U.S. DOD pursuing efficiency to reduce $4 billion energy bill
The U.S. Defense Department is pursuing energy efficiency and other measures to lower its energy bill and increase its energy security, officials told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee in late March. The department spends $4 billion a year on energy, Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, testified at the hearing on planned energy investments. DOD operates more than 300,000 buildings, which have an environmental footprint six times greater than the General Services Administration and three times larger than Walmart, Robyn said.
To reduce its energy demand and costs, the DOD seeks $1.1 billion in funding in fiscal year 2013 for energy efficiency retrofits of buildings, Robyn said. It also made a commitment outside of the budget to enter into more than $1 billion worth of energy savings contracts, she said.