DoD Urged to Value Cleaner Fuel Use in $2.5 Billion Contract Choice

In October 2013, ACSF brought its campaign to reduce Uncle Sam’s costly oil spend to the Department of Defense (DoD) discussion regarding its upcoming Worldwide Express (WWX-6) delivery services contract. WWX-6 is likely to be the largest package delivery contract ever awarded by the federal government, worth over $500 million annually for 5 years.

In a memorandum to DoD, ACSF said that because federal agencies are now required by law to consider oil consumption and dangerous air emissions in awarding new transportation contracts, WWX-6 provides an exceptional opportunity for the government to lead by example.

In particular, ACSF said that both Executive Order 13514 and the Department’s own Strategic Sustainability Plan and Green Procurement Program oblige DoD to prefer vendors that can meet DoD’s transport needs while simultaneously advancing environmental and energy security goals. For example, to meet DoD’s multiple objectives, vendors can expand the use of alternative, cleaner transportation fuels, such as natural gas and electricity. That is likely to improve air quality, create more domestic jobs and curb the vast transfer of American wealth to oil-rich nations in the Middle East.

The Foundation’s DoD contract initiative builds on the group’s June 2013 letter urging the U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) to factor environmental and energy security objectives into the process for awarding the new $1.5 billion domestic delivery service contract for federal agencies, known as DDS-3.

On December 30, 2013, the Foundation submitted this memorandum (download PDF) to USTRANSCOM, the purchasing arm of the Defense Department (DOD), in response to the release of a December 13 Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) for DoD’s Worldwide Express (WWX-6) delivery service contract.