The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publication, Energy Trends and Their Implications for U.S. Army Installations, has become available on the web. It is a deep analysis of the effect of peak oil on the Army and what must be done to ameliorate the potentially disastrous results of a worldwide energy shortage. A sample:

In these times of tightening classical energy options, the Army needs to take steps comparable to those in the national agenda mentioned above by modernizing infrastructure, optimizing end-use, minimizing environmental impact, pulling technology markets, cooperating in regional purchases, and leveraging alternate financing. Special attention to the diversification of sources is appropriate. This incorporates a massive expansion in renewable energy purchases, a vast increase in renewable distributed generation including photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, microturbines and biomass, and the large-scale networking of on-site generation. (Emphasis added)

Now ask yourself—honestly—do you think that a single one of these suggestions has the slightest chance of being implemented by the Bush administration? Is the Pope a Cajun? Should I even bother to ask?

You can download the document from the military website here.

If you cannot get it from the military website you can download it here (1.3 Mb).