The Navy Goes in Search of a U.S.S. Prius
Just as Prius drivers speak of the $25,000 car's quiet operation, the $2.5 billion Makin Island — an amphibious assault ship — is quieter than the warships that came before it. Instead of requiring two dozen sailors to operate boilers and monitor gauges in 100-degree engine rooms, half that number are needed to survey computer screens in a much cooler environment. The ship can sail within hours of receiving orders, unlike steam-powered versions that require days. And, like the Prius, it saves money at the pump: the Navy estimates that the Makin Island 's hybrid power will save the U.S. $250 million over its 40-year life span (at the current cost of oil), compared with the cost of the fueling boilers on the eight older Wasp-class flattops. (Unlike the Prius, which gets its electricity from the car's braking system, the Makin Island 's electric power comes from a pair of diesel generators.)
"Our military leaders recognize the security imperative of increasing the use of alternative fuels, decreasing energy use, reducing our reliance on imported oil, making ourselves more energy-efficient," President Obama recently said. "It's about the future of our planet." Even normally skeptical outsiders have been impressed. The Pentagon "has enacted energy goals and is inventing, testing and deploying new technologies and alternative fuels to meet those goals," according to Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Charitable Trusts' climate and energy programs. "The military is, in many respects, leading the way and helping to re-energize America's future."
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