Powering America’s Defense Findings and Roadmap

Recognizing the enormity of the energy challenges facing America, the MAB submitted the following findings and a Roadmap for Energy Security to the Administration, Congress and Department of Defense.

Powering America’s Defense: Energy and the Risks to National Security Findings:

  • Our nation's current energy posture is a serious and urgent threat to our national security, with U.S. dependence on oil undermining our national security on multiple fronts, and our outdated, fragile and overtaxed national electrical grid existing as a dangerously weak link in our national security infrastructure.
  • A business-as-usual approach to energy security poses an unacceptably high threat level from a series of converging risks.
  • Achieving energy security in a carbon-constrained world is possible, but will require concerted leadership and continuous focus.
  • The national security planning processes have not been sufficiently responsive to the security impacts of our current energy posture.
  • In the course of addressing its most serious energy challenges, the Department of Defense can contribute to national solutions as a technological innovator, early adopter, and test-bed.

Powering America’s Defense: Energy and the Risks to National Security Roadmap for Energy Security:

  • Priority 1: Energy security and climate change goals should be clearly integrated into national security and military planning processes.
  • Priority 2: DoD should design and deploy systems to reduce the burden that inefficient energy use places on our troops as they engage overseas.
  • Priority 3: DoD should understand its use of energy at all levels of operations. DoD should know its carbon bootprint.
  • Priority 4: DoD should transform its use of energy at installations through aggressive pursuit of energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, and electrification of its vehicle fleet.
  • Priority 5: DoD should expand the adoption of distributed and renewable energy generation at its installations.
  • Priority 6: DoD should transform its long-term operational energy posture through investments in low-carbon liquid fuels that satisfy military performance requirements.