Events: Energy Awareness Month
Thank you to all who joined the Military Energy Resilience Catalyst [MERC] Network on Wednesday 28 October for a conversation with DoD Energy Leaders and MERC Network Members on DoD energy resilience and energy performance policies, programs, and initiatives.
Part One: Panel members from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy provided an overview of current and future policies/initiatives enabling the Department to implement energy resilient solutions at speed and scale in furtherance of the National Defense Strategy (NDS). This session informed attendees on current and future Department energy performance and energy resilience policies/initiatives including, but not limited to Black-start exercises, Inter-agency energy agreements, Installation Energy Planning process, Cybersecurity, and pre/post-award management activities related to appropriated and third-party financed energy authorities.
Speakers:
Ariel Castillo, Ph.D, Director, Installation Energy Resilience, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy
Walter “Wally” Ludwig, PE, Director, Energy Performance, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy
Part Two: Provided an opportunity to connect with DoD energy professionals and learn how they leveraged the MERC Network to advance their energy resilience projects, policies, and initiatives. Participation in this event was limited to Distribution C: Authorized to U.S. Government Agencies and their contractors. However, we would encourage you to review the below resources and stay connected with the MERC Network by submitting your contact information in the form below.
Speakers:
Michael Wu (Moderator), Principal, Converge Strategies, LLC
Tim Tetreault, Program Manager for Energy and Water, SERDP & ESTCP
Shawn Bennett, Advisor, Office of Energy Assurance, United States Air Force
Steven K. Vickery, PE, CEM, CEA, Installation Energy Manager, MERC 2020 Faculty and 2019 MERC Cohort Member , Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Shannon Bergt, Energy Manager, MERC 2020 Faculty and 2019 MERC Cohort Member, U.S. Army Garrison – Detroit Arsenal
Event Contact: Adair Douglas | adouglas@convergestrategies.com | 315.263.2382
“MERC is an unforgettable indoctrination to the world of energy resilience – it was a force multiplier that elevated my confidence and created the connections I needed to do my day job better”
— Steven Vickery [2020 MERC Faculty + 2019 MERC Cohort Member] Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Energy is an essential enabler of military capability and the Department of Defense (DoD) must maintain assured access to resilient and cyber-secure sources of energy to power its missions. In an era of great power competition, the DoD faces growing risks to the energy underpinnings of its global defense posture. Energy systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, progressively sophisticated enemy weapons and increasingly frequent and severe weather events, which increase the risks of prolonged, widespread disruptions to energy access.
In response the Department is maturing its energy resilience approach to meet the demands of an increasingly contested environment. The Army, Navy and Air Force have taken extensive action to address energy resilience on installations around the world. The Services are seeking project initiatives that include microgrids, energy storage, and energy controls to enable the electricity from projects to be directly routed to essential requirements in the event of an extended grid disruption.
On Thursday 29 October representatives from the Army, Navy, and Air Force provided an update on their current Service level energy resilience priorities and information on the processes and authorities they are utilizing to fund and develop energy resilience projects.
Speakers:
Michael F. McGhee, Executive Director, Army Office of Energy Initiatives
Matt Haupt, PE, CPP, Energy Division Director, Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Colonel Craig Rezac, Interim Director, Air Force Office of Energy Assurance
Walter Ludwig, PE (Moderator), Director, Energy Performance, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy
The presentations included information on:
- The Services’ priorities for installation energy resilience and how energy resilience enhances critical missions.
- The different funding mechanisms available for resilience efforts.
- How to get involved with installation energy projects and upcoming opportunities to engage with the Services.
Event Contact: Adair Douglas | adouglas@convergestrategies.com |202.934.3856