WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is accelerating its move to energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce risks to the military, enhance energy security, and save money, according to a report released by The Pew Charitable Trusts. DOD’s clean energy investments increased 300 percent to $1.2 billion between 2006 and 2009. And the report, From Barracks to the Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America's Armed Forces, projects clean energy spending will reach more than $10 billion annually by 2030.

DOD's priorities for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources have been driven by recent experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, where fuel shipments account for 80 percent of all supply convoys. The report finds that DOD’s major energy challenges include risks associated with transporting liquid fuels to the battlefield, growing oil price volatility, the impact of fuel dependence on operational effectiveness, and compliance with federal energy policies.

The Pew report documents how DOD is helping accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies in key areas including advanced biofuels and energy efficiency and renewable energy at bases. The report said that DOD is looking to improve energy efficiency in its more than 500,000 buildings and structures at 500 major installations around the world. And DOD has 450 ongoing renewable energy projects that are producing or procuring 9.6 percent of its energy from clean sources in fiscal year 2010.