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Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released an “Operational Energy Strategy” report that exposed the limited visibility the U.S. military has into its operational energy distribution and use. The report also stated the DoD had limited oversight of fuel distribution, including fuel infrastructure and investment in national oil companies in China and the Middle East.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Fuel Utilization for Enhanced Logistics (FUEL) Act to require the DoD to assess vulnerabilities in the U.S. military’s fuel supply and logistics network, and require a strategy to identify rapid deployment energy solutions for contested environments.

• “Ensuring the strength and resilience of our military means safeguarding every aspect of our defense, including our energy supply. The FUEL Act will make sure we are assessing vulnerabilities in the energy supply required to fight and win conflicts.” – Senator Rubio

Specifically, this bill would require the DoD to:

• Evaluate vulnerabilities in the U.S. military’s fuel supply and logistics network, specifically in the Indo-Pacific;
• Analyze contingency plans and alternative logistics routes that ensure uninterrupted energy supply chains under contested conditions;
• Identify current operational energy infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific owned by commercial companies or host countries, and the ability of such infrastructure to endure kinetic and cyber-attacks; and
• Study current and projected trends in global refining capacity, investments in petroleum infrastructure, and implication of such trends for U.S. national security.