Clean Energy

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) will look to include provisions of a military-focused clean energy bill in the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill when the measure is marked up in the Senate Armed Services Committee later this month, according to a story in InsideEPA.com's Clean Energy Report:

The senator discussed the Department of Defense Energy Security Act (DODESA) at a May 9 gathering of industry and government officials hosted by the American Council for Renewable Energy (ACORE).

ACORE is hosting a series of forums over the next six to 12 months as part of a discussion with the military to devise recommendations that allow industry to accelerate the deployment of clean energy using DOD as a means of commercializing and expanding the use of renewable energy.

Udall said DODESA would augment the ACORE effort by expanding the use of renewables on bases through studies and pilot programs, while establishing efficiency mandates through programs such as "net-zero" energy buildings, which blend aggressive energy efficiency standards with the deployment of renewable power generation.

Udall is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Energy & Natural Resources Committee. He said that he will be offering the bill -- or select portions of it -- as amendments during the May 22-23 Armed Services Committee markup.

Udall told ACORE members that recent GOP attacks on DOD support for renewables are "slowing down our efforts" to address clean energy and energy security -- which he said is not only about cleaner air, but also about saving lives in the field. He warned that some in Congress want to pull back funds from the military efforts to increase efficiency and clean energy.

Nevertheless, "while Congress drags its feet . . . the military is charging ahead," he said, investing in biofuels and focusing on "non-petroleum" fuels.

Udall last year introduced DODESA to assist the military in meeting its goal of eliminating its dependence on fossil fuels through the deployment of solar energy, aggressive efficiency practices at bases and installations, and the use of fuel-efficient vehicles and biofuels.

Udall urged ACORE members to urge lawmakers to support the energy provisions of DODESA as the NDAA is being marked up this month.

Separately, the House Armed Service Committee on May 9 began marking up its version of the NDAA. It was unclear at presstime if the House companion version of Udall's bill would be offered as an amendment by its sponsor, Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith (D-WA).

Support For Production Tax Credit

ACORE president -- and former Navy vice admiral -- Dennis McGinn told reporters that his organization will continue to support legislation that extends the production tax credit (PTC) for renewables before it runs out at the end of the year. He said Congress also needs to re-institute the 1603 Treasury grant program for renewables, which was phased out under the stimulus law but was responsible for doubling the amount of renewable energy on the grid in the last two years.

Udall said it is important to extend the PTC before the end of the year to match industry construction timelines that look at six- to12-month planning horizons.

Udall also said Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) plans to hold a hearing on his bill to establish a clean energy standard (CES). He called the bill a "marker," and said it will be something to consider in 2013. He said there are problems in the bill that still must be worked out, including how efficiency can be counted toward the CES targets. He said he does not see it moving forward without the efficiency fix.

In related news, the House Armed Services Committee yesterday voted to ban the Defense Department from buying or producing alternative fuels if they cost more than fossil fuels. As InsideDefense.com reported:

The amendment, which was approved during the full committee's consideration of the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill, would ban "any alternative fuel if the cost . . . exceeds the cost producing or purchasing a traditional fossil fuel that would be used for the same purpose."

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) offered the amendment, saying the Navy was spending too much money on developing biofuels for the "Great Green Fleet." He cited comments by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus suggesting that it would cost $5 million to fuel F/A-18 Hornets during the upcoming Rim of the Pacific exercise.

Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) called the proposed move a short-term money saver that would take away the Navy's ability to control its energy usage and spending well into the future. "In the short term, yes, those options cost more money," Smith said, but "in the long term you're continuing the addiction to something that’s going to drive up cost."