By John Kliem
P.E., CEM, Executive Director of the Resilient Energy Program Office
The Navy was challenged in 2017 to navigate changing seas of reduced resources. We faced evolving threats from potential enemies, new and old, and were required to keep pace with our adversaries’ technological advances while continuing to ensure the Department of the Navy maintained warfighting superiority with an aging shore infrastructure. As the executive director of the Naval Facility Engineering Command’s Resilient Energy Program Office (NAVFAC REPO), I can confidently say installation energy security is a key contributor to these efforts, and we adjusted our course to ensure we remained aligned with the DON mission for enabling combat-ready naval forces.
Earlier this year, Steve Iselin, principal deputy assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment), in his acting capacity as the assistant secretary of the Navy (EI&E), issued the Department of the Navy Energy Security Framework, which defined the “Three Pillars of Energy Security” as resiliency (capability to recover from utility failures), reliability (capability to resist utility failures) and efficiency (capability to reduce demand and cost for utilities). NAVFAC is assisting Commander, Naval Installations Command and Marine Corps Installations Command (CNIC) in using the Energy Security Framework to assess installation performance against established standards and to prioritize DON resources to address highest mission priority energy security deficiencies at installations.
A 134 kW photovoltaic array at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, is part of a renewable energy microgrid project demonstrating new ways for military facilities to address energy needs, Feb. 21, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo courtesy of HNU Energy/Released)
At NAVFAC REPO, we are taking several steps to implement the guidance set forth in the Energy Security Framework and working with our installations to realize its vision. In response to the framework, NAVFAC set clear installation-level performance standards for energy resilience, reliability and efficiency. The Energy Security Assessment Tool (ESAT) was created by a working group made up/consisting of ASN (EI&E), CNIC, Marine Corps Installations Command, NAVFAC and other installations subject matter experts to measure their performance relative to established standards. Using this initial assessment, these groups are using the ESAT to evaluate energy security gaps. Finally, an Energy Mission Integration Group is also being formed to direct investment to the DON’s highest priorities with a focus on maximizing use of third-party resources to secure the most infrastructure upgrades possible with limited appropriated dollars.
Representatives of the State of Arizona, City of Yuma, Arizona Public Service, and Marine Corps leaders celebrate the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma microgrid during a ribbon cutting ceremony at MCAS Yuma, Ariz., Dec 15, 2016. The microgrid project is a partnership between APS and MCAS Yuma to provide enough backup power to cover 100 percent of current and projected base energy requirements, which far exceeds and may replace current backup capabilities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Summer Romero/Released)
NAVFAC has already utilized third-party financing contracts to dramatically reduce shore energy consumption while providing infrastructure upgrades. From 2012 through 2016, NAVFAC awarded more than $654 million in third-party financed energy projects that will provide facility and utility system upgrades. Once fully constructed, these upgrades will save DON 2.3 trillion BTUs of energy and 243 million gallons of water annually. Further, NAVFAC is focused on a new pipeline of work which includes executing approximately 700 megawatts of distributed energy generation projects to improve the energy security posture at 26 installations through third-party financed Enhanced Use Leases. The program is intended to harness the power of private-sector funds to advance resilient infrastructure goals resulting in more than $1.3 billion of privately-funded generation and microgrid assets.
We will continue to use our experience in third-party finance and performance contracting to avoid upfront spending of appropriated funds. We look forward to continuing to pursue the horizon of energy security with additional opportunities we have identified which will provide reliable, resilient, efficient and secure energy systems to meet supported command mission requirements. With the experience gained and guidance provided by leadership, we have set a steady course to energy security for 2018.
Rear Adm. Stuart Munsch, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5B), delivered the following remarks during the 7th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations at the Burke Theater, Naval Heritage Center at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., July 18.
Adm. John Richardson, our Chief of Naval Operations, has articulated his vision for the future in an idea he calls “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority.” In the design, he reminds us the U.S. Navy’s mission is to be ready to conduct prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea and that we will protect America from attack and preserve America’s strategic influence in key regions of the world.
