NEWS

Transforming the Way DoD Looks at Energy  

LMI’s newly released report, Transforming the Way DoD Looks at Energy, provides DoD with an analysis of the impact of energy cost and availability on the department’s force transformation goals. The nature of the threat facing the United States has changed, requiring us not only to maintain forward forces, but also to be prepared for quick surge deployments worldwide. These challenges require a more agile force, but increased mobility and responsiveness require greater fuel consumption, and much of that fuel comes from foreign sources.

DoD’s Office of Force Transformation and Resources asked LMI to study the disconnect between the nation’s strategic goals and the military services’ increasing demand for energy. Our report concludes that DoD must change how it views, values, and uses energy. Emerging energy technologies give the department numerous options for addressing energy efficiency and alternate sources of energy. LMI developed a time- phased approach that allows DoD to distinguish between short-term organizational changes and longer-term engineering and innovation options.

DoD is the largest single consumer of energy in the country. The cost and availability of fuel have a major impact on the ability of our forces to implement the national security strategy. Our report—which gives DoD a plan of action for reducing dependency on foreign energy supplies—has been widely distributed and has received considerable media attention, including articles in The Boston Globe and Defense News, because of the criticality of energy to our national security. To read the Defense News article, click here. For a copy of the report, please contact the LMI librarian.