WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ensuring the U.S. Department of War (DOW) can operate through a power outage isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s mission critical.
Increased installation readiness is the goal of the Black Start Exercise Program, a joint U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-led initiative, to test and strengthen mission preparedness and energy resilience of military installations against real-world energy disruptions.
Originally launched as a then-Department of Defense research effort through MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Black Start has since become a formal requirement written into law by Congress. The initiative requires all DOW installations to test their capability to operate without power during emergencies. Title 10 U.S. Code 2920 mandates that each military department conduct no fewer than five Black Start exercises annually through Fiscal Year 2032. USACE has taken the lead in implementing these exercises across Army installations worldwide, ensuring the Army and its sister services remain mission-ready in the face of prolonged power loss.
The Army and Air Force approach the challenge differently. Air wings may be able to shift flight operations to alternate locations, but Army brigades cannot simply “fly away.” In most cases, they must stay and fight through the outage from their installation. By sharing lessons-learned across services, USACE ensures the DOW becomes more resilient in the face of unexpected emergencies.
During a Black Start exercise, commercial power to a military installation is intentionally disconnected, forcing critical missions and systems to rely on backup generators and contingency plans. This process tests the ability of everything from command headquarters to brigade areas, hospitals, clinics, data centers and family housing to operate under stress.
“It’s an exercise where we disconnect the installation from utility power,” said Jack Beverly, USACE electrical engineer and Black Start Exercise Program manager. “We’re actually turning off power to most facilities, all critical missions, and even the command’s headquarters to ensure they function as intended, testing all missions to make sure they are resilient to impacts of losing commercial power.”
Black Start has revealed issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. At some installations, required monthly generator tests only ran engines for a few minutes without fully disconnecting from utility power. Without fully disconnecting, knowing which facility functions have backup power is hard to uncover.
“We find a lot of vulnerabilities that are mostly easily corrected,” added Beverly. “But you wouldn’t know that if you had not physically disconnected the building from the utility power and fired up the generator.”
Something as small as a wiring oversight could become a mission-threatening vulnerability during an actual outage. Each fix, however small, has profound effects on mission readiness.
Black Start exercises also highlight broader impacts on readiness like second and third order effects. Medical and dental clinics without backup power, no gas available for vehicles, childcare centers forced to close, commissaries forced to throw out temperature spoiled food, and kennels unable to protect military working dogs during extreme weather all affect the ability of installations to maintain operations.
“Losing a Soldier or an Airman because they must pick up their child from day care profoundly effects the mission” said Martha Kiene, chief of the Power Reliability Enhancement Program (PREP). “Their unexpected absence has serious impacts that we’re trying to expose so that leaders can plan.”
These insights may drive policy changes at the installation and service level, such as ensuring at least one childcare facility has backup power, providing backup power for medical care clinics, and creating powered safe havens for families and pets during outages. Installations now routinely assess family special needs, such as medical devices or refrigerated medications, and issue portable generators to families in post housing when required.
The effects of power outages extend beyond lights, however.
“It also affects water on the installation – potable water and wastewater – and communications,” explained Kiene. “Sometimes there’s no issue and everything goes to plan, but other times when you lose power, there’s a short time until potable water is exhausted, or sewage starts overflowing or communication towers lose their power.”
Black Start is not only about identifying vulnerabilities, it’s about solving them. Installations submit corrective action plans to higher headquarters to track and resolve issues, leading to tangible improvements like funded energy or microgrid projects, new generators and targeted resilience investments.
“At Fort Hood, several current IMCOM-funded projects were direct results of Black Start findings,” said Kiene. “By discovering mission vulnerabilities, installations can prioritize and secure funding for the fixes that matter most.”
Executing a Black Start requires months of planning and coordination among USACE, installation commanders, private utility providers and other stakeholders including the 249th Engineer Battalion (Prime Power), one of USACE’s specialized units and the Army’s tactical experts in generator operations, power and repair. During Black Start, Soldiers from the 249th as well as Soldiers from the Army National Guard HQDA G3/5/7 Mission Assurance Assessment teams augment the USACE PREP teams as technical observers stationed across the installation to monitor backup systems in real time.
“Prime Power Soldiers are the Army’s generator experts at the tactical/facility level and the Mission Assurance Soldiers view vulnerabilities at the mission level,” said Kiene. “By bringing them in as observers during a Black Start, they gain a new perspective on energy resilience and power reliability at the installation level, providing an invaluable training opportunity that strengthens the Army’s overall readiness.”
Private utilities have embraced the program, often volunteering to disconnect and reconnect power in the middle of the night to support testing. Their willingness to participate underscores the value of these exercises to both installations and surrounding communities.
Despite the complexity of working with various stakeholders on high-voltage, highly complex systems, the program has maintained a spotless safety record.
The program’s success has earned national recognition, including the Federal Energy and Management Program Award from the Department of Energy in 2024.
Black Start has also proven that resilience is not one-size-fits-all. Each installation faces unique challenges based on geography, infrastructure and mission requirements, but the goal remains the same: ensure the Army can fight and win, even in the dark.
“We’re really happy we get to execute this mission because we’re making a difference,” added Beverly. “The program combines electrical engineering with program management and stakeholder engagement, and it really highlights the expertise of our USACE team.”
As USACE marks its 250th anniversary, Black Start reflects one of the enduring and impactful missions of Army Engineers: delivering solutions that ensure the strength and resilience of the Army and the security of the nation.
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