On the recordApril 28, 2010
As one of the sponsors of this amendment, and a strong advocate for defense acquisition reform, I rise today in support of the amendment and urge its passage. The amendment requires the Department of Defense to make energy efficiency a consideration in buying and developing new weapons systems and new equipment for the military. This is a smart amendment from a green technology standpoint. But let me also stress that this is not just about being green. First and foremost, platform efficiency is a national security issue. Our military's use of fuel and electricity has intertwining impacts on our greater national security. A 2007 Army report cites 170 servicemembers killed transporting fuel or guarding fuel convoys. Requiring the department to examine how well current and new systems use that precious commodity will help us reduce consumption, a good green tech benefit, but also saving lives of our military, the overarching national security benefit. In terms of electricity usage, most of our military bases' critical loads are dependent upon the fragile national grid system that is underpinned by a 60 percent dependence on foreign oil.
