ING Direct reports that in a letter addressed to the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee and its Subcommittee on Readiness, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has urged congress to recognize the need for new priorities on energy security. The BIO letter explained the correlation between U.S. biofuel production and national security, and highlighted the military’s acceptance of this fact.

Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO, stated that “The Pentagon has sought to decrease its reliance on foreign oil and increase use of renewable energy for a very simple reason: energy security is a national security priority.” He added that shifts in the oil market have caused the Pentagon to shift assets away from other programs in order to compensate for rising energy prices, resulting in the reallocation of 3.6 billion in funding in order to cover unexpected fuel costs in 2011.

As a result, the military is taking steps to reduce its dependency on oil by investing in biofuels and setting renewable energy goals for each branch. Congress should follow the military’s lead: Investing in biofuels makes America safer and costs the American taxpayer less.

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