The U.S. Department of Defense consumes more oil per day than 170 nations, including Pakistan, a country with 166 million people. Although the amount of fuel consumed by the military is not published, the quantity is estimated to be between 400,000 and 800,000 barrels a day.

 

Keeping America’s war machine moving has become increasingly expensive as the price of oil has gone up. A single barrel costs $80, but added to that is the cost of transporting the fuel to U.S. troops in such places as Afghanistan and Iraq. This means that maintaining a single soldier in a war zone can end up costing hundreds of dollars more a day. This rising cost explains why the armed services are investing in alternative energy and fuel sources, including the use of biofuels for ships and planes.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Surging Price of Oil Forces US Military to Seek Alternative Energy Sources (by John Vidal, Guardian)

Country Comparison Oil Consumption (CIA Factbook)

Pentagon Goes Solar in War (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

War Without Oil: A Catalyst For True Transformation (by Michael Hornitschek, Center for Strategy and Technology) (pdf)