DENVER, Colo. -- (Aug. 20, 2019) - Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, Honorable Alex A. Beehler, joined Department of Defense (DoD) counterparts and representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) for DOE's Energy Exchange 2019. Hon. Beehler delivered remarks regarding DoD's and Army's strategic priorities during the opening plenary session, to include his vision of the U.S. Army's present and future energy needs.
Hon. Beehler also discussed emerging threats and the future of the Department of Defense energy resilience, saying "Bringing together partners throughout DoD, industry, academia and the communities is instrumental to our success."
During the opening session, Hon. Beehler was joined by: DOE's Federal Energy Management Program Strategic Director, Ms. Leslie Nicholls; Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mr. Daniel Simmons; and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, Hon. Lucian Niemeyer. Rep. Jason Crow, representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, also spoke.
Energy resilience, a topic which continues to gain momentum across DoD, industry, academia and the communities surrounding Army installations, enables readiness by allowing the Army to anticipate, respond to, and recover from service disruptions. By ensuring access to reliable and consistent energy sources at installations, installation leaders are able to reduce infrastructure vulnerabilities and successfully execute missions.
However, achieving energy resilience has its challenges. Hon. Beehler noted, there are new and emerging threats to energy resilience each day. "Modernization is needed for next generation warfare. As the Chief of Staff of the Army, James C. McConville, stated, 'We must be the Army of tomorrow, today.' The changing operational environment is altering installation energy requirements and we must modernize our infrastructure and equipment," he said.
Highlighting the Army's shift to modernization to enhance Soldier lethality, Hon. Beehler said, "Where do I see installations of the future? I envision all installations to be energy resilient and to fully utilize technology and data. Future capabilities that optimize artificial intelligence, sensors, and deep analytics will give us new tools to adapt, consider and react to conditions almost simultaneously."
He further stated, "Army readiness begins on our installations where energy is key to everything the Army does. Without energy resilience, readiness is not possible. Threats can cause disruption of power. Natural, physical and cyber threats jeopardize our installations, which are increasingly connected to the fight in multi-domain operations."
Look for more information about energy resilience during the month of October when the Army observes National Energy Action Month. And, check out this video -- U.S. Army Energy -- The Power to Win! -- to learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-xpy_bdpTgbd1eb178b8948f5463988d4c201ee642773b5cfbd4c25fbb075301918b62418f1f91719b6a3fbe24d53b36ce36930259e08403d73e5a63dcb2d96fec278f4804t=3s
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