The design recognizes our world has become dramatically more globalized, and the trend is accelerating. In accounting for the reality of our time, the design implores us to acknowledge how emerging technology, the rise of the global information, and the classic maritime system are interlinked. It recognizes that shipping traffic over traditional sea lanes is increasing, new trade routes are opening in the Arctic, and new technologies are making undersea resources more accessible.
An important line of effort in fulfilling our design is to expand and strengthen the Navy’s network of partners. The Arctic is an area of cooperation and partnership. The region has been conflict-free, largely due to the extraordinary efforts of inter-governmental fora, such as the very important Arctic Council, which is committed to promoting cooperation and interaction among the eight Arctic countries, six Arctic Indigenous peoples’ organizations, 13 non-Arctic countries, 13 inter-governmental, and 13 non-governmental organizations that have an interest in the Arctic, all of which are committed to sustainable development and responsible environmental and social assessments in the region.
In keeping with the design and its themes that call for deepening of operational relationships with other services, agencies, allies and partners, U.S. Navy forces operating in the Arctic are far more likely to provide a supporting role to the U.S. Coast Guard for search and rescue operations, and to support interagency and international partners, if needed, for civil activities. But, be assured that the Navy is and will stay focused on its primary mission to be prepared to prevent conflict and ensure that national interests are protected.
We’ve been in the Arctic for quite a while; the world’s first successful submarine transit of the geographic North Pole was conducted by USS Nautilus in 1958, heralding the start of successful, extended Arctic undersea exploration and operation. Since then, the U.S. Navy regularly and routinely operates and conducts undersea exercises in the Arctic Ocean, and collaborates and cooperates with other Arctic nations by participating in multinational exercises, including “ICEX” held every two years. Through its Arctic presence, the Navy’s submarine force is able to contribute to our homeland defense.
Although we patrol the Arctic with our undersea and air assets, the Arctic is expected to remain a low-threat security environment. It is very encouraging that nations have demonstrated a sincere desire to leverage existing frameworks of cooperation to resolve disputes peacefully. Moreover, most nations are committed to the legal architecture set forth by the provisions of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to peacefully resolve differences.
Our design nests under the “National Strategy for the Arctic Region” that defines the desired end state as an Arctic region stable and free of conflict, where nations act responsibly in a spirit of trust and cooperation, and where economic and energy resources are developed in a sustainable manner.
Shortly after the National Strategy for the Arctic was released, the Department of Defense released its 2013 Arctic Strategy that identified its objectives to ensure security, support safety, and promote defense cooperation and to prepare for a wide range of challenges and contingencies. This strategy was updated in 2016 to sharpen its focus on homeland defense in light of changes to the international security environment. To supplement the national-level guidance, the Navy released its Arctic strategy in a document that I know many of you are familiar with that we call the Arctic Roadmap. Signed by the CNO, the Arctic Roadmap identifies four strategic objectives:
Ensuring sovereignty of the United States’ Arctic region;
Providing ready naval forces to respond to crises and contingencies;
Preserving freedom of navigation; and
Promoting partnerships within the U.S. government and with its international allies and partners.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 06, 2016) – Fire Control Technician 1st Class David Toone examines the ice in search of ice that can be melted down and used for potable water during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. ICEX 2016 is a five-week exercise designed to research, test, and evaluate operational capabilities in the region. ICEX 2016 allows the U.S. Navy to assess operational readiness in the Arctic, increase experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic Environment, and develop partnerships and collaborative efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 2nd Class Nate Madlem/Released)
In addition to identifying strategic objectives, the Navy has been following a measured plan designed to improve our future capacity to conduct operations and training, to seek opportunities in science and technology, to make better use of facilities and equipment, to enhance maritime domain awareness, and to advance environmental observation and prediction. The Arctic Roadmap enhances the line of effort in our design to deepen the dialogue with research and development labs and academia.
