Tactical Power Sources 2014

IDGA’s 11th Annual Tactical Power Sources Summit will bring together all relevant stakeholders to discuss the most pressing issues facing the mobile power community. Examine future trends, identify immediate and long-term needs, and uncover up-and-coming technologies for use in future threat environments. Policy makers, uniformed service leaders, academia and industry partners will gather in Washington D.C. to network, share best practices and explore potential paths to analyze the future of military energy.

The Department of Defense is the single largest consumer of energy in the U.S., spending about $22 billion per year on energy. Now, however, reliable access to affordable and stable energy supplies poses a significant challenge for the military. This energy demand constrains the capabilities of our ground, air, and sea forces at home and abroad. The DoD has prioritized its responsibility to act in a more sustainable manner and has understood that changing current behavior could enhance military capability and provide considerable cost savings.

“By reducing the Armed Forces’ reliance on fuel, we aim to improve warfighting capabilities. We aim to reduce the risk to fielded forces as they move fuel through contested territory. In the process, we believe we will lower costs, promote good stewardship of natural resources, and contribute to national energy goals.”
— The Honorable Sharon E. Burke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs

The Department must find ways to reduce energy costs and become more efficient. In the FY 2014 budget submission, the DoD continues to invest in metering and alternative energy sources like solar. This budget includes investments in research and development for more efficient ship and aircraft engines, longer-lived batteries for our ground-based communications systems, lighter batteries for troops to carry, and alternative energy sources to lessen dependence on oil in the future.

Keywords: Defense, Energy, Military, DOD