WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force -- the federal government's biggest energy consumer -- is testing a cheaper, cleaner-burning, more-domestic synthetic fuel blend.
The Air Force successfully flew its first transcontinental flight with the fuel last week, when a C-17 Globemaster II traveled from Washington state to New Jersey using a 50-50 blend of traditional JP-8 fuel and synthetic fuel from natural gas and liquid, The Christian Science Monitor said.
"We're making sure the Air Force is ahead of the curve so we can utilize this domestic resource instead of having to be both dependent on foreign sources and send dollars offshore instead of spending the dollars here in the U.S.," Air Force spokesman Kevin Billings told the newspaper.
The fuel, if successful, could eventually be used for all military and commercial planes. It costs between $40 and $75 per barrel, compared to nearly $100 per barrel for foreign oil, the Monitor said.
