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The price of going green

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has laid out an ambitious goal of deploying a “green” carrier strike group, converting a dozen destroyers to hybrid power plants and running 50 percent of the Navy Department — ships, airplanes, trucks — on alternative fuel by 2020.

He also wants energy usage, efficiency and life-cycle costs to play a major role when purchasing a weapons system. The aim is to not only save money, but also to wean the fleet off of dependence on foreign oil and meet the Defense Department goal that 25 percent of its energy come from renewable sources.

while his plan is grand in vision, it lacks a comprehensive strategy for how to get there and, most importantly, how to pay for it.

The Navy is facing a significant cash crunch as shipbuilding costs soar. Ships are sailing well below necessary manning levels, leading to crew burnout and critical deficiencies in ship maintenance. just last year, six ships flunked their material inspections. The Navy’s planned fleet of at least 313 ships — 28 more than today — will remain a pipe dream without a monumental infusion of cash.

And contrary to green goals, the Navy has no design changes planned for its future fleet of 55 fuel-guzzling littoral combat ships.

While Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead could not answer questions about costs of going green, it’s clear that re-engineering warships and aircraft on such a massive scale likely will require billions of dollars in the near term. What’s not clear from the plan is when the Navy will begin to reap savings to offset the costs.

The secretary is to be commended for leading the challenge to operate with greater energy efficiency. Now, it is critical that he lay out a clear strategy for how the fleet will overcome immediate manning, shipbuilding and funding challenges to go green.