The massive push toward electric vehicles presents risks and opportunities for America鈥檚 military. As adversaries make it harder for U.S. forces to reach and operate across long distances, the energy provided by advanced batteries can help the Pentagon achieve its multiple missions. This requires a secure innovation and production base for advanced battery technology, something the U.S. doesn鈥檛 have at the moment.
In 2008 Congress directed the Pentagon to create an office for 鈥渙perational energy鈥� to address the use of energy on the battlefield. The priority then was to reduce the Defense Department鈥檚 huge energy bills of around $20 billion a year. During one five-year period at the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 3,000 American soldiers and contractors were killed in fuel-supply convoys. As Marine Gen. Jim Amos observed, the Marine Corps鈥� 鈥渢hirst for liquid fuel鈥� came at a heavy price.
In recent years, the Defense Department has revived its focus on operational energy to explore how new sources鈥攅specially batteries鈥攃an improve the military鈥檚 ability to sustain its platforms, weapon systems and soldiers in the field. Air Force Lt. Gen. Clinton Hinote recently observed that energy was still a 鈥減rimary limiter to the types of operations that we鈥檙e able to do.鈥�
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