Favorable Returns?

In certifying that the Air Force's fiscal year 2013 budget steers adequate funding toward operational energy initiatives, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs Sharon Burke this week highlighted issues with the service's investment in improving energy efficiency on its fixed-wing aircraft. In a report released Aug. 15, Burke approved of the service's plans to invest $2.4 billion in operational energy efforts over five years, with 90 percent of that going toward reducing demand. Still, she wrote that C-130s and C-17s present opportunities for energy efficiency upgrades "with favorable returns on investment."