The Department of Defense (DoD) is well aware of the ill effects of climate change. The Pentagon, he notes, has caused $13 billion in damage to more than 10 DoD sites from natural disasters and extreme weather events from 2017 to 2021.
In particular, Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base suffered $4.7 billion in damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018. The Department of Defense estimates that over 1,700 facilities could be affected by rising sea levels. As his 1990 study from the United States Naval War College pointed out, this threat goes beyond environmental changes in oceans, coastlines and temperatures, posing risks to national security and demanding fundamental change.
US adversaries may already be weaponizing the world’s dependence on energy and fossil fuels. Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have exposed a critical vulnerability that microgrids can prevent. By effectively introducing renewable energy, operational risks can be reduced.
Deloitte’s 2009 report notes that the use of explosive devices “increases the number of fleets required to transport the ever-increasing demand for fossil fuels, which is itself a root cause of casualties.” and directly correlated this risk. The issue was further highlighted in 2019 when Iranian drones attacked Saudi oil facilities, costing him 5% of global oil supplies and sending oil prices soaring by 20% of his . As General James Mattis said in his 2003, the U.S. military needs to be “unchained by fuel.”
Today, that “tether” remains strong. The 2021 DoD Annual Energy Management and Resilience Report states, “DoD is the largest single energy consuming entity in the United States, both within the federal government and compared to a single private sector entity.” It states, “The DoD’s operating and installed energy accounts for approximately 76% of the federal government’s energy consumption, and 14 times more than the next agency, the Postal Service.
To reduce these massive emissions, the Department of Defense has set two federally mandated renewable energy targets. The Department of Defense aims to reach 25% renewable energy by 2025. Under Section 203 of the Energy Policy Act, the Department of Defense projects that after 2013, as a percentage of total electricity consumption, we will consume at least 7.5% renewable energy. These early goals helped drive adoption. of renewable energy across all military sectors. In 2021, the Department of Defense will reach an average renewable energy production or procurement of 15.8%, consuming 6.5% of total facility electricity consumption from renewables, or 1.92 GWh across 2,127 renewable energy projects.
As a result, the Department of Defense has achieved a 30.1% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 from its 2008 baseline.
Image: Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer
Recent changes represent a more focused and structured effort than past federally mandated goals. In 2021, President Biden issued Executive Orders 14008 and 14057. Executive Order 14008 requires that climate considerations “be an integral part of the foreign policy and national security of the United States.” EO 14057 calls for “the federal government to lead by example in achieving a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and achieving net zero emissions across the economy by 2050 at the latest.” . In 2022, each military branch will publish a climate strategy containing actionable goals and objectives to strengthen their forces and meet these new standards.
Army Climate Strategy (ACS) is perhaps the most robust of these. The ACS is committed to reducing the Army’s net GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, to achieving zero Army net GHG emissions by 2050, and implementing a strategy, plan, Identify goals to incorporate the security impacts of climate change into , procurement and supply chains. , and other processes. There are three “lines of effort” that connect the required tasks to these goals.
Our first line of work targets facilities with strategic outcomes of enhancing resilience and sustainability by adapting infrastructure. To achieve this, the Army aims to have all his installations microgrid by 2035 and to have his 100% carbon pollution free power for Army installations by 2030. . A building or group of buildings that allows you to operate in “island mode” by disconnecting from the grid.
One of the Army’s resilience goals is to have all facilities microgrid by 2035. This includes renewable power generation and large-scale battery storage, with the goal of making all Army installations “critically self-sustaining” by 2040. Additionally, the Army aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from buildings in half by 2032 compared to 2005. Part of the plan is to have all light non-tactical vehicles electrified by 2027, and all non-tactical vehicles electrified by 2035.
In August 2022, the Biden administration announced the Climate Smart Buildings Initiative, which aims to modernize federal buildings while reducing emissions. A $140 million infrastructure and energy resilience project at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) in New Jersey is part of that initiative, building a 32 MW with a 2 MW/4 MWh battery energy storage system of solar facilities.
In addition to reducing emissions at military bases, the Department of Defense is targeting acquisition and logistics to “increase operational capabilities while reducing maintenance demands and increasing climate resilience.” This includes developing a resilient supply chain and clean procurement processes. This includes achieving his net zero GHG emissions from all Army procurements by 2050. This could encourage defense contractors to invest heavily in renewable energy.
Another step is training people on sustainability. For example, West Point recently launched a sustainable infrastructure initiative to “educate future army leaders on how sustainability and resilience can increase military readiness while simultaneously addressing the threat of climate change.” , announced a partnership to create a resilience and climate consortium.
A bipartisan solution
These goals are neither empty promises nor greenwashing for political points. The U.S. military is one of the largest emitters, so its sustainability efforts not only have a positive impact on the environment, but serve as an example of the potential of investing in clean energy.
The Department of Defense is uniquely positioned to invest in sustainability efforts with significant bipartisan support. For example, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 he passed in December with an 83-11 majority. The new bill includes her $247 million funding to improve energy efficiency and reduce logistical risks. He has $807 million allocated for clean energy research and development. In addition, he has allocated $2 billion for climate resilience.
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