Massachusetts to do Energy Audits of State's Military Bases

The following was submitted by the Office of Lt. Gov Timothy Murray:

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray today joined Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan at the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Bourne yesterday to announce $1.5 million in funding for a first-in-the-nation initiative that will include comprehensive energy audits of the state’s six military bases.

An initiative of the Patrick-Murray Administration's Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Murray, the audits will build on the Commonwealth's leadership in clean energy, further align Massachusetts bases with the U.S. Department of Defense priorities and reduce energy consumption and costs.

“This is an excellent step forward, both for our valued military bases and for our energy goals in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Deval Patrick.  “I thank the Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force for their innovative work and look forward to celebrating the results.”

“Moving forward on these energy audits is a key example of the work the Task Force first set forth to complete,” said Lieutenant Governor Murray, Chair of the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.  “The defense industry and our military bases rely heavily on energy, and it is critical that we develop innovative opportunities to enhance energy efficiency and deliver cost-savings for our bases.”

The Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force shares a goal with the U.S. Department of Defense, the nation’s largest user of energy, to reduce energy costs at all military installations.  To do so in the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) will procure a contractor to conduct a comprehensive review of each base, including assessing each base for their energy use; establishing opportunities for renewable energy installations on site; and exploring the possibility of microgrid integration. For more information, review the full scope of work on DOER’s website, http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/doer/massachusetts-military-bases-clean-energy-background.pdf

Funding for this program comes from the 2011 Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) Spending Plan.  ACPs are paid by electric retail suppliers if they have insufficient Renewable Energy Certificates to meet their compliance obligations under the Commonwealth’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. DOER establishes the plan for the use of those funds to support clean energy development in Massachusetts.

“The Patrick-Murray Administration has made energy efficiency and renewable energy a priority in Massachusetts,” said Secretary Sullivan. “These audits will allow us to move forward with innovative energy projects at our bases, some of the largest energy users in the Commonwealth.”

"The National Association of State Energy Officials has conducted a six-month review of various states' efforts to aid the military in finding cost-effective, innovative solutions to modernizing energy infrastructure and making facilities more energy efficient and sustainable," said David Terry, Executive Director of NASEO. "While there are many fine examples, Massachusetts is poised to be the national leader with its comprehensive approach to aiding bases in evaluating their energy needs, identifying solutions, and facilitating implementation. It's another great Massachusetts partnership program that will enhance local economic development and at the same time support of the exceptional work of our nation's military personnel." 

The Commonwealth’s six military bases are the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod; Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee; Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield; Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick; Fort Devens; and Hanscom Air Force Base. 

In 2012, for the second consecutive year, Massachusetts was ranked the top state in the nation for energy-efficiency policies and programs by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).  This distinction recognizes the Commonwealth’s ambitious energy agenda and accomplishments through the Green Communities Act, the Green Jobs Act and the Global Warming Solutions Act, all signed by Governor Patrick in 2008.

About the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force

Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray have committed to supporting Massachusetts’ military bases.  In February 2012, with the support of Governor Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Murray signed Executive Order #541 creating the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force.  As chair of the Task Force, Lieutenant Governor Murray and Task Force members led meetings including tours, roundtable discussions and committee meetings in support of the state’s six military bases.

Over the last year, the Military Mission, Operations, Opportunities and Efficiencies Subcommittee of the Task Force, led by MassDevelopment and the National Guard, has joined base leadership to explore opportunities to achieve upgrades and efficiencies, including energy efficiencies, on each base.

In 2012, Lieutenant Governor Murray tasked MassDevelopment to collaborate with the UMass Donahue Institute and assess the economic benefits of Massachusetts’ six military installations including. The report found that more than 46,500 jobs directly and indirectly are related to our installations that have an estimated economic impact of more than $14.2 billion to Massachusetts.

To learn more about the Military Asset and Security Strategy Task Force, please visit: www.mass.gov/governor/militarytaskforce.

