AF official visits Robins, talks alternative energy Published Feb. 14, 2008 By Kendahl Johnson 78th ABW/PA Robins Air Force Base, GA -- The Air Force is on the forefront in the country's efforts to reduce reliance on foreign oil, a top ranking official said in a visit to Robins Feb. 8. During a two-day visit to Robins, William Anderson, Air Force assistant secretary for installations, environment and logistics, briefed media and leaders on the Air Force's energy strategy and shared thoughts on the Air Force's efforts in pushing energy alternatives. "Our mission is to fly, fight and win and to maintain sovereign options for this nation and our global interests," Mr. Anderson said in a press conference. "We believe we can do this in a way that reduces our demand on energy, reduce the environmental impact of our mission and maintain the high environmental stewardship standards the Air Force has had for many decades." He said the Air Force, from top leadership down, has really embraced the energy message, and is working to decrease demand, as well as working to find new sources of domestically-sourced, clean energy. "We are working to change the culture of every Airman, from the day they walk into basic training to the most senior ranks of the Air Force, that they make energy considerations in everything they do," Mr. Anderson said. "I am encouraged by how much the Air Force has understood its role in this process." Importing such a large percentage of our liquid fuel creates a financial and strategic risk and so the Air Force has moved in earnest to develop a comprehensive strategy and move ahead on specific projects. Mr. Anderson said Robins specifically has taken seriously the call from the president "to wean itself of its addiction to foreign oil." He cited several initiatives, including testing and certifying the use of synthetic fuels by Air Force aircraft, some of which is done here by the Advanced Power Technology Office. He noted that the use of synthetic fuels could also expand beyond aircraft, and that APTO is working to certify the use of fuel in ground vehicles. "The team (at Robins) is doing some exciting stuff to help the Air Force move toward a single battlefield fuel," Mr. Anderson said. Other energy-saving initiatives include the possibility of a coal-to-liquids project at Mahlstrom AFB, Mont., a photovoltaic array at Nellis AFB, Nev., a 1.3 megawatt wind farm at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., and a small package nuclear project at a yet undetermined base. Because the strategy for the Air Force is to use underutilized land on Air Force bases to host energy initiatives that make sense for a particular area, the best option for Robins may be using woody biomass as feedstock for electricity generation. "I would expect the base and the community around here will start generating some ideas in a relatively short time," he said. Mr. Anderson said the energy projects are not being funded by taxpayer dollars, but are commercial operations, run by commercial entities and financed by the private sector investment community. "We're looking for projects that can make a profit, that the commercial world wants to do and that makes sense in terms of the environment," he said. "So far, every idea we've put out to the market place has received considerable interest."