Energy security goes green

BY ANNA BISARO

WASHINGTON – New energy technologies at the U.S. Department of Defense are more sustainable and reliable than previous energy suppliers and have saved millions of taxpayer dollars, according to a report published by Pew Charitable Trusts in Jan. 16, 2014.

“Most people don’t think of DOD as being a leader in energy,” Phyllis Cuttino, director of the Pew Energy Program, said in an interview.

Cuttino explained that military bases have largely relied on diesel generators in the past. Under new private partnerships with clean energy projects, Pew Charitable Trusts found that DOD is making great strides towards being more energy efficient and saving millions of dollars in the process as solar and wind energy replace diesel.

In addition, energy security at DOD buildings and facilities can also guarantee another level of safety. “If a grenade hits a solar panel, it doesn’t explode like a generator,” Cuttino said.

The Master Energy Performance Plan, created in response to Congressional legislation and military leadership goals, has initiated programs for the four branches of the military to ensure short- and long-term progress in energy security. The plan aims to improve energy efficiency, increase on-site electricity generation, and better manage energy distribution.

With 550,000 buildings on 2.3 billion square feet of land, the U.S. DOD has one of the largest inventories of real estate in the world, according to the study. Keeping these buildings and structures running and functional is a high priority and brings a different meaning to energy security that transcends any issues with oil imports from the Middle East.

In fiscal 2012, the Pew study found, the DOD spent $3.8 billion just on power, heating and cooling at its facilities. Military installations account for 20 percent of military spending and that monetary amount is equal to 1 percent of all energy used in U.S. commercial sector.

The Pew study found that the DOD has been very aggressive in its programming, but more can be done by policy makers to make sure the programs continue and are more successful. “Energy security and clean energy goals are something of an unvalued mandate [by the Pentagon],” the study concluded. “Policymakers should consider ways to value energy technologies to help ensure that no mission will be compromised because of extended power failures.”

DOD is the largest sector of government in terms of energy expenses, Cuttino said. If military bases, domestic and abroad go offline, it can cost millions to restore and recover, in addition to undermining security. The Pew study found that 87 power outages at domestic bases that lasted at least eight hours during fiscal year 2012 cost the government more than $7 million. Not all of those power outages were weather related.

“No matter how you feel about drones, many are managed by domestic bases,” Cuttino said. But, energy security is not just needed to keep drones flying the right direction. In a time of increased cyber security and when the U.S. military is called to act in many domestic disasters like hurricanes, the bases always need to be online and fully functional.

Soldiers carry around more technologically advanced and sophisticated equipment than they used to, Cuttino explained, and it’s important for them to be able to charge their equipment when they return from missions.

DOD is able to save money through private partnerships with clean energy suppliers and shift away from the commercial grid. A 25-year contract with Baker Electric Solar, for example, has saved $3.2 million in energy generation at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif, according to the study. The U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado meets 11 percent of its annual energy needs through solar panels. The partnership with Colorado Springs Utilities and SunPower saves $1 million every year.

And the energy sustainability programs continue to grow. The Pew Charitable Trusts study found that from fiscal 2010 to 2012, the military increased its annual energy saving projects from 630 to 1,339. The study estimates that solar, wind and biomass energy sources will account for 1 GW of renewable energy produced by each branch of the service by 2025.

In November 2013, the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Ga. received the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Award for their reductions in carbon emissions. The Pew study found that the base has reduced carbon emissions equal to that produced by more than 1,200 homes annually.

“The president is not just requiring this of the DOD,” Cuttino said. Executive Order 13514, issued by Pres. Barack Obama in Oct. 2009 requires all federal agencies to set sustainable energy goals. The DOD has just been one of the most aggressive agencies in switching to green energy.