Supportive Statements

“Energy efficiency is intricately linked to our Nation’s national security. Massachusetts and, in particular, the Massachusetts Military Reservation in my district, are already leaders on this front and are committed to further developing their self-sufficiency,” said Congressman Bill Keating.  “I applaud Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray’s initiative to help Massachusetts Military Reservation and other bases throughout Massachusetts identify additional opportunities for renewable energy and clean technology integration. It will not only help our environment and surrounding communities, but will also support the longevity of these installations, which in turn contribute greatly to our local economies. I stand ready to assist the Governor and Lieutenant Governor in moving this initiative forward and thank them for their tireless efforts on behalf of our military families, communities, and bases.”

“Massachusetts is once again leading the way with state-of-the-art clean energy solutions, creating an opportunity for our military installations to serve as national models for efficiency and productivity," said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas.  "I have worked with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and their team to take important steps to ensure Massachusetts’ bases have a strong and bright future, and remain some of our military’s most innovative resources.”

“I strongly believe we must always be looking at innovative ways to save money and increase our energy efficiency," said Congressman Jim McGovern.  "These new efforts, under the guidance of the Task Force chaired by Lieutenant Governor Murray, will allow our military bases to become more efficient while increasing their security---a winning combination for the Commonwealth and our military. I commend the Patrick-Murray administrative for their innovative, forward thinking leadership on this critical issue.

“This funding will allow us to take a close look at how we can reduce energy costs at all of our military bases in Massachusetts,” said Senate President Therese Murray. “The Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod has always displayed a strong commitment to this effort by taking advantage of their renewable energy options and other initiatives to reduce operational costs. The information gathered from these audits will help our bases continue their conservation efforts and promote energy efficiency in the Commonwealth.”

“These energy audits for military bases represent an exciting new innovation for the Commonwealth," said Senator Marc Pacheco.  "I am pleased that we will be able to take a look at these bases and figure out ways to improve their energy consumption."

"The Massachusetts National Guard is excited to be part of Lt. Gov. Murray's team to develop and strengthen our state's military and civilian partnerships. This initiative will greatly benefit the commonwealth and secure a responsible future for all its military installations through the use of clean and cost effective energy," said Major General L. Scott Rice, The Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard. "It's a great opportunity to explore new missions and build partnerships that will further our individual and collective agency goals."

"Westover strives to be a good neighbor as we fulfill national security objectives," said Colonel Steven Vautrain, 439th Airlift Wing Commander at Westover Air Reserve Base.  "Being as efficient as possible with our limited resources makes good sense from both budgetary and mission-impact standpoints.  We look forward to continuing our positive relationship with the Commonwealth and exploring ways to save taxpayer money through energy conservation."

"The joint nature with which the commands at the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod approach reducing energy consumption along with the design, development and installation of renewable energy projects is providing the Massachusetts Military Reservation with a diverse energy portfolio that will lead the installation toward its goal of energy reliability, redundancy and most importantly energy security," said Colonel Anthony Schiavi, Executive Director, Massachusetts Military Reservation. "This Clean Energy Assessment will be an important tool for us to use in advancing our programs to that end as well as explore other areas in a rapidly growing area of technology."

“Camp Edwards fully supports and applauds the efforts of Lt. Governor Murray and the entire Task Force for establishing the Clean Energy Project Team,” said Colonel Richard Crivello, Commander of Camp Edwards Army National Guard Training Site.  "We enthusiastically look forward to working with the Project Team to find new and innovative ways to reduce our energy consumption and carbon footprint while continuing to provide modern necessary and compatible training facilities for our deploying Massachusetts Army National Guard and Northeast Region military units."

"The 104th Fighter Wing has a reputation of being an environmental  steward; from our robust recycling programs to designing our  infrastructure--integrating the newest in energy efficiencies, we are  always looking for green-approaches to completing our mission of Homeland Defense," said Colonel James Keefe, 104th Fighter Wing Commander at Barnes Air National Guard Base.  "We are excited to explore additional opportunities to decrease our carbon foot-print through collaborating with the Clean Energy Project Team and the Lt. Governor's office."

“We at Fort Devens welcome the opportunity offered by Massachusetts of having an external agency provide an assessment of our energy programs," said Lt. Colonel Steven F. Egan at Fort Devens.

"The Air Force is always looking at ways to reduce our operating costs, increase energy efficiency and reduce our environmental impact," said Colonel Lester Weilacher, Hanscom Air Force Base Commander. "We welcome this opportunity to explore such opportunities in partnership with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”