Installation Energy and Water Graphic

Secure and reliable access to energy and water on Army installations is essential to the Total Army and its ability to deploy, fight, and win in a complex world. Resilient energy and water systems directly affect the success of the strategic support area in multi-domain operations. To reduce mission risk, the Army is prioritizing resilient energy and water supplies, facilities, and infrastructure that support critical missions. We are achieving this through large and small-scale energy and water projects that focus on resilience, efficiency, and affordability.

In compliance with Executive Order 13834, Efficient Federal Operations, the Army is working to increase efficiency, optimize performance, eliminate unnecessary use of resources, and protect the environment by reducing waste, cutting costs, enhancing infrastructure and operational resilience. Additionally, in support of the 2018 National Defense Strategy and Army Vision, Army Directive 2020-03, Installation Energy and Water Resilience Policy, establishes requirements for Army installations to reduce mission risk by prioritizing resilient energy and water supplies, facilities, and infrastructure that support critical missions. The Army will reduce risk to all other missions when it is life-cycle cost-effective. These initiatives enhance the Army’s adaptability to rapidly deploy, fight, and win whenever and wherever our national interests are threatened.

Energy and water resilience enables Army readiness. The Army is working to develop comprehensive energy and water resilience solutions for installations by utilizing acquisition and real estate authorities and leveraging private investor interests to minimize potential disruptions, reduce resource demand, and secure alternative sources of energy and water. We have seen positive results; the Army has decreased installations’ energy use intensity by over 15% since Fiscal Year 2003 and water use intensity by almost 29% since Fiscal Year 2007.


Installation Energy and Water Plans
The Army has a requirement for all installations to complete Installation Energy and Water Plans that outline critical mission requirements, assess energy and water baseline conditions, and develop a prioritized approach for both projects, and operations and maintenance activities that improve energy and water resilience. These comprehensive plans are being developed in a prioritized fashion with all plans scheduled for completion by Fiscal Year 2022. Installation Energy and Water Plans are updated annually to accurately reflect installations’ changing mission requirements.

Installation Energy Management
In compliance with DoD Instruction 4170.11, Army installations are working to manage utility infrastructure to be secure, safe, reliable, and efficient. We strive to efficiently and effectively procure utility commodities and maximize energy and water conservation efforts. Additionally, in conjunction with the Department of Defense, several Army installations have conducted Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises, unplugging from the grid to identify capability gaps related to infrastructure, operations and maintenance. These exercises are invaluable, identifying potential solutions to maintain installations’ critical loads.

Water
Water is a critical resource. In order to protect water sources, the Army’s policies promote the sustainable use of water and the resilience of installation water systems. The Army is also working to secure alternative water sources through rainwater harvesting systems and reuse of treated wastewater. In Fiscal Year 2019, the Army reduced potable water use, measured by water use intensity (gallons per square foot), by 28.8% from the Fiscal Year 2007 baseline, exceeding the Office of Management and Budget’s targeted 20% reduction., unplugging from the grid to identify capability gaps related to infrastructure, operations and maintenance. These exercises are invaluable, identifying potential solutions to maintain installations’ critical loads.

Non-Market Valuation Tools Fort Riley, Kansas
2014 science and technology pilot project at Fort Riley, KS was used to test new methods to quantify the benefits of water projects. These methods have the potential to quantify non-traditional benefits and uncover economic values for proposed infrastructure projects.


Climate Change and Extreme Weather Planning
Army installations are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of changing climate and extreme weather events. Strengthening climate resilience of Army installations is critical to maintaining mission readiness in the face of climate-related disruptions. The Army is planning for climate risks by incorporating adaptation measures into planning processes including Installation Energy and Water Plans, Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans, and Real Property Master Plans. Army is also developing a Climate Assessment Tool that can identify climate hazards unique to installations and help guide associated planning and preparation efforts. The tool is scheduled for roll-out to all Army installations in summer 2020.

Army Metering Program
In accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and Army Directive 2014-10 (Advanced Metering of Utilities), the Army is installing advanced meters at installations capable of measuring and reporting electricity, gas, steam, and water usage data. The goal is to install advanced meters for all tenant facilities and expand advanced meter reporting into an enterprise-wide meter data management system. The Army’s landholding commands are responsible for implementing installations’ utility metering systems.


Appropriated funds are funds authorized and appropriated by Congress for specified purposes. The Army leverages appropriated funds for projects that improve energy and water resilience, contribute to mission assurance, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. Appropriated funds may also be used to pay energy bills, conduct repairs, and replacement equipment.

Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program
The Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP) is the only direct-funded, military construction program which funds projects that improve energy and water resilience, contributes to mission assurance, saves energy and water, and reduces energy and water costs. Through funding construction of new, high-efficiency energy and water systems or by modernizing existing systems, ERCIP aides the Army in meeting energy and water resilience goals.

Military Construction (MILCON)
MILCON appropriations fund major projects such as bases, schools, missile storage facilities, maintenance facilities, medical/dental clinics, libraries, and military family housing. The MILCON process ranges from facility planning to project programming and budgeting to project design and construction.

Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP)
ESTCP is DoD’s environmental technology demonstration and validation program working to promote innovative technologies that have established proof of concept to field or production use. ESTCP projects are managed within five program areas; Installation Energy and Water, Environmental Restoration, Munitions Response, Resource Conservation and Resiliency, and Weapons Systems and Platforms. ESTCP issues an annual solicitation for proposals from the Federal government, academia, and industry, and collaborates with end-users and regulators throughout the development and execution of each demonstration.


The following alternative financing mechanisms provide cost-effective access to capital, allowing installations to improve utility systems in support of the Army's energy reliability, energy resilience, and cybersecurity goals.

Third-Party Financing
The Army utilizes third-party financing through Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC) and Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESC) as a method to modernize energy and water infrastructure. ESPCs and UESCs allow energy companies and utilities to provide the initial capital investment to design, implement, and maintain energy and water conservation measures. These projects address maintenance backlogs and repair or replace aging and failing equipment. Investments are repaid from savings realized over the contract term. The Army has the largest ESPC program in the Federal government and the second-largest UESC program.

Utilities Privatization
The Army’s Utility Privatization Program represents the Army's investment strategy to recapitalize the Army's utility infrastructure (electrical, natural gas, water and wastewater) and bring systems up to current industry standards where life-cycle cost-effective. The program helps to provide installations with safe, modernized, and environmentally sound utility systems. As of the end of Fiscal Year 2019, 47% of the Army’s U.S. utility systems are privatized.

Private Funding
The Army leverages private capital investment to develop power generation and/or energy storage on Army land, enabling critical installation infrastructure modernization and resilience. The Office of Energy Initiatives is the Army's central program management office that develops, implements, and oversees privately funded, large-scale energy projects focused on enhancing resilience on Army installations. Capital investment from private developers allows the Army to use appropriated funding for other priorities.


Updated as of September 2021