Energy manager wins Secretary of the Army award

By U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Public AffairsNovember 10, 2021

Energy manager wins Secretary of the Army award
Keith Yamanaka, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii energy manager is interviewed by David Aquino and Leigh Mayberry of Blue Planet Foundation for a news program, Nov. 8. Yamanaka was one of four employees to win a Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management award for individual exceptional performance Oct. 29. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii – The 42nd annual Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Awards were presented to 45 organizations, garrisons and individuals in recognition of their accomplishments during fiscal year 2020 during a ceremony held Oct. 29.

Keith Yamanaka, the garrison’s energy manager, was one of four individuals across the U.S. Army recognized for exceptional performance.

“The accomplishments of this year’s awardees [are] really impressive,” said Jack Surash, acting principal deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, during the awards presentation. “Each nominee’s hard work supports energy and water resilience and enables Army readiness. Enabling warfighter readiness begins on our installations where Soldiers live, work and train.”

Yamanaka, who has been the garrison's energy manager for 21 years, was recognized for championing energy resilience for 22 Army sites, Navy and Marine installations to support the Army’s mission throughout the state of Hawaii.

He facilitated and oversaw the construction and preliminary testing of the 50 megawatt Schofield Generating Station.

The Schofield Generating Station is the only power plant on Oahu that is located inland, protected from the potential impact of storms, tsunami and rising sea level. Although capable of operating on biodiesel or diesel, since commissioning in 2018, it has operated on 100% locally refined biodiesel.

Yamanaka serves as the Department of Defense’s representative on the Hawaiian Electric Company Integrated Grid Planning Council keeping resilience a priority and weighing in the State of Hawaii grid planning process to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2045.