The US Army is scheduling talks with contractors about energy and electricity with an eye toward generating more energy cheaply, using less energy and getting more energy when needed. This will take place at the Army’s industry day, November 17 in Leesburg, Virginia. The Army’s new energy plan was revealed in early October. It calls for thousands of battery powered cars to be added to Army posts. It also calls for the conversion of waste into fuel, and private funding to build solar and geothermal plants to generate power for Army facilities. Another goal of the initiative is to put bigger generators into Army vehicles and thereby allow them to carry more combat systems. This will also allow army vehicles to bring electricity into war zones for command posts, tent cities, and other uses as well. These generators could even power the drive trains of vehicles using a hybrid electric propulsion system. Army vehicles are relying more and more on electronics, and power needs can no longer be handled by the use of a bigger alternator, according to a spokesman for DRS technologies, one of the firms involved in the Army’s initiative. DRS have been working on onboard vehicle power for several years.