Wave Power

The Navy is ramping up its drive to increase the service's generation and use of renewable energy sources through the development of marine renewable power, led by ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), Defense Environment Alert reports.

OTEC is a process pioneered in the 1970s by defense contractors and subsequently abandoned when oil prices returned to lower levels in the 1980s, according to DEA, which adds:

The Navy’s effort to use marine-based energy is part of a broader push to increase its generation and use of renewable energy to comply with statutory requirements and reduce fossil fuel dependence. The marine energy initiative seeks to make specific use of tropical and subtropical waters around many Navy bases to generate power.

The Navy announced its desire to use more marine renewable power at the Global Marine Renewable Energy Conference in Washington, DC, April 15, when Howard Snow, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and facilities, appealed to delegates to consider the service as a partner in the development of marine renewables. Snow told the conference the Navy is an “enthusiastic customer” for renewable energy, and could provide land for renewable projects more cheaply than the commercial marketplace can.

The ultimate aim, Snow said in an April 22 interview with Defense Environment Alert, would be to generate sufficient power on-base to “island” installations from the electrical grid, effectively making them self-sufficient. In the interim, however, the goal is to meet the Navy’s target mandated by the 2005 Energy Policy Act of using 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. Snow noted that at present, regulatory requirements in certain states -- notably California -- make it difficult or impossible for military bases to sell significant amounts of electricity back into the grid. . . .

The Navy’s efforts come as other military services are pushing hard to increase their portfolio of renewables and alternative fuels on economic, security and environmental grounds. For example, the Air Force is aggressively pursuing bio-based jet fuels and solar power, while the Army has committed to making its bases net exporters of electrical power within 15 years.

For more of coverage of the military's efforts to reduce fuel consumption and explore alternative energy sources, check out Defense Energy Watch.