New Focus Of Hagel Confirmation Hearings: Whether Military Should Use Renewable Fuels

[hatrack]

Unbelievable.

The former Nebraska senator and decorated Vietnam War veteran had already endorsed the administration's approach to certifying its fleets on alternative fuels in written testimony made public Wednesday but said he would need to "examine the value" of more aggressive efforts, such as the Navy's $170 million stake in an interagency program to build commercial-scale biofuel refineries (E&E Daily, Jan. 31).

During yesterday's confirmation hearing, Hagel gave careful answers to questions from Sens. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) -- who sit on opposite sides of the debate over the military's role in alternative energy development -- that left both thinking they had heard what they wanted. "I appreciate that very much," Inhofe said after lamenting the Navy's $12 million purchase of biofuels for a test this summer and securing a pledge from Hagel to confine defense dollars to security purposes.

Later, Hirono laid out her state's interests in programs aimed at developing cheaper, more stable sources of fuels such as the interagency biofuel refinery project. Hawaii is dependent on oil for much of its electricity. "The Department of Defense is the largest user of, certainly, liquid fuels, but I think our energy budget -- I don't know the exact number, but it's probably around $18 billion a year," Hagel said. "Anything we can do to make any aspect of securing our country more cost-effective, we need to look at."

Inhofe, the committee's new ranking member, could not let the apparent inconsistency sit and returned to the issue during his final line of questioning, pressing Hagel for a clarification.

EDIT

http://www.eenews.net/public/EEDaily/2013/02/01/1

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Inhofe is an anti-American, a traitor, a pig-headed ignoramus.

the fact that he continues to stay in office proves that America cannot stand as one country. We need to allow those states that wish to teach Intelligent Design, to practice racism and sexism, and to have biblical law applied in their states, and form their own country. Why should we carry the burden of their ignorance and idiocy? Fuck them, fuck their senators, fuck the voters who elect people like him.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Luckily, I don't feel all that strongly about this.