A moment of maritime opportunity? The U.S. Navy operational energy challenge

The U.S. Department of Defense's National Defense Strategy prioritises the U.S. Navy's focus on strategic competitors, equipped with long-range weapons, significant anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems, and substantial cyber capabilities. This paper analyses the U.S. Navy's efforts to field an energy-resilient force able to support distributed operations in a globally contested logistics environment. Specifically, it examines operational energy strategies, focusing on energy supportability and demand reduction, against the backdrop of naval power and energy system developments. Moreover, it advocates for the application of updated performance metrics to spur technological innovation and policy formulation, advance a data-driven culture, and inform pathways to support a whole-of-government approach to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.