By Colonel Scot Arey
Three Gigawatts (GW) by 2020 – that’s the Department of Defense commitment to renewable energy. It’s even more amazing when one realizes that the total solar PV installations in the entire nation to date are approximately 2.6 GW (Open PV Project). This is the first of a three part series that will explore the military’s commitment to renewable energy technologies and the positive effects for Texas communities and renewable energy industries. The ultimate objective is to persuade Texas renewable industry leaders that there is so much more that can be done. There is a great potential for the industry to demonstrate products and services to a federal government that must become more efficient and cost effective in the years ahead. Just as military bases spread across this diverse state, the solutions to military installations’ energy security needs and cost reduction efforts will likewise be wide-ranging. Texas has an important opportunity that it must take advantage of.
Texas is home to more military installations than nearly any other state. The state hosts many of the largest Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps bases in the Department of Defense. The Army bases stretch from the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana to Fort Bliss in El Paso; Air Force bases sit on the high plains and Naval Air Stations dot the coast. Pick any part of this great state, and you will find the U.S. Military.
The presence of these bases and their well-educated military and civilian work force is a tremendous economic benefit to the hosting communities. Billions of dollars in federal wages, contracts, and infrastructure investments come to the surrounding Texas host communities. Each year, waves of military retirees leave their respective services and stay in Texas where they help keep the Texas economic engine running. Add to the equation the increasingly important renewable energy investments being made by the Department of Defense.
The Department of Defense commitment to renewable energy is stated in its 2011 “Operational Energy Strategy.” The military knows it must reduce its fuel demand and diversify its fuel sources in the years ahead to ensure its security abroad and at home. The blueprint in this document is the start point for action.
This commitment is a “two-way street” for not only can the renewable energy industry provide solutions that address the military’s requirements, but the military can provide the leadership and scale that will help this industry as much as it helped semi-conductors, the internet, and the Global Positioning System in years past. The military’s established research and development system; the scale and breadth of its requirements and operating environments; its immense purchasing power; together with a long term commitment and the trust it has with American industry and the public, means that it is a superb partner to promote and develop new energy technologies.
A Pew Charitable Trust report, “From Barracks to the Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America’s Armed Forces” shows the different lines of effort. From new vehicle technologies that reduce fuel requirements, to use of biofuels in aircraft and ships (The “Great Green Fleet” armada experiment is ongoing), to energy efficiency, smart grids, and renewable energy at its installations, the military quest for energy security is sweeping. What should be important to Texas is that each of these efforts is happening today within it’s borders! Tanks, C-17 heavy-lift cargo aircraft, and ships operate here. Our mega-size installations are looking to implement smart-grids and local renewable energy generation to ensure 100% secure, reliable electricity. As dependable electricity supply becomes more questionable, it is no wonder that the military recognizes that its dependence on civilian electricity generation is vulnerable.
In the next article, we’ll look at two installations in Texas that are establishing industry partnerships and innovation. Fort Bliss in El Paso is one of the Army’s “Net Zero” posts with a goal of net zero status in energy, water, and waste by 2020 (not a typo…that’s eight years from now!) With over $1.5 billion of investment potential in less than a decade, that’s a real commitment which Texas renewable industries must compete for. Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene has already been commended for getting 100% of its electricity from renewable wind generation. It is continuing to secure its energy future with additional net zero initiatives that will be sure to solidify its position as one of the Air Force’s “greenest” bases. These are just two of many renewable initiatives that are happening in Texas, but there is more – renovating barracks and associated inefficient energy plants at Fort Hood, building LEED-rated hospitals in San Antonio, installing solar power on National Guard buildings in Austin – the list goes on and on. The future isn’t tomorrow, it’s happening right now in the U.S. military.
Texas’ renewable industry can benefit not just this state but the entire nation. Its emerging clean-tech industry is becoming nationally recognized as the “go-to” solution source. If our renewable companies can seize the military energy opportunities that lie within our state borders today, our reputation on the national stage will be set for the years ahead.
“We’ve got the land and we’ve got the demand,” says the Secretary of the Army John McHugh. But a bumper sticker slogan isn’t a strategy admits Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy & Environment Katherine Hammack: “We were saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got some land — put something on it.’ That’s not a real good project definition.” Although the military services may not always know what the technology solutions will be, they do know know what their goal is. For the Army, this is 25% of its total energy from renewable sources by 2025. It will reach this goal mostly through power purchase agreements and energy savings performance contracts. It is amenable to new ideas from industry too and this is where Texas and its new clean-tech corridor can shine…how about you, what ideas do you have? Let the military know .
Colonel Howard “Scot” Arey is an Army officer who knows that renewable energy is essential for the United States’ energy security. A graduate of West Point, East Carolina University, and the U.S. Army War College, he is preparing to settle in Central Texas after military retirement and be a part of the Texas solar industry. He can be contacted at scot.arey@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.