This week, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment that will remove provisions from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have largely prevented the U.S. military from purchasing biofuels and, in turn, diversifying its fuel sources.
The Senate passed the amendment, which was launched by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., by a vote of 62 to 37.
‘The strong bipartisan support for my amendment demonstrates the Senate believes that we should allow our military leaders to develop and use advanced alternative fuels, which will help make the military less reliant on foreign oil,’ Udall wrote in a Facebook posting.
BIO, the trade organization that represents a number of biotechnology and biofuel stakeholders, said it is ‘increasingly important to find domestically produced crude oil alternatives.’
‘In fiscal years 2011 and 2012, DoD came up $5.6 billion short in its budget for military operations and maintenance because it spent more on fuel than anticipated,’ the group said. ‘For every $0.25 increase in the price of a gallon of oil, DoD incurs over $1 billion in additional fuel costs.’
‘Military programs are already driving innovation, private-sector investment and job creation in the biofuel industry,’ said Environmental Entrepreneurs co-founder Nicole Lederer, in a statement. ‘Now that the market has a clear signal from Washington, that growth can continue.’
