Posts Tagged ‘energy’

The Army’s net zero initiative is receiving a lot of attention for its ambitious goals to curtail the consumption of precious resources through greater reliance on renewable energy and innovative conservation strategies, but the service’s installations chief remains focused on the bottom line. “If we can become more resource independent, we can become more sustainable, which means we can focus on our mission — serving and protecting this nation,” Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary for installations, energy and environment, said last week during a roundtable discussion at the National Academies …

When it comes to installation issues, energy has become the most important watchword over the past decade. Each of the military services has embraced bold goals for increasing its reliance on renewable energy and is racing to achieve them. In short, the services are making news at a rapid pace as they announce new power purchase agreements, strive to meet net zero targets for their installations and enhance energy security …

Officials are planning to extend the Net Zero Initiative — a pilot effort to reduce the net consumption of energy and water, and the generation of waste to an effective rate of zero — to all permanent Army posts. A new policy will be issued by Sept. 30. The announcement came last week as the Army released its 2012 progress report for the initiative, a summary of achievements to date, best practices at the 18 pilot installations and the service’s plans for rolling out the initiative Army-wide …

As the military turns to renewable energy to power its installations, microgrids are expected to become a key component of the Pentagon’s approach for reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and improving energy security. Microgrids allow installations to manage renewable energy sources locally and, at the same time, help protect them from potential disruptions caused by utility transmission and distribution lines, and terrorism. At next month’s Defense Communities National Summit, attendees will have an opportunity to tour a working microgrid at the FDA Federal Research Center White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Md. …

Air Force officials and representatives from 75 companies discussed new ways the private sector could partner with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, during an industry forum held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., earlier this month. In the energy arena, for example, the agency wants to do more third-party financed projects, including energy savings performance contracts, utility energy service contracts and renewable energy power purchase agreements, said Ken Gray, acting energy director …

The military services have installed a total of 130 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy systems at U.S. installations, and have plans to complete 1.1 gigawatts of new photovoltaic capacity by 2017, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association. Each of the services is aiming to acquire 1 gigawatt of renewable energy by 2025, a response to rising energy costs, potential energy supply disruptions and the need for more secure and clean energy generation and distribution …

In a first for the Pentagon, Fort Bliss officials on Thursday turned on the Texas post’s microgrid, a system designed to efficiently harness renewable energy while reducing the installation’s vulnerability to outages to the power grid. The microgrid will decentralize how power is sent across the installation, ensuring that a major power outage doesn’t affect critical operations. It was designed by Lockheed Martin as part of a test effort funded by DOD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program …

Kevin Geiss, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for energy, last week was recognized as a finalist for the Partnership for Public Service 2013 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America award. Geiss was nominated to receive the Management Excellence medal, which recognizes a federal employee for demonstrating superior leadership and management excellence through a significant contribution to the nation that exemplifies efficient, effective and results-oriented government …

The Army announced the first awards Friday under its $7 billion procurement to obtain renewable energy through private sector financing, awarding contracts to five firms for potential geothermal energy projects. The contracts — which provide a three-year base with seven one-year options — allow the firms to compete for power purchase agreements lasting up to 30 years at DOD installations. Individual awards under the multiple-award, task order contract are being staggered by technology. Awards for the remaining technologies, solar, wind and biomass, are anticipated to be made through the end of 2013 …

The Defense Department’s Energy Siting Clearinghouse determined that 98 percent of the 1,769 commercial energy projects it reviewed in 2012 would have little or no impact on military testing, training or operational missions. The other 39 projects are undergoing further study, and defense officials are working with industry, state, tribal and local governments, and federal permitting and regulatory agencies to identify measures to mitigate those projects’ potential impacts …