The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has released its fiscal year 2010 scorecard on sustainability and energy performance, and biodiesel is part of the goals in this scorecard.
This Army press release says the service is identifying the best ways to reduce pollution, improve efficiency, and cut costs, and testing the green fuel in the Corps’ floating plant fleet is part of that plan:
“This scorecard serves as an important tool to help us develop targets to reduce waste and increase efficiency in our operations,” said Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), USACE’s Sustainability Officer. “We are now armed with data to know where we are so that we can address areas needing improvement, and to expand on successes.”
USACE is on its way to meeting goals to decrease energy, potable water and fleet petroleum use; incorporate sustainable building practices; and increase renewable energy use at USACE-owned facilities. USACE’s progress thus far in meeting energy and sustainability goals includes: development of the USACE comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories for FY08 (baseline) and FY10; incorporating federal sustainability and energy metrics into the USACE Strategic Management System to provide commanders throughout USACE a dashboard tool to track their sustainability performance; apportioning of USACE Scope 1&2 GHG reduction targets so Major Subordinate Commanders have a clear understanding of the GHG reductions they are required to achieve; completion of biodiesel testing in several vessels in the USACE floating plant fleet; and completion of facility energy and water evaluations at five of the USACE’s most energy intensive facilities.
The USACE says it needs to increase the amount of renewable energy it uses. That can be achieved by implementing all Federal, DoD, and Army policies and regulations that promote green energy and by educating staff about environmentally friendly practices.