DOD Awarded More Than $55 Million for Base Energy Efficiency Projects

The Department of Defence (DOD) has been awarded more than $104 million in total funding under the first phase of a Department of Energy program to assist federal facilities with the implementation of energy conservation technologies. The funds will be used across eight projects located at Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Washington headquarters services bases throughout the U.S. and at the U.S. Army Garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The DOD initiatives are among 31 projects across 11 federal agencies to receive the funding. The funding program aims to support the implementation of energy conservation technologies in federal facilities across the United States.

According to Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks, the grants provide DOD with the opportunity to strengthen its energy resilience and operational capabilities while improving the quality of life for the force. She stated that the DOD has a moral obligation to provide modern and efficient facilities to the people who defend the nation, to their families, and to the American people.

The Department of Defence manages one of the largest real property portfolios in the nation. The buildings support where people live, where the forces, allies, and partners train, and where families raise and educate their children. Promoting the operational resilience of the joint force and improving the quality of life for people are top department priorities. The department advances these priorities while at the same time striving to minimize their impact on the environment, in ways that are mutually reinforcing.

Energy resilience is entirely aligned with DOD's military needs. The department's focus on resilience enables them to secure their critical infrastructure and capabilities and mitigates risk to their forces. The DOD considers how they can be more energy resilient and efficient in everything that they do, from how they develop strategy and planning to their investments in new platforms to their installations and operations.

The interagency support is essential for the DOD to achieve its energy resilience goals. It is the reason why they are collaborating with the Department of Energy to support the implementation of energy conservation technologies across federal facilities.

Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, who joined Deputy Secretary Hicks in announcing the grant awardees from the Pentagon, said that when it comes to decarbonizing the economy, it is vital that federal agencies walk the talk and put their money where their mouth is. The announcement marked the first of three disbursements from the $250 million in funding authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021.

The DOD will invest $10 million of the funds in improving the energy footprint of its iconic headquarters, which will include HVAC recommissioning and heat pump installation. The department will also install solar infrastructure, which will help provide uninterruptible power sources to ensure the mission, operations, and energy resilience of the Pentagon. Furthermore, efforts like these are vital to better defending DOD facilities against cyber and other threats to critical civilian energy infrastructure.

Overall, the grants will support similar energy projects across the services and will enable the Department of Defence to be more energy-resilient and efficient in everything that they do. The funding will also help to improve the quality of life for the force while minimizing the impact on the environment.