As we execute our maritime Arctic strategy, we are especially determined to ensure focus on a particular objective: our national security interest in preserving the Freedoms of Navigation and Overflight and of other lawful uses of the sea in the Arctic. The Navy will be consistent in its global approach to maintaining peace and stability and promoting respect for international law. To support freedom of navigation, we have several options in the Arctic: Navy submarines can and do conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations, either undersea or on the surface. Additionally, Navy surface ships can conduct operations in open water during the summer melt season. Most importantly, we support the National Fleet Plan where Coast Guard cutters, as sovereign immune vessels, can challenge excessive claims through Freedom of Navigation Operations. Moreover, because Freedom of Navigation Operations support international law, they can be conducted by any allied navy, as is currently being done in the South China Sea. Strategic international partnerships are the key to ensuring a peaceful Arctic. In accordance with our design, we are engaged in extensive security cooperation activities and other military-to-military forms of engagement to establish, shape, and maintain international relations and the partnerships necessary to meet security challenges and reduce the potential for friction.
We are also able to achieve our national maritime Arctic strategy by working in close collaboration with U.S. Coast Guard to address gaps in Arctic communications, maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and environmental observation and forecasting capabilities in support of both current and future planning and operations. The Navy and Coast Guard collaborate and complement each other’s unique capabilities and authorities.
Specifically, the Coast Guard concentrates on safety and security, addressing such missions as Arctic fisheries protection, search and rescue, and environmental protection, while the Navy concentrates on defense missions. Because of our deliberate and extensive planning and interoperability, both services seamlessly support each other when called.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 15, 2016) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard, and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 1-207th Aviation Regiment, Alaska Army Air National Guard, fly over the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 757) during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Thompson/Released)
Central to our Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority, the Navy also works closely with our geographic combatant commands. Within their geographic area of responsibility, U.S. European Command and U.S. Pacific Command are fostering collaborative working relationships with regional partners. U.S. Northern Command, which has responsibility for the Arctic and Alaska, is the U.S. Department of Defense advocate for Arctic capabilities. Northern Command recently updated its plans for the Arctic and analyzed future capability requirements for this challenging and evolving region.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 10, 2016) The aurora borealis appears over Ice Camp Sargo as the sun sets during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 2nd Class Nate Madlem/Released)
We continue to train and operate routinely in the region as we monitor the changing environment, revisiting assessments and taking action as conditions change. Our design encourages us to be receptive to innovation and creativity and to the lessons of history. It may be possible that the process by which non-military Arctic issues are being successfully resolved has the potential to serve as a model to resolve issues of national security among countries that have an interest in Arctic maritime stability.
We believe a near-term conflict over Arctic resources is unlikely, given the fairly high level of cooperation and adherence to international legal norms observed and practiced by Arctic and non-Arctic nations. For now, the Navy’s security posture remains appropriate for the Arctic. We have significant undersea capabilities and deep operational experience with our submarine force that routinely operates in the Arctic Ocean under the ice. The Navy recognizes the strategic importance of the Arctic region, the national security implications of the diminishing sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, and the importance of free and unfettered navigation in this ocean. The Navy also recognizes that an ice-diminished Arctic remains a very difficult maritime operating environment; the climate is harsh, the distances are vast, the infrastructure is limited, and darkness dominates the winter months.
In conclusion, as sea ice diminishes and the Arctic Ocean opens to more maritime activity, the Navy may be called upon more frequently to support other federal agencies and we will work with our international partners to ensure a secure, stable, and most importantly, a peaceful region. There are challenges ahead, but through our design and its principles of partnerships, learning, strength and teamwork the Navy will be vital to the Arctic’s stable future.
Rear Adm. Stuart Munsch, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5B), delivered the following remarks during the 7th Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations at the Burke Theater, Naval Heritage Center at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., July 18.
Adm. John Richardson, our Chief of Naval Operations, has articulated his vision for the future in an idea he calls “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority.” In the design, he reminds us the U.S. Navy’s mission is to be ready to conduct prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea and that we will protect America from attack and preserve America’s strategic influence in key regions of the world.
The design recognizes our world has become dramatically more globalized, and the trend is accelerating. In accounting for the reality of our time, the design implores us to acknowledge how emerging technology, the rise of the global information, and the classic maritime system are interlinked. It recognizes that shipping traffic over traditional sea lanes is increasing, new trade routes are opening in the Arctic, and new technologies are making undersea resources more accessible.
