{"id":12889,"date":"2012-06-20T13:34:08","date_gmt":"2012-06-20T18:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=12889"},"modified":"2012-06-20T13:34:16","modified_gmt":"2012-06-20T18:34:16","slug":"what-the-military-is-learning-about-energy-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/06\/20\/what-the-military-is-learning-about-energy-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Military is Learning About Energy Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/p>

A Secret Service agent is seen at the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the United States where President Barack Obama delivered a March 21 speech about the importance of energy security.<\/p><\/div>\n

Though the military\u2019s energy initiatives aren\u2019t new (the Army\u2019s plan\u00a0\u201cNet Zero\u201d <\/a>facilities, like the one at Fort Hood, were signed off on in 2005), progress made over the past several years has been easing over into the private sector.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Texas Coalition of Water, Energy, and Economic Security (TCWEES<\/a>) hosted a legislative briefing featuring three military-affiliated specialists familiar with the energy conservation efforts of the Texas Army and National Guard.<\/p>\n

Greg Kuhr is the Director of Facilities and Logistics at the US Army Installation Management Command. Colonel Tracy Norris is the Director of Construction & Facilities Management at Camp Mabry, and Brian Dosa is the Director of Public Works at Ft. Hood.<\/p>\n

The three experts said that sustainable energy is a military priority. \u00a0They hope to achieve “energy security,” which one panelist defined as\u00a0\u201cassured access to reliable supplies of energy and the ability to protect and deliver sufficient energy to meet operational needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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TCWEES looked to the military for guidance in energy conservation because of the military\u2019s unique position at the forefront of the field. \u201cThe army is a stable costumer interested in long term investment,\u201d says Kuhr, and that makes it easier to attract private investors.<\/p>\n

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Graphic courtesy Army Energy Program<\/p>

This upside-down triangle represents the Army's "Net Zero" program goals. 17 bases were chosen to aim for either net zero waste, water, energy, or all three.<\/p><\/div>\n

Through such partnerships \u2014 like one at Ft. Hood for \u00a0photovoltaic panels\u00a0\u2014 new technology can spread to the private sector and throughout other levels of the government. Col. Norris described partnerships between the National Guard and universities, state organizations like the Forestry Service, and local entities like the City of Bastrop.<\/p>\n

This give and take with civilians is characterized in the army\u2019s motto, says Kuhr. \u201cThe strength of our nation is our army, the strength of our army is our soldiers, and the strength of our soldiers are our families, thus ‘Army Strong.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Families at Ft. Hood<\/a> pose one of the biggest hurdles in conservation. \u201cIf my teenage girls go in and turn down the air-conditioning and open up their windows, they can defeat everything I\u2019ve invested in my house,\u201d says Dosa. \u201cIt\u2019s the same way with soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because Ft. Hood pays one bill for the entire complex \u2014 not individual buildings \u2014 soldiers aren\u2019t necessarily motivated to personally conserve. So the Army\u2019s taking a page out of the public\u2019s book by instituting single-building metering and mock-billing.<\/p>\n

Col. Norris also emphasized shifting mindsets. \u201cThe more the soldiers and the civilians working for the National Guard can understand,\u201d says Col. Norris, \u201cthe more they can do best practices and behaviors to bring down the cost on some of the utilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

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