China has made it very clear that clean energy technologies will also lead to geopolitical power, said the assistant defense secretary in charge of environment and energy resilience.

Richard Kidd spoke today at the virtual GovExec 2022 Climate Summit.

China has invested in various clean energy technologies, he said. “The United States cannot surrender in a way that leads to other nations, and cannot be expected to continue to be the preeminent global power.”

The Department of Defense is investing in a variety of technologies that can help keep pace with or stay ahead of China, support the military in contested operations, and reduce or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. he said there is.

Kidd said the ministry will only invest in clean energy technologies that also provide mission benefits.

“There is still a gap between where we want to go and the technology we have today, so it will require a huge additional investment in technology,” Kidd said, adding that the company will continue to invest in the technology for the success of the mission. He said an investment in the Pentagon would likely benefit the U.S. commercial sector.

The Department of Defense, for example, has about 30% of the microgrid market, which could have positive knock-on effects for the industry and consumers, he said.

In addition to new technologies, Kidd noted the adverse impacts of climate change on our military, equipment and installations, including droughts, floods and heat waves.

“We’re playing different wargames right now where energy and climate are built into the wargame. Climate helps set the scenario and energy is contested,” Kidd said. .

“We recognize that we cannot move energy around the battlefield as freely as we could in the past,” he added.