Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall introduced legislation designed to help strengthen our national security by enabling the U.S. military to reduce its dependence on petroleum and our fragile national electric grid. Senator Michael Bennet co-sponsored the Department of Defense Energy Security Act, which was also introduced this spring in the U.S. House of Representatives by Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.

The bill would encourage the development of clean energy and energy efficiency in order to decrease the amount of petroleum and power the military needs. Since the U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world - consuming more energy per day than 85 percent of the world's countries - the potential benefit to our national security is significant.

Nearly every military challenge we face is either derived from or impacted by our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign energy sources. And energy supply security also is a tremendous challenge for our troops. Efforts to secure supply lines and deliver fuel in-theater directly result in the deaths of service members charged with protecting it. At home, defense facilities rely on a fragile national grid, leaving critical assets vulnerable.

An increase in the Pentagon's consumption of clean energy and reduction in reliance on petroleum also could help speed up civilian energy developments by spurring innovation and advancing technology.

"This is about protecting our country and our troops in theater," said Senator Udall, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Energy and Natural Resources committees. "We have an urgent need to change the way our military uses energy so we can cut costs, keep our service members safe, and help reduce our country's addiction to foreign oil. But this bill has civilian benefits as well. Energy innovations for the military would create civilian jobs and spur breakthroughs in our understanding of how to harness clean energy sources and power communities across the country."

"Harnessing the power of clean, renewable fuels will help our military improve efficiency, reduce costs and, ultimately, protect the lives of the men and women in its ranks," Senator Bennet said. "The military's leadership in reducing our country's reliance on foreign oil will enhance our national security and spur innovation in the private sector as we move toward a clean energy economy."

"Each day, the U.S. military consumes nearly 400,000 barrels of fuel. In Iraq and Afghanistan, that amounts to nearly 68 million gallons of fuel a month. Our enemies are critically aware of our reliance on oil, and they are using it to their advantage," said Congresswoman Giffords, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "Instead of fighting the enemy, thousands of service members are dedicated to securing supply lines so that fuel can reach forward operating bases and far-reaching outposts. Senator Udall and I couldn't wait for another soldier to die or another energy crisis to dictate our foreign policy. The time to act and act decisively is now. That's what our military is telling us and that's what we can see with our own eyes, every day, in Afghanistan and Iraq."

In addition to decreasing petroleum consumption and increasing the use of renewable electricity, the Department of Defense Energy Security Act:
• Sets overarching policies to implement sustainable acquisition practices,
• Sets new DOD Energy Performance Goals, and
• Requires DOD to develop an Energy Performance Plan and an implementation assessment for accomplishing its goal of deriving 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.