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Energy Initiatives Task Force

What is it?

The Energy Initiatives (EI) Task Force officially stood up operations Sept. 15, 2011. The Secretary of the Army John McHugh established the task force to serve as a one-stop shop for the development of cost-effective large-scale Army renewable energy projects. The task force will work within the Army to streamline existing acquisition processes and leverage industry for the execution of large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects on Army installations.

What is the Army doing?

Through the EI Task Force, the Army has begun an aggressive outreach effort towards private industry to foster strategic, technical, and financial investment in the Army's Renewable Energy Program. They are providing resources focused on working with the private sector to execute cost-effective large-scale renewable energy projects. Activities within the EI Task Force include analysis of the renewable energy market, project economics, technology, and resource availability to develop large-scale renewable energy solutions. Working in concert with an energy efficiency strategy, the Army has the potential to mitigate total cost and price volatility of energy supplies.

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

The EI Task Force is chartered to enable the Army to obtain energy that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable by assuring diversity of sources. The scale of renewable energy production the Army needs in order to meet Army goals and federal mandates, as well as provide enhanced energy security, is estimated to require investment up to $7.1B over the next 10 years. This level of investment is expected to generate 2.1 million MWh of power annually for the Army. In order to meet these targets, the Army will collaborate with the private sector.

Why is this important to the Army?

The Army must reduce operational and installation energy demand because enhancing energy security is operationally necessary, financially prudent, and mission critical. The Army Power and Energy efforts are divided into three focus areas: Soldier Power, Vehicle Power, and Basing Power. The EI Task Force is part of a larger Army Renewable Energy Execution Plan that we will be publishing this fall. This plan will identify a series of tools that the Army will utilize as part of due diligence on the growing pipeline of projects that will address Basing Power needs on Army installations. The Renewable Energy Execution Plan is coupled with tool kits that provide the Army with a process to pursue large-scale renewable energy project in a manner that is predictable and transparent. The EI Task Force will utilize these tool kits to engage in financial risk management strategies, which will address installations' needs to reduce costs, mitigate energy supply liabilities from domestic transmission and distribution system reliability.

Resources:

Army Energy Initiatives Task Force

U.S. Army Energy News

Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment)

Document: U.S. Army Energy Security and Sustainability

STAND-TO!- U.S. Army Energy Security and Sustainability

STAND-TO! - Net Zero

Related article: Army seeks $7.1 billion in energy-related industry investment