Alone among the leading world navies, the U.S. Navy has fully embraced renewable energy both as a fuel to power its ships and as a "weapon" that guarantees its survival into the future.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus emphasized that developing alternative energy sources is a matter of national security.

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"Energy can be -- and is -- used every day as a weapon," Mabus told his listeners at the Climate Leadership Conference held in Washington DC.

Mabus said the Navy must have the "ability to be at the right place all the time". This capability, however, depends on the Navy's "ability to have fuel".

To maintain this capability, the Navy intends that at least half of its power will come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2020.

"It's an issue of national security," Mabus said. "It makes us better at defending this country."

The Navy is one of the world's largest energy consumers. As such, it has the ability to spearhead a shift to non-fossil fuels by promoting competition within the energy sector.

The U.S. Department of Defense is the world's largest consumer of fossil fuels.

The Navy has established a Task Force Energy to oversee the goal to shift to non-fossil fuel sources by 2020.

Len Hering, a retired Navy admiral, echoed Mabus' comments in a story in which he said that boosting renewable energy will improve our national security.

Hering  said energy is key to accomplishing the Navy's mission. He noted the country's heavy reliance on a single source poses a strategic threat.

"In Iraq and Afghanistan, our dependence cost us severely in both blood and treasure; thousands of Americans were killed clearing roads and escorting or moving fuel convoys<' he noted.

He said the Pentagon is committed to powering installations with 30 percent renewables by 2025.

"The military knows that to win a war, you must get out in front of the fight. And for our energy security, that means we must diversify with clean, reliable sources".