An important line of effort in fulfilling our design is to expand and strengthen the Navy’s network of partners. The Arctic is an area of cooperation and partnership. The region has been conflict-free, largely due to the extraordinary efforts of inter-governmental fora, such as the very important Arctic Council, which is committed to promoting cooperation and interaction among the eight Arctic countries, six Arctic Indigenous peoples’ organizations, 13 non-Arctic countries, 13 inter-governmental, and 13 non-governmental organizations that have an interest in the Arctic, all of which are committed to sustainable development and responsible environmental and social assessments in the region.
In keeping with the design and its themes that call for deepening of operational relationships with other services, agencies, allies and partners, U.S. Navy forces operating in the Arctic are far more likely to provide a supporting role to the U.S. Coast Guard for search and rescue operations, and to support interagency and international partners, if needed, for civil activities. But, be assured that the Navy is and will stay focused on its primary mission to be prepared to prevent conflict and ensure that national interests are protected.
We’ve been in the Arctic for quite a while; the world’s first successful submarine transit of the geographic North Pole was conducted by USS Nautilus in 1958, heralding the start of successful, extended Arctic undersea exploration and operation. Since then, the U.S. Navy regularly and routinely operates and conducts undersea exercises in the Arctic Ocean, and collaborates and cooperates with other Arctic nations by participating in multinational exercises, including “ICEX” held every two years. Through its Arctic presence, the Navy’s submarine force is able to contribute to our homeland defense.
Although we patrol the Arctic with our undersea and air assets, the Arctic is expected to remain a low-threat security environment. It is very encouraging that nations have demonstrated a sincere desire to leverage existing frameworks of cooperation to resolve disputes peacefully. Moreover, most nations are committed to the legal architecture set forth by the provisions of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to peacefully resolve differences.
Our design nests under the “National Strategy for the Arctic Region” that defines the desired end state as an Arctic region stable and free of conflict, where nations act responsibly in a spirit of trust and cooperation, and where economic and energy resources are developed in a sustainable manner.
Shortly after the National Strategy for the Arctic was released, the Department of Defense released its 2013 Arctic Strategy that identified its objectives to ensure security, support safety, and promote defense cooperation and to prepare for a wide range of challenges and contingencies. This strategy was updated in 2016 to sharpen its focus on homeland defense in light of changes to the international security environment. To supplement the national-level guidance, the Navy released its Arctic strategy in a document that I know many of you are familiar with that we call the Arctic Roadmap. Signed by the CNO, the Arctic Roadmap identifies four strategic objectives:
Ensuring sovereignty of the United States’ Arctic region;
Providing ready naval forces to respond to crises and contingencies;
Preserving freedom of navigation; and
Promoting partnerships within the U.S. government and with its international allies and partners.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 06, 2016) – Fire Control Technician 1st Class David Toone examines the ice in search of ice that can be melted down and used for potable water during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. ICEX 2016 is a five-week exercise designed to research, test, and evaluate operational capabilities in the region. ICEX 2016 allows the U.S. Navy to assess operational readiness in the Arctic, increase experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic Environment, and develop partnerships and collaborative efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 2nd Class Nate Madlem/Released)
In addition to identifying strategic objectives, the Navy has been following a measured plan designed to improve our future capacity to conduct operations and training, to seek opportunities in science and technology, to make better use of facilities and equipment, to enhance maritime domain awareness, and to advance environmental observation and prediction. The Arctic Roadmap enhances the line of effort in our design to deepen the dialogue with research and development labs and academia.
As we execute our maritime Arctic strategy, we are especially determined to ensure focus on a particular objective: our national security interest in preserving the Freedoms of Navigation and Overflight and of other lawful uses of the sea in the Arctic. The Navy will be consistent in its global approach to maintaining peace and stability and promoting respect for international law. To support freedom of navigation, we have several options in the Arctic: Navy submarines can and do conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations, either undersea or on the surface. Additionally, Navy surface ships can conduct operations in open water during the summer melt season. Most importantly, we support the National Fleet Plan where Coast Guard cutters, as sovereign immune vessels, can challenge excessive claims through Freedom of Navigation Operations. Moreover, because Freedom of Navigation Operations support international law, they can be conducted by any allied navy, as is currently being done in the South China Sea. Strategic international partnerships are the key to ensuring a peaceful Arctic. In accordance with our design, we are engaged in extensive security cooperation activities and other military-to-military forms of engagement to establish, shape, and maintain international relations and the partnerships necessary to meet security challenges and reduce the potential for friction.
