The United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) released an energy strategy for the Asia-Pacific region. The USPACOM strategy, which complements the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Operational Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan, calls for “incorporating operational energy into the core business of Pacific Command as a way to improve warfighting capability and reduce costs,” notes Rachel Posner, the Deputy Director for Policy in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs. The USPACOM embarked on implementing the DoD Operational Energy Strategy two years ago. Since then the Command “established an energy governance structure (the Joint Energy Security Working Group); tested operational energy risks in the TERMINAL FURY Command Post Exercise; co-sponsored studies to analyze energy supportability of operations in the Asia-Pacific region; incorporated energy as an engagement tool in security cooperation planning; and demonstrate energy-related equipment and technology improvements in field exercises,” among others. Read more here.

The Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), the U.S. Department of Defense’s environmental research program, solicits Environmental and Installation Energy Technology Proposals for FY 2015 funding. Pre-proposal submissions are due on April 1, 2014 and should be related to Energy Efficiency for Military Buildings; Assessment of Vapor Intrusion; Weapons Systems and Platforms; and Water Conservation and Reuse for Military Facilities. More information about the solicitations is available here. ESTCP Director, Dr. Anne Andrews, will also conduct an online seminar entitled “ESTCP Funding Opportunities for Environmental and Energy Technologies” on February 21, 2014 from 12:30-1:30pm Eastern Time. Pre-registration for this webinar is required here.

In an effort to alleviate a logistical challenge of supplying diesel fuel for military forces in the field, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) embarked on Earl Energy’s FlexGen “hybrid generator” which, according to the company, can reduce the amount of fuel used by generators at outposts by more than 50%. Regular diesel generators that the U.S. military uses to power its operating bases run non-stop without adjusting to the fluctuations of power demand of air conditioners, electronics and other gear. Consequently, the fuel efficiency is compromised when the demand for power is lower than the generator’s full capacity. As the IEEE Spectrum article describes, in contrast, the hybrid generator “is wired to a diesel generator running at full capacity, which is how it’s most efficient. When there is excess power, the diesel generator charges the batteries. If the batteries have enough stored energy to meet the demand for electricity, then the generator shuts off.” According to Doug Moorehead, the CEO of Earl Energy, the Earl Energy system tested in Afghanistan allowed the generators to run three to six hours a day, compared with around the clock before it was installed. Read more from IEEE Spectrum.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will use high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and modules to power its military base in Savannah, Georgia. The modules, manufactured by a metro-Atlanta based Suniva, Inc., will be used in the roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solar system on the Georgia National Guard’s Hunter AASF building and will generate around 160,000kWh per year. According to installer, Solar Energy USA, the array should be installed and operational by the end of Q1 2014. The DOD Georgia’s use of solar power is yet another example of the U.S. military effort to increase the total installed capacity of renewable energy sources from 80 megawatts (MW) in 2013 to more than 3,200 MW by 2025. Read more on this from Business Wire. 

The Washington Post reports on a new report prepared for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee:

"The report draws on previous work by agency inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office to paint a broader picture of chronic dysfunction, citing repeated failures by federal officials to perform the unglamorous work of information security. That includes installing security patches, updating anti-virus software, communicating on secure networks and requiring strong passwords. A common password on federal systems, the report found, is “password.”....The report levels particularly tough criticism at the Department of Homeland Security, which helps oversee cybersecurity at other federal agencies. The report concluded that the department had failed even to update essential software — “the basic security measure just about any American with a computer has performed.”.....Higher up the chain of command, agency directors are rarely held accountable for security failures, experts said, because it is often unclear who is responsible. No penalties are mandated by law."

Some examples from the report relevant to the energy sector:

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission stored sensitive cybersecurity details for nuclear plants on an unprotected shared drive, making them more vulnerable to hackers and cyberthieves."

"Last January, hackers gained access to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers computers and downloaded an entire non-public database of information about the nation’s 85,000 dams — including sensitive information about each dam’s condition, the potential for fatalities if breached, location and nearest city."

The Military Smart Grids & Microgrids Symposium 2014 will bring together key planners, policy makers and technical experts in developing smart and microgrid systems.  This two-day symposium offering networking and exhibiting opportunities will be held in Washington D.C. on April 8-9, 2014. The symposium will feature keynote speakers such as for instance the Honorable Dennis V. McGinn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Energy Installations & Environment, speaking on “Navy Energy: Needs, Challenges & New Strategic Programs for Sustainability; the Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy & Environment, delivering a keynote address on “Army Energy Outlook: Needs, Challenges & New Initiatives”. Read more about the agenda and speakers.

As a part of an effort to reduce cost and risk of getting fuel to forward operating bases, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) concluded a new cooperative agreement with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop information that military resource planners can use to optimize energy consumption depending on their specific local conditions and mission needs. This consortium, the first of its kind, plans to use simulations to determine how best to integrate existing technologies, including renewable fuels. The Energy Efficient Outpost Modeling Consortium has three pillars including: Energy Resource Planning Tool; Energy Resource Dashboard and Control; and Energy Efficiency Training. The consortium is supported by the DOD’s Operational Energy Capabilities Improvement Fund through the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Commenting on the program, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs, Sharon E. Burke noted that having “better energy options can make our forces more flexible and adaptive in combat,” and that this unique group will “give us access to a greater range of expertise in this dynamic area.” Read more directly from Georgia Tech’s press release and from DOE’s “FY13 Operational Energy Capabilities Improvement Fund Program Descriptions.”