US Army clean energy projects likely to survive spending cuts

Despite the threat of billions of dollars in spending cuts, Pentagon leaders say they are committed to continuing renewable energy projects at US military bases and the nominee for Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, insists the administration stands behind the clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives.

Most of those initiatives - wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and smart minigrids and microgrids, as well as other technologies that promote efficiency - are expected to weather the budget storm because they are being developed by private-sector partners that fund the up-front costs of projects through Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC), Utilities Energy Savings Contracts (UESC), and Enhanced Use Leasing (EUL), Pentagon officials said.

Most, if not all, of the energy initiatives set for deployment in Afghanistan and other parts of the world are likely to come under the category of 'mission critical' systems and thus to be continued. These include items such as portable solar and wind technologies, and more efficient multi-fuel generators.

In response to written questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hagel said his priorities for Department of Defense investments in energy technologies were "those that increase military capabilities, provide more mission success, and lower total cost".