For the Department of the Air Force, Energy Action Month is a Call to Deliver Survivable Installations and a Winning Energy Mindset in Great Power Competition

  • Published
  • By SAF/IE Strategic Communications

Arlington, VA - The Department of the Air Force has entered a decade of consequence in which Great Power Competition is reshaping the global security environment.

In this new reality, adversaries will attempt to disrupt critical infrastructure at DAF installations and their surrounding communities, said Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment.

“Our potential adversaries have set their sights on our critical infrastructure to slow us down in a near-peer fight, that includes our power grids, fuel distribution, and other key resources. This means we need to be ready with the right tech and the right mindset, both on our installations and in the local community.” said Chaudhary. "We’re seeing this play out in Ukraine, but we also have to be mindful in places like the Indo-Pacific, and even the homeland,” added Chaudhary. “Our CONUS installations, to include the communities they are adjacent to, are no longer a sanctuary.”

Chaudhary explained that, in Great Power Competition, we can also expect adversaries to maximize civil disruption through non-kinetic means like cyber.

With awareness of emerging threats, the department is "Powering Possibility" by investing in critical capabilities, innovative technologies, and aircraft modernization that builds more resiliency into installations and even preserves vital fuel resources, also known as “Operational Energy.” These efforts ensure Airmen and Guardians are prepared to respond to and recover from any threat at any time. 

An example of this includes the deployment of a Small Modular Nuclear Reactor at Eielson AFB in Alaska, planned for 2027. Another key technology innovation are microgrids – localized energy systems that can operate independently from the traditional grid.

"We're making significant strides in microgrid deployment, with over 20 active projects across our installations. This technology is crucial for supporting our critical operations and enhancing energy security," said Nancy Balkus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure and Energy.

Microgrids can isolate electrical loads, or "island," from the utility grid and are often equipped with advanced features like cyber hardening, advanced control systems, and battery storage. Once aircraft have departed the base, storage systems can share power with local communities and help reduce civil disruptions.

“This capability will be critical to setting the pace in a future mobilization,” Balkus said.

The capability will also be key to reducing power interruptions at Space Force bases, where critical redundancies ensure key command and control nodes are preserved.

“Uninterrupted power and connectivity is the jet fuel of the Space Force, it’s their JP-8.” added Chaudhary.

The department is already moving forward with these initiatives, and that includes many forward locations across the globe. At Kadena Air Base, Japan, a newly installed Microgrid ensured uninterrupted power and connectivity during a recent typhoon.

“That’s resiliency, that readiness,” said Chaudhary.

Furthermore, a microgrid at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey integrates 31 megawatts of onsite photovoltaic energy assets, backup generation, battery energy storage to support critical energy loads for mission assurance. This project also represents the DAF’s first energy savings performance contract to harness Transition Renewable Energy Certificates, providing $34.2 million in anticipated lifetime savings.

The DAF is also placing a high priority on water security. In 2023, the department launched a Water Security Program, which included a tabletop exercise at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and a new water treatment plant at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The new water treatment plant is a $102 million project that will work with a state-constructed pipeline and pump station to deliver water from the Snake River, helping with regional aquifer depletion.

"Resilience means securing critical resources, optimizing our energy use, and harnessing cutting-edge technologies that give us a strategic advantage in competition, crisis, and combat," said Chaudhary.

To optimize energy use and enhance mission readiness, the DAF is leveraging initiatives like advanced planning and scheduling tools, drag reduction technology and engine efficiency improvements that conserve vital fuel resources, extend aircraft range, and reduce maintenance needs. Successful examples include C-17 and C-130 drag reduction technologies, which include utilizing small 3D printed microvanes to reduce drag and increase aircraft range.

The DAF is also driving operational energy innovation through next-generation aircraft design. Currently in prototype development, the blended wing body (BWB) employs a unique design that projects fuel efficiency improvements of 30%. This breakthrough could double the mission radius or offload capacity of tanker aircraft, and is projecting its first flight in 2027.

Roberto Guerrero, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety, and Occupational Health is leading design efforts for the BWB aircraft.

"By optimizing our operational energy, we can save millions of gallons of fuel per year and enhance our flexibility in regions like the Indo-Pacific," he noted.

This year, the Air Force achieved a significant milestone by earning multiple Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards at its installations. Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida was honored for pioneering nature-based coastal resilience solutions to rebuild after Hurricane Michael. Edwards Air Force Base in California also received recognition for executing the largest public-private partnership in Department of Defense history, a 4,000-acre solar and battery storage project capable of generating 1,300 MW of power for the California Independent System Operator grid. Awards were also earned by Mountain Home AFB, and Patrick Space Force Base for annual Installation Excellence.

Most importantly, Chaudhary and Balkus both believe that a change in mindset on energy is required across DAF installations. To meet this challenge, the DAF is executing a series of Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises designed to prepare bases for non-kinetic attacks like cyber.

“We need to train to a new standard, and ERREs will be critical for our Airmen and Guardians to ensure we are ready to ‘Fight the Base’ when attacks on our critical infrastructure occurs.” Balkus continues, “Once our bases get good at executing ERREs, we’ll join in with local communities to ensure state and local governments are part of the response.”

As a former Air Force pilot, Chaudhary shared his unique perspective on energy management.

“No one understands energy better than Airmen, and the work of John Boyd proved that in the 1960s. It is in our DNA to collect, manage, and discharge energy in order to be decisive at the right moment. Managing this energy is fundamental to us, from its chemical form in fuel, then gaining potential energy at altitude, and finally discharging it kinetically with weapons. Applying these fundamentals efficiently is critical, and our Airmen and Guardians have been doing it for over 77 years. It’s time to accelerate Energy Action and win in Great Power Competition,” Chaudhary said.