Aim High 2013: USAF Updates its Energy Plans

B-2 Spirit - Click to greatly enlarge

I remember talks several years ago with Mike Aimone, then an SES and big cheese of Air Force installations and logistics on a workable definition of energy security. After a stint at  Battelle, he's back in DOD as Director, Business Enterprise Integration ODUSD (AT&L)/I&E (BEI) (thanks to Scott Sklar for the correction). Nevertheless, the Air Force's search to define and deliver energy security goes on.

USAF has just released its 2013 Energy Plan, its first revision to the 2010 edition, and it addresses all the right topics, albeit at very high, and highly polished, level. Included is this sidebar on Installation Energy Security:

Some Good News on the DOD Energy Front: Less Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

In the midst of the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the future of DOD energy, one of the innovative ideas of the Navy seemed to run aground on the shoals of Senate trepidation.  Senator Toomey (R-Pa) submitted amendments to the continuing resolution that would cut funding to the Navy biofuel program.  Apparently, Toomey was not happy about Tobyhanna’s loss of 400+ civilian contractors in the coming weeks due to sequestration.

According to ASD,OEPP Sharon Burke’s Facebook page there is good news!  She is thanking the Senate for keeping DOD energy options open, vis-à-vis biofuels.  And yes, I get most of my news from Facebook and Jon Stewart. I know this will draw the ire of those old salty dogs who don’t want to see their Navy used to “experiment”, so we can await their comments.

(Not Just) Another Conference Alert: Military Microgrids

Dan attended this conference last year and unsurprisingly came away with a lot to say, HERE. Well, time flies when you're working DOD Energy and having fun so it's one more into the breach my friends.

There's a 5-for-the-price-of-1 bullet sale going on now at Blogger, so the rest of this post will take advantage of that promotion. Good luck:

Details

• When: April 30- May 1, 2013 
• Where: Holiday Inn Rosslyn at Key Bridge, Arlington, VA 22209
• For more info and to register click: HERE
• Point of contact: Marcus W. Min, (310) 320-8128 

Confirmed Speakers: 

• Mr. Tom Hicks, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy, Installations and Environment, US Navy 
• Mr. Steven Chalk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Energy, EERE/DOE 
• Dr. Jeff Marqusee, Director, DoD Environmental Security Technology Certification Program 
• CAPT Kerry Gilpin, Director, 1 Gigawatt Task Force, US Navy 
• Dr. Tim McCoy, Director, Electric Ships, PEO-Ships 
• COL Paul Roege, Chief, Operational Energy Office, US Army
• Mr. Don Juhasz, Director, Energy Resource Management, Defense Logistics Agency
• Mr. Steve Bossart, Senior Energy Analyst, National Energy Technology Lab, DOE 
• Dr. Allen Hefner, Assistant to the National Coordinator for Grid Interoperability, NIST 
• Mr. Stephen Schneider, Vice President and Chief Solutions Architect, SAIC 
• Dr. Charles Chen, Technical Programs Manager, Advanced Concepts, Northrop Grumman 
• Ms. Angela Watmore, Director, Boeing Energy Transmission and Distribution 
• Mr. Dan Nordloh, Executive Vice President, ZBB Energy 
• Mr. Bill Becker, Director, Microgrid Solutions, Spirae 
• Dr. Bala Vinayagam, Director, Smart Grid Products, GE 
• Mr. Deepak Devin, President, Varentec 
• Mr. William Taylor, Solutions Development Leader, Energy and Environment, Honeywell 
• Mr. Richard Hockney, Chief Engineer, Beacon Power 
• Mr. Brian Lenane, Senior Principal, Strategic Initiatives, SRA 
• Mr. Liam Dohn, Project Manager, Smart Grid Division, Siemens

Conference Alert: American Energy Security Summit

Hat tip to IBM colleague Tim F for sending this our way.  As he says, could this be the successor to the once mighty GovEnergy (RIP)? Not sure, but it may be worth keeping an eye on.

Some of the topics it will cover include:

• Federal energy priorities, programs, and contracts, featuring the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies
• Energy efficiency priorities, including achieving net zero installations and advanced lighting solutions
• Clean energy priorities, including biofuels for jets and electric and natural gas-powered ground transportation

No speakers or DoD participants listed yet, but the dates are 5-6 Aug 2013 and the location is DC

Here's the LINK for more.

Sequester means DOD Energy now Racing under Yellow Flag

From multiple sources, the threat (and since March 1st, the reality) of sequester-driven DOD budget cuts has put many energy related initiatives on hold. In some cases, it's full stop for the foreseeable project. In others, there's an expectation that things will keep going but will be at reduced speed.

Not complaining, mind you. While energy security is top of mind for this blog, military planners clearly have bigger and more pressing concerns at this moment. Energy will have to take a back seat until sequester and other budget-related issues are sorted out.

There are exceptions of course, with some energy projects still motoring on. But since the inception of the DOD Energy Blog in the summer of 2008, hot on the heals of the 2008 Defense Science Board report on Energy, we've never seen a lull like this one.

Let's hope energy gets the green flag again soon. And BTW, if your experience of the sequester's impact on DOD Energy is markedly different than the way I've characterized it here, plus make comment or drop an email and we'll revise accordingly. Thanks. Andy

Photo credit: wikimedia.org