By Peter Roper, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

June 10–Requiring the Defense Department to use energy-efficient technology in its buildings and vehicles is the central point of legislation that Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., has introduced this week.

The measure is being co-sponsored by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Democrat wounded by a gunman in January.

Their legislation — titled the Department of Defense Energy Security Act of 2011 — would require the Pentagon to do a list of things, including:

– Establish a pilot program to coordinate the use of efficient technologies across all the military services. — Study the use of high-efficient fuel systems in military tactical vehicles. — Establish a Pentagon office for the development and use of alternative fuels. — Adopt high-efficiency energy standards for military buildings and require the use of low-energy “smart” lighting and insulating windows. — Develop a plan for requiring the Defense Department to obtain a specific minimum amount of energy from renewable sources.

“The U.S. military pays a heavy price for its reliance on fossil fuel,” Udall said in a statement this week announcing the legislation. “Osama bin Laden reportedly called our fuel convoys our military’s umbilical cord and we risk the lives of thousands of troops each year because of our dependence on fossil fuels in theater and at home.”

Udall said shrinking the Pentagon’s reliance on petroleum fuels should be a priority.

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Copyright (c) 2011, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

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