Abstract: The Department of Defense (DOD) has a unique opportunity
to be a leader in bridging the gap between research and development
(R&D) and commercial clean energy technologies. Faced with the
inextricable linkage between energy, security, environment, and
economics, the DOD is positioned to play an important role in the
demonstration of new and emerging clean energy technologies, and also to
become early first adopters of the technologies. Military installations are
“living laboratories”; they offer a controlled and safe environment to
demonstrate emerging technologies and to provide a critical feedback loop
between the end-users and technology providers. This work reviewed
Federal energy policy, explored the role of R&D in meeting DOD needs
with regard to energy issues, defined measures of “Technology Readiness
and Commercialization, outlined the role of installations as “living
laboratories,” and provided several case studies of energy-related studies
done at Army installations.