Energy Security: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities

Over the past decade, the U.S. Army has invested significant resources to ensure sufficient and sustainable supplies of energy, which is essential to mission performance. Many forward-looking energy projects are ongoing today as a result of this investment. To continue this success, a team of energy experts (composed of energy, engineering, and program management experts from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE], Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management [ACSIM], Installation Management Command [IMCOM], U.S. Air Force Academy, and private consultants) was formed to take a broad, strategic, and forward-minded look at evolving conditions and to explore the investments that are most critical to address energy security. The analysis looked at the technologies and policies driving future energy production, conservation, and security. The team then explored two hypothetical situations to illustrate possible outcomes from different courses of action. These scenarios included: (1) loss of the electrical power grid, and (2) loss of petroleum products, such as natural gas and liquid fuels. The result was a set of system-wide actions that IMCOM may choose to implement to improve energy security. The original document contains color images.