We are also able to achieve our national maritime Arctic strategy by working in close collaboration with U.S. Coast Guard to address gaps in Arctic communications, maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, and environmental observation and forecasting capabilities in support of both current and future planning and operations. The Navy and Coast Guard collaborate and complement each other’s unique capabilities and authorities.
Specifically, the Coast Guard concentrates on safety and security, addressing such missions as Arctic fisheries protection, search and rescue, and environmental protection, while the Navy concentrates on defense missions. Because of our deliberate and extensive planning and interoperability, both services seamlessly support each other when called.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 15, 2016) An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard, and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 1-207th Aviation Regiment, Alaska Army Air National Guard, fly over the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 757) during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Thompson/Released)
Central to our Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority, the Navy also works closely with our geographic combatant commands. Within their geographic area of responsibility, U.S. European Command and U.S. Pacific Command are fostering collaborative working relationships with regional partners. U.S. Northern Command, which has responsibility for the Arctic and Alaska, is the U.S. Department of Defense advocate for Arctic capabilities. Northern Command recently updated its plans for the Arctic and analyzed future capability requirements for this challenging and evolving region.
ARCTIC CIRCLE (March 10, 2016) The aurora borealis appears over Ice Camp Sargo as the sun sets during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 2nd Class Nate Madlem/Released)
We continue to train and operate routinely in the region as we monitor the changing environment, revisiting assessments and taking action as conditions change. Our design encourages us to be receptive to innovation and creativity and to the lessons of history. It may be possible that the process by which non-military Arctic issues are being successfully resolved has the potential to serve as a model to resolve issues of national security among countries that have an interest in Arctic maritime stability.
We believe a near-term conflict over Arctic resources is unlikely, given the fairly high level of cooperation and adherence to international legal norms observed and practiced by Arctic and non-Arctic nations. For now, the Navy’s security posture remains appropriate for the Arctic. We have significant undersea capabilities and deep operational experience with our submarine force that routinely operates in the Arctic Ocean under the ice. The Navy recognizes the strategic importance of the Arctic region, the national security implications of the diminishing sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, and the importance of free and unfettered navigation in this ocean. The Navy also recognizes that an ice-diminished Arctic remains a very difficult maritime operating environment; the climate is harsh, the distances are vast, the infrastructure is limited, and darkness dominates the winter months.
In conclusion, as sea ice diminishes and the Arctic Ocean opens to more maritime activity, the Navy may be called upon more frequently to support other federal agencies and we will work with our international partners to ensure a secure, stable, and most importantly, a peaceful region. There are challenges ahead, but through our design and its principles of partnerships, learning, strength and teamwork the Navy will be vital to the Arctic’s stable future.
Energy Action Month 2016 closes out today. As it ends, I ask our warriors around the Navy to treat today as the beginning of next year’s journey toward achieving a more secure energy future.
During operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, our adversaries frequently targeted the Achilles’ heel of our logistics chain – the convoys that brought massive amounts of fuel and other supplies to resupply the front lines. During these conflicts, we learned some hard lessons. We’re learning from them as we tackle ways to reduce the amount of liquid fuel used by deployed forces. It’s about using less fuel to gain more enduring combat capability. Reducing the number of convoys required to accomplish the mission means less exposure to attacks and less operational threats to our personnel. These are at the core of WHY we have pursued energy efficiencies and that effort transcends every military operational landscape – on land, at sea and in the air.
FALLUJA, Iraq (April 6, 2004) – The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Seventy Four (NMCB-74), Tactical Movement Team (TMT), escorts a construction crew convoy through Falluja, Iraq. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Eric Powell/Released)
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 26, 2016) Ensign Frances Gale, the conning officer, checks forward clearance as the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) breaks away from the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) while conducting a replenishment-at-sea during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan J. Batchelder/Released)
For our sea services, refueling ships, aircraft or tactical vehicles is a key capability essential to persistent presence worldwide. We do it extraordinarily well but, as we know, the refueling process impacts our maneuverability, agility and logistics at sea. If platforms can travel farther on a gallon of fuel or remain longer on station in a mission-ready posture without refueling as frequently, we enhance our persistent combat capability and that ultimately saves lives. The DON’s commitment to energy has always been on the cutting edge.
You can take great pride in the accomplishments of our worldwide deployment of the 2016 Great Green Fleet that focused on getting more fight with less fuel. The number of units involved in these efforts in every theater is impressive; you’ve pushed the envelope in experimenting with technology, operational concepts, and alternative sources afloat and ashore that better sustain our operations in every way.
But we can’t stop there. We have an obligation to those who have gone before us to dedicate and challenge ourselves to ensuring our adversaries never exploit energy to achieve an advantage or use it against us. We should all remember a line from a poem written after World War I by Archibald MacLeish, “We leave you our deaths, give them their meaning.” The loss of life and sacrifices we suffered in our most recent conflicts can’t be in vain. The choices we make today and in the future can have life and death consequences for our Sailors who stand the watch every day. Our energy management actions impact operational risks for the Navy and our nation. We need to take these lessons to heart for the next fight, wherever that may occur, and in whatever environment.
ARABIAN GULF (Nov. 16, 2014) The Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research-sponsored Laser Weapon System while deployed to the Arabian Gulf. (U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/Released)
This is not about saving fuel or saving money; if it does, that’s an extra benefit that we must reinvest. In the end, this is ALL about our combat capability and what it means to you, our warfighters. Our goal is to extend time on station and ensure we are where it matters, when it matters. History may not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme. During World War II, Fleet Admiral Ernest King said “oil is ammunition” to emphasize the connection between energy, logistics and warfighting. It remains so today and with the advent of energy weapons envisioned in the coming decades it will literally be true. We won’t need rocket motors, powder casings or even explosive warheads. Electricity and energy itself will take the place of all three. In the meantime, all of us must positively disrupt the energy future for our entire naval enterprise. We must get more combat capability out of every gallon, Btu and kilowatt hour. Simply put, power yields more presence. Our access to and use of energy must continue to be secure, reliable and resilient. As we ‘net the Navy’ together for the future, we must ensure all parts of the net are secure to support our ships, submarines and aircraft. To get this right across the continuum of land and sea, we must realize the shore is an integral part of this equation since it serves as the backbone from which our forces fly, sail, submerge and communicate. We must therefore guard against vulnerabilities throughout our entire netted kill chain.
SAN DIEGO (Nov. 6, 2014) The mobile landing platform Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) successfully completed launch and float-off at the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) shipyard. Lewis B. Puller is the first afloat forward staging base (AFSB) variant of the MLP and is optimized to support a variety of maritime missions. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of NASSCO/Released)
Each of us has a role to play, regardless of warfare specialty or whether we’re Sailors or Navy civilians because we’re all part of one Navy team. As we continue to incorporate new and innovative energy technologies and efficiency practices across our operational and shore platforms, now and into the future, the stakes are too high not to get it right. Looking across all Navy communities, we must recognize that Energy Action Month does not end October 31. Today, I challenge you to think about the future and do your part in this important endeavor to honor and to give meaning to the lives of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Past and future Sailors deserve nothing less than our full commitment.
By Dennis V. McGinn
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment
I look forward to Energy Action Month every year as a key time to reinforce the criticality of reliable energy to accomplishing the Department of the Navy’s (DON) mission. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson has said that “Anybody who has operated at sea or ashore knows that energy is absolutely critical to doing our job.” Every year during Energy Action Month, we focus on new ways to optimize our energy use to chart the course to energy security at home and abroad.
A substantial part of that course was achieving Secretary Mabus’s goal to produce or procure one gigawatt of renewable energy, which Commander, Navy Installations Command; Marine Corps Installations Command;Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Renewable Energy Program Office (REPO) successfully achieved in 2015. These projects will produce the equivalent of half of the DON’s shore energy requirements. Now that the gigawatt is in procurement and construction is underway (and in some cases completed!), the DON is setting sail towards the straits of energy security through resiliency initiatives including: battery storage, micro grids, fuel cells and electrification projects.
By continuing the course towards enhanced resiliency through energy projects, the DON is able to reduce operating costs which will free up resources to support other mission objectives. These projects also make our installations more reliable and resilient, helping to ensure 24/7 access to the power that our warfighters need. And the best part is the DON is not investing its own funding to construct these renewable and resiliency projects. Instead, the DON energy team has developed unique business models to leverage third-party financing. These models provide benefits to the DON, industry and the public. For the DON, this means we gain all the operational benefits of having access to renewables without incurring additional costs.
Record-Breaking Renewables.
The DON’s commitment to energy has always been on the cutting edge. . Earlier this month, we celebrated two record-breaking achievements. The first was the proposed solar project at Naval Air Station Lemoore. Clocking in at roughly 167 megawatts, the solar facility will be the largest constructed on DoD land. By itself, it will supply 15 percent of the power needed to meet the one gigawatt goal. The second was the dedication of the Mesquite Solar 3 facility. The 210 megawatt facility will provide a third of the power needed for 14 Navy and Marine Corps installations in the southwest, and is the largest purchase of renewable energy ever made by a federal entity.
ALBANY, Ga. (April 28, 2016) Dennis McGinn, center, assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, participates in a ground breaking ceremony for a large-scale solar facility at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
These accomplishments lend perspective on how far we’ve come. The successes we achieved in renewables pave the way for a new energy resilient path. With each new project executed, the Navy and Marine Corps energy team is contributing to a broader institutional shift in how the DON views energy. Renewable energy projects were once viewed as purely “green initiatives” that were too costly to be practical. However, now Sailors and Marines at every level are recognizing that energy use is vital to our warfighting capabilities. . Energy is a key point of vulnerability at our installations, but it can also be a foundational strength as we pursue new approaches and technologies.
By continuing to enhance our energy resources on shore, we strengthen our ability to perform our mission worldwide. Constructing renewable generation and enhancing energy security will help us ensure power is never an operational constraint. By innovatively finding ways to make energy projects a reality through industry and public partners, the DON continues to chart the course to energy resiliency that will make us an even more effective fighting force.
By Dennis V. McGinn
Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment
I look forward to Energy Action Month every year as a key time to reinforce the criticality of reliable energy to accomplishing the Department of the Navy’s (DON) mission. The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson has said that “Anybody who has operated at sea or ashore knows that energy is absolutely critical to doing our job.” Every year during Energy Action Month, we focus on new ways to optimize our energy use to chart the course to energy security at home and abroad.
A substantial part of that course was achieving Secretary Mabus’s goal to produce or procure one gigawatt of renewable energy, which Commander, Navy Installations Command; Marine Corps Installations Command;Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Renewable Energy Program Office (REPO) successfully achieved in 2015. These projects will produce the equivalent of half of the DON’s shore energy requirements. Now that the gigawatt is in procurement and construction is underway (and in some cases completed!), the DON is setting sail towards the straits of energy security through resiliency initiatives including: battery storage, micro grids, fuel cells and electrification projects.
By continuing the course towards enhanced resiliency through energy projects, the DON is able to reduce operating costs which will free up resources to support other mission objectives. These projects also make our installations more reliable and resilient, helping to ensure 24/7 access to the power that our warfighters need. And the best part is the DON is not investing its own funding to construct these renewable and resiliency projects. Instead, the DON energy team has developed unique business models to leverage third-party financing. These models provide benefits to the DON, industry and the public. For the DON, this means we gain all the operational benefits of having access to renewables without incurring additional costs.
Record-Breaking Renewables.
The DON’s commitment to energy has always been on the cutting edge. . Earlier this month, we celebrated two record-breaking achievements. The first was the proposed solar project at Naval Air Station Lemoore. Clocking in at roughly 167 megawatts, the solar facility will be the largest constructed on DoD land. By itself, it will supply 15 percent of the power needed to meet the one gigawatt goal. The second was the dedication of the Mesquite Solar 3 facility. The 210 megawatt facility will provide a third of the power needed for 14 Navy and Marine Corps installations in the southwest, and is the largest purchase of renewable energy ever made by a federal entity.
