In Earth Day Memo, Hicks Lays Out Steps for Pentagon to Shrink its Energy Reliance

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks wants the US military to look at how technologies like tanks, ships and drones can be less reliant on fuel, she wrote in a new memo.

Energy reduction is a difficult task for the sprawling, ever-moving US military. When tasked with a mission, providing the energy necessary to power exquisite technology — or even the equipment used by a dismounted soldier — is non-negotiable.

However, future wars may force the services to become more distributed and less reliant on major installations where power sources are available, which in turn “put[s] a premium on capabilities with longer range, time on station, endurance and the ability to adapt to evolving energy needs and technology,” Hicks said in the memo, dated April 21 and released on Earth Day today.

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