Gen. James Conway said Oct. 14 he will spend the last year of his post as U.S. Marine Corps Commandant making energy efficiency one of his top priorities for the service.

His objective is "net zero," he told an audience at the Office of Naval Research's Naval Energy Forum. "Our bases and stations [should] provide as much energy as they make use of," he said. And if one day the Marines produce more energy than its infrastructure can use, Conway said he would not rule out selling the extra energy. "We get it," he said of energy conservation, citing ongoing projects at numerous bases. In California, at Marine Corps bases in Barstow and Miramar, the service is running nearly 100 projects representing more than $79 million in investment. At Camp Pendleton, Calif., electrical charging stations are powered by solar energy. In Yuma, Ariz., solar power runs lights on runways, along fence lines and in warehouses. And in Hawaii, an experimental program is looking to harness wave energy power.

Where the Marine Corps has faltered is in its expeditionary capability, Conway said. "That's where focus needs to be generated most. That's where we're most inefficient." Transporting fuel and water miles into Afghanistan and Iraq along risky and dangerous routes can raise the cost of a $1.04 gallon of JP4 up to $400, he said. "These are fairly major problems for us," Conway added. He would like to see expeditionary, roll-up solar panels, transportable ground-source cooling methods and more efficient tents.

Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps