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Feature Stories

NEWS | Oct. 17, 2022

U.S. Army Central observes Energy Action Month

By ARCENT Operational Energy Program Office & Idaho National Laboratory U.S. Army Central

October is Army Energy Action Month, a time to raise awareness of the critical role energy resilience plays in mission readiness and to encourage behavior change. This year’s theme is “Energy Resilience: sustain the mission – secure the future,” concentrating on the Army’s energy efforts to be a resilient and sustainable land force able to operate in all domains.

Army Energy Action Month, which runs concurrently with National Energy Awareness Month, highlights the importance of efficient and secure installation energy and water resources at its installations and enduring locations overseas to enable Warfighters to accomplish their mission. The Army is working to modernize and reform energy and water programs, focusing on practices that optimize the effective use of resources, while establishing resilience, efficiency, and affordability as strategic goals.

Energy Resilience, or uninterrupted access to energy, is essential for Army readiness and ensuring the Total Army can deploy, fight, and win. Army assets are increasingly at risk for natural, physical, and cyber threats and must be able to withstand disruptions in electric, fuel, water, systems, and supply chains.  With the increasing risks, having greater control of these resources is crucial for energy security and effective prevention and response actions to adverse events moving forward.

“In support of Army Directive 2020-03, Installation Energy and Water Resilience Policy, one of the best methods in determining our Energy Resiliency is by conducting an Installation Energy Water Plan (IEWP) assessment. This helps us determine our mission capacity, identify any gaps, and set a readiness posture for 14-day sustainment of energy and water,” said ARCENT’s Operational Energy Program Manager, Mr. Jack M. Peters.

Installation Energy Resilience is the ability to prepare for and recover from energy disruptions that impact mission assurance on military installations.  This can be achieved in several different ways, to include redundant power supplies (generators); integrated or distributed fossil, alternative or renewable energy technologies; microgrid applications and storage; diversified or alternate fuel supplies; upgrading, replacing, operating, maintaining, or testing current energy generation systems, infrastructure, and equipment; as well as mission alternatives such as reconstitution or mission-to-mission redundancy.

Energy Management is the means to controlling and reducing energy consumption allowing the Army to: 

  • Reduce costs – this is becoming increasingly important as energy costs rise.
  • Reduce carbon emissions and the environmental damage that they cause, as well as the cost-related implications of carbon taxes
  • Reduce risk – the more energy consumed, the greater the risk that energy price increases or supply shortages could seriously affect mission planning and effectiveness. Energy management reduces this risk by reducing demand for energy and by controlling it to make it more predictable.

Energy awareness is about understanding:

  • Daily energy usage in buildings, offices, sleeping quarters and travel.
  • Some items consume more energy than others.
  • Simple changes in habits can lead to big reductions in energy consumption.
  • reducing energy consumption is important!

 

For more cost-reducing tips, visit energy.gov: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/reducing-electricity-use-and-cost