INSIGHT
the use of deployable microgrids and energy storage in the military , which are currently at a testing phase .
There is a common agreement among former and current military servicemen interviewed for this article that renewable energy is important to meeting two main recent energy goals of the US armed forces – resilience and efficiency . In response to the question – what energy resilience means to the military – retired Army Colonel and former Chief of US Army Operational Energy Office Paul Roege explains : “ Resilience is the ability to survive and thrive under a changing situation that can happen quickly or over a long-term , and be able to recover quickly from an attack , whether it is cyber or physical , or due to changing global climate . And renewable energy is an important piece of the puzzle for military ’ s energy resilience because it can improve reliability .” It seems that the energy goals in the military mirror the civilian realities . Goudreau explains : “ Not only military is focused on resilience , but more US states and cities are focused on it because of the pain they face under the changing global climate and impacts of extreme weather .”
“ The military will not only continue to increase its use of renewable energy , but will also create value through renewables and strengthen their reliability ”
PAUL ROEGE , retired Army Colonel and former Chief of US Army Operational Energy Office
Undeterred While President Donald Trump is poised to undo green energy policies and regulations of President Obama , one government institution that seems to be determined to continue pursuing renewables is the US military .
It has an ally in using green energy and in recognising the threats of climate change to national security – the US Secretary of Defense , James Mattis . After a major assault on US troops in Baghdad in 2003 , Secretary Mattis has pushed for the military to move away
14 September 2017