The U.S. Navy and Agriculture Department have marked the launch of an alternative energy program with the deployment of the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group during a Naval Air Station North Island ceremony.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack led the debut of the Great Green Fleet program intended to help boost combat capability with the use of alternative energy, USDA said Wednesday.
“The Great Green Fleet shows how we are transforming our energy use to make us better warfighters, to go farther, stay longer and deliver more firepower,” said Mabus.
JCS CSG uses stern flaps, LED lights and energy-efficient operational procedures for its regular operations.
The alternative fuel used for the ship contains waste beef fat from the Midwest that was purchased under a contract between the Defense Logistics Agency and AltAir.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale, the first Navy ship to run on an alternative fuel blend, was also deployed when the ceremony ended.