ALBANY, Ga. (April 28, 2016) Dennis McGinn, center, assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, participates in a ground breaking ceremony for a large-scale solar facility at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
These accomplishments lend perspective on how far we’ve come. The successes we achieved in renewables pave the way for a new energy resilient path. With each new project executed, the Navy and Marine Corps energy team is contributing to a broader institutional shift in how the DON views energy. Renewable energy projects were once viewed as purely “green initiatives” that were too costly to be practical. However, now Sailors and Marines at every level are recognizing that energy use is vital to our warfighting capabilities. . Energy is a key point of vulnerability at our installations, but it can also be a foundational strength as we pursue new approaches and technologies.
By continuing to enhance our energy resources on shore, we strengthen our ability to perform our mission worldwide. Constructing renewable generation and enhancing energy security will help us ensure power is never an operational constraint. By innovatively finding ways to make energy projects a reality through industry and public partners, the DON continues to chart the course to energy resiliency that will make us an even more effective fighting force.
By Rear Adm. John Fuller
Commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific
Commander, Task Force Energy and Environment
More than 100 years ago this month – July 16, 1908 – President Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet sailed into Hawaii as part of its cruise that circumnavigated the globe.
Then, the armada of 16 battleships, painted white, steamed into the harbor trailing thick black smoke from the coal-fired engines that drove them. One of the goals of the Great White Fleet was to demonstrate the capability of new technologies and platforms to enable the U.S. Navy to establish itself as a worldwide presence.
Atlantic Fleet battleships steaming out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, at the start of their World cruise, 16 December 1907. The nearest ship is USS Maine (Battleship # 10). Next astern is USS Missouri (Battleship # 11). U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
One of Roosevelt’s challenges with operating the Great White Fleet was whether there would be enough sources of fuel to support the trip. So, even then, the availability of fuel determined our ability to operate forward.
In those days, as it does today, Pearl Harbor played a critical role as a strategic logistics hub for the Pacific. The Navy originally established Pearl Harbor as a coaling station for ships transiting the world’s largest ocean.
Firemen. Members of the “Black Gang”, stoke the coal burning power plants of the battleships of the Great White Fleet. Circa 1907-1908.
It was not an easy transition from wooden ships and sail to steel hulls and coal-fired steam engines but, in the purest sense, the Great White Fleet was absolutely bold, innovative, audacious and daring.
Naysayers warned against abandoning the “tried and true” wooden sailing ships for a new technology– steam power– that they saw as too dangerous and unproven. Yet, in a relatively short time, the U.S. Navy and all the great navies embraced the new concept.
One hundred years ago, the world was changing and it was changing more quickly than ever before in history. Sound familiar?
During Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016, we are linked to last century’s Great White Fleet by the innovation chain demonstrated by the Great Green Fleet.
I’d be willing to bet that a hundred years ago, Sailors would scratch their heads (and their beards) if they heard words like photovoltaic, biofuel blend, LED lights, nuclear fission, net zero, and Great Green Fleet.
What would the great leaders of the past think about today’s culture of change, about embracing new fuels and efficiencies, and about the construct of using energy as a key element in operations – including directed energy weapons systems?
SOUTH CHINA SEA (March 4, 2016) – Seaman Recruit Joshua Mwamba, from Dallas, signals the fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) during a replenishment at sea to receive a blend of advanced biofuel and stores aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). Providing a ready force supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, Mobile Bay is operating as part of the John C. Stennis Strike Group and Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan J. Batchelder/Released)
Today, as part of the Great Green Fleet, we are achieving what Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, calls a “new normal” in fleet operations, where energy is an operational and tactical resource. As a “fact of life,” we must continue developing the tools and tactics to use energy as part of that chain of events necessary to achieve mission success.
Just as we learned from history – that there is a greater good in productive, capable, and adaptive partnerships – we also can learn how to be better stewards of the environment and smarter users of energy:
We can conserve non-renewable resources.
We can develop renewable sources of energy.
We can achieve synergy and strength by working together.
Today, with the Great Green Fleet, we demonstrate our interdependence as team players with our friends and partners – moving away from a reliance on nonrenewable energy and moving toward protecting our shared global environment.
The Great Green Fleet’s Task Force Energy and Environment at RIMPAC 2016 demonstrates collaboration, cooperation, communication and innovation here in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands – where navies can train like nowhere else on Earth and achieve a mastery of the sea even Roosevelt could not predict.
Editor’s notes: For more information on RIMPAC 2016, visit the following links:
