New Release: Detroit Arsenal Regional Defense Assessment of Resilience (DAR2) Process and Project Concepts

March 29, 2022

The Big Picture: DoD is increasingly concerned about its reliance on civilian utility providers for DoD mission assurance. More than 98% of Department of Defense (DoD) installations are reliant on the civilian electric grid for power. Disruption to lifeline sectors, such as natural gas, water, or electricity, could severely impact life support infrastructure, DoD installations, and DoD’s homeland security missions.

Why It Matters: Challenges to maintaining grid reliability, and therefore national security, are becoming more difficult as natural disasters increase in frequency and severity, human cyber-physical threats proliferate, and an aging and expansive grid infrastructure incorporates digital technology and distributed energy resources.

About DAR2: To address these concerns, the DoD’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC) supports states and local governments in their efforts to support the local military missions. The Detroit Arsenal Regional Defense Assessment of Resilience (DAR2) project, is funded by OLDCC. DAR2 is a regional infrastructure analysis and workshop process that includes stakeholder input from the U.S. Army Garrison Detroit Arsenal (DTA), Selfridge Air National Guard Base (SANGB), Macomb County, other local government entities, and critical infrastructure owners.

How Does It Work: The DAR2 project brings together stakeholders to characterize and prioritize electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, and communications interdependencies and vulnerabilities. DAR2 develops a common understanding of utility interdependencies and vulnerabilities within the region with regional stakeholders. The project team facilitated an in-person workshop to develop project concepts that enhance the resilience postures of DTA, SANBG, and the greater Southeastern Michigan region. These project concepts, along with the entire DAR2 process, are captured in the DAR2 report.

The Detroit Arsenal Regional Defense Assessment of Resilience (DAR2) Process and Project Concepts Report is organized into four sections:

  1. Background and Need
  2. DAR2 Process
    1. Analysis – Perform Initial Outreach
    2. Analysis – Identify Critical Infrastructure
    3. Analysis – Map and Validate Multi-sector Critical Infrastructure and Interdependencies
    4. Collaborate – Understand Impacts and Consequences of Identified Threats to Critical Infrastructure
  3. Overview Of Southeastern Michigan Resilience Project Concepts
    1. Analysis – Map and Validate Multi-sector Critical Infrastructure and Interdependencies Collaborate
    2. Analysis – Understand Impacts and Consequences of Identified Threats to Critical Infrastructure
  4. Proposed Next Steps
    1. Collaborate – Develop Resilience Project Opportunities
    2. Action – Make Recommendations for Military Installation Resiliency Implementation Activities

What’s Next: The DAR2 project team continues to engage critical infrastructure stakeholders, regulators, and industry players to further develop four project concepts to mitigate vulnerabilities and strengthen the resilience of the Southeastern Michigan region and its defense partners. The DAR2 Team supports project champions by identifying funding sources and concrete next steps to ultimately execute the four identified projects.

Email Tom Calvert-Rosenberger to learn more about how you could utilize the DAR2 process to strengthen your region’s resilience.

About Converge Strategies, LLC

Converge Strategies, LLC is a consulting company focused on the intersection of clean energy, resilience, and national security. We build partnerships with the military, civilians, and all levels of government to accelerate resilience and security in the clean energy transformation.

About The U.S. Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation

The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation is a Field Activity within the Department of Defense and provides technical and financial assistance to states and communities that are invested in defense missions. OLDCC assistance supports the readiness and resiliency of both defense installations and defense communities, a priority for the country’s National Defense Strategy.

About Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development

The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development supports an environment where businesses prosper and people thrive. Its activities and programs are focused on stimulating the local economy through business retention, expansion, and attraction while improving the overall quality of life for residents.

About Idaho National Laboratory

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE: energy, national security, science, and environment. INL is the nation’s laboratory for nuclear energy research and development. INL is managed by Battelle Energy Alliance for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy.

About U.S. Army Garrison-Detroit Arsenal

U.S. Army Garrison-Detroit Arsenal is in the city of Warren in Macomb County, Michigan. DTA is dedicated to providing installation support services and enhancing the quality of life for Soldiers, Families, and Civilians supporting the Warfighter. DTA is home to 32 tenant units, including the Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) headquarters. It is located with manufacturing and military operations nearby (including nearby Selfridge Air National Guard Base), is the only active-duty U.S. military installation in the state of Michigan, and is the only active duty Army installation in a tri-state area (Michigan, Ohio and Indiana). Besides TACOM, DTA also hosts the Life Cycle Management Command, PEO Combat Support & Combat Service Center, PEO Ground Combat System, the Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.

Media Contact

Adair Douglas

adouglas@convergestrategies.com

202.934.3856