Alternative Fuels Ban Irks Air Force, Lawmakers

Language in the 2007 energy bill has come under fire because it threatens to derail Air Force plans to use liquid fuel made from coal to power its aircraft. And some momentum appears to be building for its repeal, as Defense Environment Alert reports.

The legislation -- section 526 -- prohibits government agencies from buying alternative fuels that have significantly higher carbon footprints than traditional jet fuels -- and making coal-to-liquid fuel coughs up a lot of emissions. But the ban has a wide cast of characters upset, including the Air Force, many members of Congress and the Canadian government, which fears that fuels made from its oil sands will not be allowed.

Now, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is eyeing the defense authorization bill as a vehicle for a repeal of section 526.

Sources say Inhofe, who recently introduced a bill to repeal the GHG restrictions in section 526 of the 2007 energy law, may offer the proposal as a floor amendment to defense authorization legislation, which is currently pending in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The defense bill is expected to pass out of committee within the month and go to the floor shortly thereafter. Inhofe is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the ranking Republican on the Environment & Public Works Committee.

Using the defense authorization bill to address energy issues is not unprecedented, especially given the Defense Department’s hefty energy use. Last year, coal-to-liquid proponents had discussed pushing incentives for the technology through the defense bill. Also, Inhofe tried unsuccessfully last year to add an amendment to assist coal-to-liquid fuels to a homeland security bill.

The Air Force wants half of all its stateside flights to be powered by such synthetic fuels by 2016. In March, as *Inside the Air Force *reported, the service began an effort to "determine which energy sources are the most environmentally friendly by comparing the total greenhouse gas emission levels for all sources of fuel -- showing which pollute the most versus the least. The service hopes this will help clear the way to use synthetic fuels on its missions."

The Air Force claims there is no specific standard to measure total greenhouse gas emissions from alternative fuels; therefore the study is needed to determine if coal-based fuel is clean enough to use under the law.

(Photo: U.S. Air Force)

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