WASHINGTON -- The Secretary of the Army, John McHugh has directed the Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) be established as an enduring organization within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.
According to Army Directive 2014-22, effective October 1, 2014, the OEI will serve as the Army's central management office for the development, implementation and oversight of all privately financed, large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects, greater than or equal to 10 megawatts.
The mission of the new office will be to leverage and expand on the momentum and early success of the Army Energy Initiatives Task Force (EITF), garnered to position the Army to meet the congressionally directed goal that 25 percent of Army energy come from renewable sources by the year 2025, as well as the President's goal that the Army deploy one gigawatt of renewable energy by same year.
In the directive, Secretary McHugh noted, "The Army is making significant progress toward advancing the energy security of our installations to meet mission requirements and comply with congressional and Presidential mandates to increase the use of renewable energy. We specifically recognized the critical role renewable energy plays in long-term predictability and sustainability. To galvanize our efforts, I directed the formation of the Energy Initiatives Task Force (EITF) in 2011. As a result of its significant progress over the first year of operation, I extended the EITF through fiscal year 2014.
"Over the past three years, the EITF has guided more than 175 megawatts of privately financed renewable energy projects through procurement at multiple installations. Every project is expected to realize future cost avoidances and enhance the energy security of the installation. In addition, the EITF has developed a healthy pipeline of large-scale renewable energy projects with over 500 megawatts of additional opportunities under assessment, including more than a dozen Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve sites. The EITF has proven to be a sound investment with substantial returns for the Army, attracting private capital to develop cost-effective, large-scale renewable and alternative energy projects."
The efforts and successes of the EITF directly led to the establishment of the Office of Energy Initiatives.
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