Hear a bugle blowing? For the beleaguered renewables industry, the cavalry may be riding to the rescue.
The US Army is inviting suppliers who can build, own and operate solar, wind, geothermal or biomass generation to qualify for a pool of contractors who will perform an anticipated $7 billion worth of work for military installations. Keep reading →
US President Barack Obama (L) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (R) tour Photovoltaic Array at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, May 27, 2009 with Base Commander Colonel Howard Belote.
The US military services want to derive 3 gigawatts of electric capacity from renewables by 2025, but they don’t have the budget to pay to build it. Keep reading →
You can add green building advocates to the list of people who have a gripe with the National Defense Authorization Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law on New Year’s Eve (despite his own reservations). The US Department of Defense (DOD) funding bill has come under scathing criticism from civil liberties and human rights organizations for its provisions concerning the detention of military combatants, but it also contains a provision that makes it more complicated – although not impossible – for the military to pursue high-level LEED certifications for its buildings.
As noted by the Federal Times, a section of the law states, “No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2012 may be obligated or expended for achieving any LEED gold or platinum certification.” But a clause to that provision does allow such certifications “if achieving such certification imposes no additional cost to the Department of Defense.” And the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which runs the LEED programs, thinks that’s a loophole the military can drive a Humvee through, albeit with some careful navigation. Keep reading →
As the United States continues attempting to wean itself off of foreign oil, the Department of Energy has been increasingly supporting alternative technologies.
Among the efforts has been the DOE’s support of ClearFuels-Rentech’s pilot-scale biorefinery in Commerce City, Colorado. Keep reading →
Led by Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, the US Army has been revamping its energy policy over the last few months.
So when funds ran dry, the army realized it had the choice to either hold off its efforts or look elsewhere for help. On Thursday, Hammack told an Energy Initiatives Task Force Roundtable that the army would be choosing the latter: it is now seeking $7.1 million in private sector investment to develop utility-scale renewable projects that will feed the army 2.1 million MWh of electricity.
“We are all aware of budget challenges we are facing today,” Hammack said. Renewable energy, though, she explained, is a critical piece of army security and cannot simply be abandoned because of budget difficulties.
Keep reading →
For years the army has been trying to reduce its dependence on vulnerable resources, including electricity.
Watch this video to see how Boeing and Siemens have partnered to offer the military innovative microgrid technology to help reduce the army’s dependence on the grid, incorporate higher percentages of renewables and use energy more efficiently. Keep reading →
The Army continues to expand its commitment to renewable fuels as a way to enhance energy security.
The Army established the Energy Initiatives Office (EIO) Task Force this week as the newest part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. Secretary of the Army, John M. McHugh said the EIO will aim to manage the development of renewable energy projects and help improve issues of energy security.
For more on the interaction of the US military with renewable sources of energy, see: Safe And Secure, and for the growing political consensus on the role of renewable energy and energy efficiency in national security, read about the new bilateral Defense Energy Security Caucus.
“The Energy Initiatives Office Task Force will help the Army build resilience through renewable energy while streamlining our business practices so developers can invest in and build an economically viable, large-scale renewable energy infrastructure,” said McHugh. “To meet a goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025, the Army must use every opportunity to be energy efficient and draw power from alternative and/or renewable energy sources.”
“Addressing our energy security needs is operationally necessary, fiscally prudent and vital to mission accomplishment,” McHugh added.
