2010 DOD Energy Year in Review

In the 2009 review we remarked that it was the first year that had enough going on to merit a DOD Energy "Top Ten." In 2010, we're nearly as far away from powering all DOD operations and facilities with unlimited, locally generated, clean energy, not to mention fielding platforms that run on that power, while also getting through all the other KPP hoops by being: lethal, survivable, transportable, networked and of course, inexpensive to actually procure in super-tight fiscal environments.

But there were some clear leadership and organizational signals that we're leaving the energy status quo past behind. Here's a few of them that stood out for Dan and me:

1. The Marines are always first in, and true to form, they started the year off right with a great expeditionary energy conference we covered HERE and especially HERE.

2. We took note of several new appointments as some energy leaders were on the move, including:

• RADM Kunkel takes charge of DESC (now DLA Energy). Posted HERE
• Richard Kidd joins Army Energy, HERE
• Green turned kind of blue when Kevin Geiss joined Air Force Energy, noted HERE
• Katherine Hammack takes on Army Operational and Installations Energy, HERE

3. Teaming trends - two of them for you:

• Surf met turf when the Navy and the USDA agreed to join forces on shared efficiency and renewables objectives. Read all about it HERE
•  DOD and DOE announced tighter teaming on energy HERE

4. The long-awaited nomination and appointment of a senior level central coordinator of operational energy finally came to pass when Sharon Burke got her hearing and then became our first DOEPP. We were pretty excited about this, covering her HEARING, APPOINTMENT, and doing a one-on-one interview with Ms. Burke when it was all over HERE.

5. Energy plans and reports were many and good, including the first QDR to cover energy issues in some detail:

• QDR 2010 includes Operational and Facilities Energy 
• New DOD Energy and Climate Report out from Pew in April
• DOD Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan released in August
• CNAS releases 30 year out future DOD energy strategy vision in November 

6. On the technology and policy maturation front, towards the end of the year Dan noted a procurement that tells us a profound shift is underway. A big new remote radar installation is in the works, and renewable energy is going to have a significant role, for reasons we really like. As Dan observed:

The significance of this event is the almost routine incorporation of alternative energy into such a major program. There is no discussion of the fully burdened cost of fuel or energy as a key performance parameter.  It just makes good business sense.

Nice, eh? There's more on that HERE.

7. Lastly, lest you think it was all forward progress, we got a late-in-year punch-in-the-gut reminder of how fragile our fuel logistics are when a blockade on the AfPak border blockade exposed our huge reliance on overland fuel transport. Dan hit that HERE and HERE.

But overall, as you can probably tell, we thought it was a pretty great year. Please have wonderful holiday times with family and friends ... we're going take a few short breaks ourselves ... and let's get back to work big time in 2011.

Photo credit: Kris Bradley on Flickr.com