Air Force Secretary to DARPA: Free Us from the Oil Cartels

August 9, 2007 · Filed Under Alternative Fuels, Governments, Oil Industry, Oil Refining

Developing an alternative to today’s petroleum-based fuels would obviously translate to big cost savings for the military, but according to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, it would have a geo-political advantage as well.Â Speaking today at the DARPA conference here in Anaheim, Wynne told the audience to “think of the withdrawal of leverage it [alternative fuels] would bring from petty dictators or cartels.”Â

If anyone can do it, DARPA can.

As the largest consumer of oil in the federal government, the Air Force has an obvious interest in alternative fuels. Every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil costs the Air Force another $600 million, according to Wynne. The Air Force is also thinking about worst-case scenarios. “In the event of another war, those costs could double again,” Wynne told the audience here. The question, he says, is “how to hedge your bet,” both against the rising cost of petroleum as well as a disruption in supply.