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 e-FFICIENCY NEWS: You were one of the chief architects of the Center Aisle Caucus - whose main goal seems to be bipartisan cooperation and governing. In light of the current political climate in Washington and the many proposals surfacing that address energy issues, is this caucus working with the Congress to craft meaningful energy policies and, if so, is sufficient funding being authorized and/or appropriated to support the initiatives?
Israel: My goal has been framing energy as a national security issue and this seems to be a goal which members from both sides of the aisle can get behind. The Center Aisle Caucus will focus on this issue because energy independence isn't a Democratic or Republican issue, but a national security imperative. In addition to the Center Aisle Caucus, I've formed a bi-partisan Defense Energy Working Group with my colleague Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). The working group is founded on the premise that the military's dependence on energy is a national security vulnerability and it identifies challenges associated with this dependence and recommends solutions.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: You've often said that energy is a national security issue. What role can the Department of Defense, and the military in general, play in reducing oil use?
Israel: Well, the Department of Defense is a huge consumer of fuel, representing 97% of all U.S. government fuel consumption. I'll give you a few staggering statistics: In 2005, the Pentagon spent $10.6 billion ($29 million per day) on basic energy costs. Of that, the Air Force spent $4.7 billion on one thing - fuel for its airplanes. The Air Force consumes 52% of all fossil fuels used by the federal government; the costs exceed $10 million/day. A single F-16 can burn 23 gallons of fuel per minute when its afterburners are lit. A Stryker Combat Vehicle in Iraq gets 5 to 10 MPG. Total Department of Defense energy research in 2006 was $535 million. The Air Force alone spent nearly ten times that amount for jet fuel. So we are borrowing money from China to fund our defense budgets to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to fuel our weapons to protect us from China and the Persian Gulf. It's not an absurdity. It's a fundamental vulnerability.
It becomes obvious that we need to increase energy research and development at DOD, but we also need to focus on coordinating existing energy conservation efforts there. Before I joined the House Appropriations Committee, I was on the House Armed Services Committee. We had a hearing in June 2006 on DOD alternative fuels. At the hearing, I asked a DOD official to tell the Committee which office or official has advocacy and ownership of advanced fuel programs in the Air Force. His answer: "Congressman, if you asked me a few months ago, I'd have to tell you that I don't know. But we should have the answer for you soon."
We can also learn from past research innovation at the DOD. I believe we should create an Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency similar to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA provides critical funding to academic institutions and companies to research and develop highly advanced and specialized weapons systems. The Department of Defense funded the development of the Boeing 707. Now it should support new technologies that will reduce F-16 fuel consumption to less than 28 gallons a minute.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: The Department of Energy's energy-efficiency programs are funded through the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. As a member of this Subcommittee, can you share with us some key challenges you face when deciding funding priorities?
Israel: In a recent subcommittee hearing, we heard from Government Accountability Office (GAO) that Department of Energy (DOE) spending on energy research and development has dropped by more than 85% from 1978 to 2005. It's clear that one of our subcommittee's top priorities must be to reverse this trend by making significant investments in R &D to develop technologies and efficiency programs that will help decrease our reliance on oil. At the same time, we must make meaningful investments in deployment. We can't afford to forget that investing in the deployment of energy efficient technologies is the best way to decrease demand now. We must also intensify public information and education, including training for state and local code compliance personnel.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Transportation continues to be one of the single largest areas for U.S. oil consumption. What do you feel can be done to reduce our nation's reliance on petroleum in the transportation sector? Is the answer new technologies like plug-in hybrids and/or hydrogen fuel cells, increasing the use of renewables and alternative fuels, and/or more government regulation?
Israel: According to the Energy Information Administration, energy consumption is expected to grow most rapidly in the transportation sector over the next 30 years. And almost all of the energy used in the transportation sector is oil. We need to fund R&D for the development of new technologies, like plug-ins and fuel cells, and we must also use the market to incentivize their deployment.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: The federal government remains the largest consumer and waster of energy in the U.S. How can the government become more involved in reducing energy waste and setting an example for the rest of the country?
Israel: Good question. I believe that the federal government needs to recognize that alternative energy and energy efficiency is a supply and demand issue and lead by example. I'm working on an initiative to make both my Washington and New York offices carbon neutral and have also introduced legislation that would require the federal government to swap out 50,000 gas guzzlers for 50,000 plug-in hybrids. Congress should also increase funding for the Federal Energy Management Program, which has been incredibly successful in cutting federal energy building energy waste.
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: What do you see as the best solution(s) to encourage private sector investment in new technologies and infrastructure that will direct us away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner, more efficient resources?
Israel: If we incentivize both the supply and demand sides of clean energy, we'll create new markets, new jobs and displace oil. My Next Generation Energy Security Initiative extends tax credits to consumers and industry for the deployment of energy efficient technologies. I hope people will read it on my website at www.house.gov/israel.
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