What are the investments we can make in renewable energy strategies today to drive resilience and economic viability into tomorrow’s missions?
Last week’s DoD Energy and Power Summit at the National Housing Center in Washington, DC convened a panel of experts from the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the private sector to discuss the alignment, priorities, frictions, and opportunities for emerging clean energy technology.
The panel was moderated by Tristan Bannon, Director of Resilient Energy Infrastructure at Leidos. Panelists included Joe Bryan, Principal at Muswell Orange and former Chief Sustainability Officer at the U.S. Department of Defense; Josh Wepman, Chief Technology Officer at Leidos Energy Infrastructure and Automation; Caroline D’Angelo, Acting Chief Sustainability Officer at the U.S. Department of State; and Eric Griesenbrock, Energy Lead for the Air Force Research Laboratory.
In a recent LinkedIn post, Mr. Bannon shared his key take-aways from the discussion:
- Solar has already passed the tipping point where it’s not just a viable energy source when paired with storage, but is actually driving down the cost of electricity.
- While DoD has the ability to move markets in some areas, it may not be a large enough consumer of energy to signal market decisions for storage, nuclear, and other fixed generation assets.
- The US’ overseas footprint has the ability to drive local market creation, particularly in installation and O&M, globally.
- The DoD’s seeding of innovative operational energy solutions, like a blended-wing body, may de-risk commercial viability of those technologies at scale.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that strategic investments in renewable energy are crucial for enhancing resilience and economic viability.
Stay tuned for further details and updates on DSI events.