Big Plans

Officials at the Hawaii-based U.S. Pacific Command have big plans for saving energy and moving away from fossil-based fuels.

At an industry conference in Denver, CO, last month, PACOM officials outlined a list of projects totaling a whopping $4.2 billion. The biggest chunk on the list of "unfunded" projects, as the PACOM briefing slides call them, involves the construction of three Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTCE) "pilot plants," worth $969 million.

Officials also want to apply spray foam insulation to all PACOM buildings -- to the tune of $400 million. According to the briefing, Defense Department tests with the technology in a "desert environment" have shown energy savings of up to 60 percent.

Also on the list are three biofuel electrical power plants ($295 million), a project called "smart grid and islanding circuitry" ($227 million) and upgrades to heating and air conditioning systems ($200 million).

Much more, including a list of completed energy-related projects, is here.