Republicans critical of Navy's 'Great Green Fleet', $26 a gallon fuel

FoxNews ^ | uly 02, 2012 | FoxNews

[Ron C.]

The Navy is steaming ahead with an initiative to power ships with biofuel, despite criticism the so-called “green fuel” costs nearly seven times more than conventional fuel.

This month marks the first time the Navy is using biofuel in an operational setting -- sending five ships to a multi-nation exercise off the coast of Hawaii.

A Navy official told FoxNews.com on Monday that sailing the so-called “Great Green Fleet” this month on the 50-50 blend of alternative and conventional fuel is part of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’ plan to have half the Navy fleet on alternative fuel by 2020.

The spokesman also confirmed the fuel -- which does not require engine modifications -- costs $26 a gallon compared to $3.60 a gallon for conventional fuel.

[RetroSexual]

How about taxpayers with oars?

[AFreeBird]

>>> costs $26 a gallon compared to $3.60 a gallon for conventional fuel. <<<

It’s the Obama way.

[KC Burke]

Hi Ron,

It is going on in every branch. When Congress kept them from spending extra money to get LEED Green design and construction ratings above Silver rating, the Pentegon simply started wasting money on Net Zero requirements which means designing buildings with full utility conections and capacities but also designing in large Photovoltaic arrays and other renewable resources at extra cost.

[Paladin2]

Is $26/gal for the 50-50 mix or for the green input?

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

What is the name of the buddy of “The Divine One” that received acceptance of his bid to provide the fuel? How much money did he give to “The Divine One?”

[formosa]

They want soldiers to pay for their health care when they risk life and limb to protect them by giving the excuse of cutting spending....

No more words for this kind of trash behavior from Washington or the sick, sorry, pentagon.

[ozzymandus]

Sofa King Stupid.

[pennyfarmer]

If this bio-fuel is like others it is inefficient and dirty.

I would hate to be a deck seaman right now. Inefficient fuel means more unreps, more back breaking labor to fuel up.

[Brad from Tennessee]

On an earlier thread someone noted that the fuel is being bought from a company with close ties to the White House:

http://www.redstatereport.com/2012/03/obama-forces-navy-to-use-16gallon-biofuel/

[Brad from Tennessee]

[The Navy has recently purchased 450,000 gallons of biofuel at $16/gallon, from an Obama friend T.J. Glauthier. Glauthier is a strategic adviser to Solazyme which manufactures the expensive biofuel. The fuel was purchased at four times the regular price the Navy would have spent if the Navy where allowed to use it’s normal fossil fuel. So while Obama is shutting down parts of the military to save money, he is forcing a part of the military to spend four times the money it would have normally spent, all for the benefit of an Obama friend. . . .This isn’t the first time Solazyme has been given money from Obama. In 2009, Solazyme was awarded $21.8 million from the Stimulus. So Solazyme is living completely off the American taxpayer thanks to Obama, who has to make the mafia jealous with his ability to launder billions of other people’s money (our money) into the hands of his friends.]

http://www.redstatereport.com/2012/03/obama-forces-navy-to-use-16gallon-biofuel/

[Jack Hydrazine]

Navy Takes Biofuels Campaign Into Uncharted Waters
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2011/January/Pages/NavyTakesBiofuelsIntoUnchartedWaters.aspx

Since 2006, the Defense Logistics Agency has procured more than 36 million gallons of ethanol-and-petroleum blends for the military. The Navy in September ordered an additional 150,000 gallons of algae-based fuel from San Francisco company Solazyme. The new agreement is seven times the size of the initial 20,000-gallon contract awarded last year. The Navy is paying big bucks for these fuels.

The service consumes an average of 1.2 billion gallons of petroleum each year at a cost of $3 billion — about $2.50 per gallon. The service paid Solazyme $8.5 million to provide just 20,000 gallons of algae-based fuel —

$425 per gallon.

At that rate, it would cost the Navy some $142.8 billion for the 8 million barrels of biofuel needed to meet its 2020 goal.

Camelina-based fuel is a bit cheaper but still more expensive than petroleum. In September 2009 the DLA’s defense energy support center paid Montana’s Sustainable Oils $2.7 million for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based fuel. That comes to about $67.50 per gallon.

[Brad from Tennessee]

Thanks for the link.

I used to live in Cape Canaveral on the edge of Kennedy Space Center. When I saw your name it brought back memories.

[Kickass Conservative]

Did every Oil Well in the World suddenly run dry?

Funny how cost is not an issue when you're paying with someone Else’s money.

It's the Obama way.

[Jack Hydrazine]

From that distance you could probably smell the hydrazine in the morning!

[thirst4truth]

Amazing the people in this country are so unform about what this administration does daily

And yesterday BO granted more waivers to states to not comply with the duly passed, No child left behind bill. I don't agree with the bill myself, but now he is telling states that they need not comply with that congressional law, Barack has spoken!

[Brad from Tennessee]

[From that distance you could probably smell the hydrazine in the morning!]

Sometimes hydrazine would escape and the wind would carry it across a populated area where allegedly it would cause a cluster of temporary respiratory problems. Most people didn't know. And even if they did, it was a time when patriotism eclipsed legal opportunism.