U.S. Navy pushes green fleet

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Navy officials laid out a series of initiatives intended to change the way the force uses energy, including the increased use of renewable resources.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus unveiled a series of measures at an energy forum in Virginia. The measures include a shift toward long-term energy savings, the increased use of hybrid and electric vehicles and the creation of a so-called Green Strike Group composed of nuclear- and biofuel-powered vessels.

The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest consumer of petroleum products in the United States, using roughly 330,000 barrels of oil per day. The U.S. Navy is the second-largest consumer in the Department of Defense, while the majority of energy transports fall within its security objectives.

The Office of Naval Research and the Navy's Task Force Energy organized the event to review energy strategies as part of a push toward environmentally friendly and cost-efficient methods.

"We have led the world in the adoption of new energy strategies in the past," said Mabus. "This is our legacy."