Office (REPO) is on target to have 1 Gigawatt of renewable energy – or enough to power 250,000 homes or 14 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers – under procurement by 2016, at a price at or below brown power.
- Sail the “Great Green Fleet”: The DoN demonstrated alternative fuel blends on all ships and aircraft that participated in the 2012 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. Ship and air systems operating with alternative fuel blends performed at full capability during the exercise. Planning is underway to deploy the Great Green Fleet 2016.
- Reduce Non-Tactical Petroleum Use: The DoN has significantly grown its fleet of alternative fuels-capable vehicles, is expanding its use of telematics to improve fleet performance, and is working to deploy zero-emissions vehicles.
- Energy Efficient Acquisition: DoN has issued policy guidance concerning the use of energy-related factors in acquisition planning, technology development, and source selections for platforms and weapons systems.
