The Obama administration has announced its successful purchase of “green” biofules for the U.S. Navy at $15 per gallon. This success story is interesting for the fact that the Navy’s regular fuel cost is just under $4 per gallon. Additionally, one of the companies involved in the sale employs a prominent member of Obama’s 2008 transition team, one T.J Glauthier.
The company in question, Solazyme of California, has also been a happy beneficiary $21.8 million of Obama’s “stimulus” spending.
Interestingly and raising specters of crony capitalism, the biofuel purchased at extreme cost by our government was approved via one of Obama’s infamous Executive Orders instead of going through the usual congressional process. Obama’s administration gave no indication as to why this decision was made by the White House instead of through the regular legislative process.
The Institute for Energy Research notes that the costs being born by the Navy is quite high.
The Navy pays $26 a gallon for the biofuel and after combining it with the oil product in a 50/50 blend obtains a fuel that costs $15 per gallon. That is almost 4 times the cost of JP-5 jet fuel, which runs $3.97 per gallon. An MIT study of alternative jet fuels, conducted in association with the Navy, found that even under optimal conditions, the price of bio jet fuel would still be twice as high as the cost of the traditional jet fuel.
Once again we see Obama picking and choosing what private sector businesses get government largess. We also see Obama’s commitment to greenism despite that it is extremely costly to the American taxpayer.
December 12th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
The problem here is, Obama does not seem to be doing anything that the DoD does not want. They’ve been going on about biofuels for years and years. And yes, that goes back to Bush, who called for the same thing. Look it up. And this business about four times the cost. Hmmm. So, where does this cost come from? Where do biofuels come from? If the Navy spends four times as much to get something they want because they think it is better, well, then that money must be going to the industries that produce the biofuels, which happens to be farmers, no? So the Navy wins, the farmers win, everybody wins. The economy gets stimulated. Etc. The only thing the other stuff stimulates is the wallets of rich oil magnates.
Just because something costs less than something else does not mean that it is better, you know.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:07 am
This is idiocy. Here in Pensacola there is talk about the Naval Air Station losing civilian jobs and the Blue Angels being grounded. Yet Obama supporters make huge profits. They’re opportunists and parasites. Just like Obama.
December 15th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
To the 1st Comment Ghost of Klo
You liberals never cease with the politics. Nobody loves Bush, but of course Bush gets blamed for another crime committed by Obama. Liberals hate America. It’s as simple as that.
December 16th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Ghost of Klo:
Learn to read. “An MIT study of alternative jet fuels, conducted in association with the Navy, found that even under optimal conditions, the price of bio jet fuel would still be twice as high as the cost of the traditional jet fuel.” That, quite simply, is not Bush’s fault. Like most of the stuff you blame on him. It’s been three years and your lame douch(e) has done nothing but harm to America and many other countries. Did the DOD control the stimu-less? “If the Navy spends four times as much to get something they want because they think it is better…” Did they say it was better? Were they just testing it? “then that money must be going to the industries that produce the biofuels, which happens to be farmers…” Ma and pa Farmers? Or Corporations? tick-tock tick-tock. Time’s up! How much of this money will go to brazil? Tick-tock, tick-tock…Pull your head out of 0bama’s rear.