Military Should Use More Natural Gas

When it comes to U.S. military spending, cost-containment is the watchword of the day. If our armed forces can utilize more “clean” energy and at the same time reduce fueling costs for military vehicles, by all means this goal should be pursued. But the only alternative fuel that’s likely to produce significant cost savings is natural gas. With gas prices expected to remain below those of gasoline and diesel for the foreseeable future on a gallon-equivalent basis, converting light military vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG) and heavy vehicles to liquefied natural gas (LNG) makes a lot of sense. What’s more, if the Department of Defense commits itself to purchasing more natural gas and more natural gas vehicles, these policies, in turn, will help stimulate the build-out of a national infrastructure that can support greater use of CNG and LNG in the civilian sector. Read More