On April 11, 2012, President Obama announced an expanded goal for the Department of Defense (DOD) to deploy three gigawatts (GWs) of renewable energy at Army, Navy, and Air Force installations by 2025. This announcement is specific to the development of renewable power, but it continues to reinforce the notion that the DOD will be a key market-creator for the advanced energy sector (in both renewable power and fuels) in the years to come. As a follow-up to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's recent alert outlining upcoming biofuels opportunities, the update below provides insight into the DOD's most recent announcements, including information on how best to navigate upcoming DOD opportunities, as well as a discount code for Infocast's upcoming Defense Renewable Energy & Military Microgrids Conference.

Department of Defense Strengthens and Expands Commitment to Deploying Renewable Energy

In his January 2012 "State of the Union" address, President Obama announced that the Navy would aspire to develop one GW of renewable energy at its installations by 2020. The President's April 11 announcement related to deploying three GWs of renewable energy at DOD facilities expanded this Navy-specific commitment to include the Air Force and the Army. Specifically, the Army will match the Navy's commitment of developing one GW of renewable energy by 2020, and the Air Force will aim to obtain one GW of renewable energy by 2016.