Commander’s Corner
Setting Reasonable
Energy Goals Commander Jeff Sherwood was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps in 1997 upon graduating from Utah State University. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. Within the Naval Construction Force (Seabees), Sherwood served in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40; and executive officer, NMCB 11. During those tours, he deployed to Spain, Barbados, Japan and Afghanistan. He completed a year-long tour to Iraq in support of theater wide reconstruction efforts. Sherwood’s’ facilities and acquisition assignments include tours in Japan and Naval Base Kitsap, Washington. He also was Public Works Officer at Naval Support Facility Thurmont and Naval Air Facility Atsugi Japan. Sherwood currently serves as Director of Shore Energy on the Assistant Secretary of the Navy’s Energy, Installations and Environment Staff. He is a Seabee combat warfare officer, a registered professional engineer, and a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps. Interview conducted by NP&FP Editor Joshua T. Cohen
NP&FP: Please describe the Navy’s efforts to upgrade shore facility energy and power infrastructure, what is the ultimate goal for shore installation energy efficiency and what is the timeframe to achieve this? CDR Sherwood: In 2009, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced energy goals that by 2020, the Navy will produce at least 50% of shore-based energy requirements from non-petroleum based alternative sources. Today, the Navy’s Renewable Energy Program Office (REPO) is on target to have one gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy, enough to power 250,000 homes or 14 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, under procurement by 2016, priced at or below traditional power costs. We just announced our largest project to-date, an agreement to construct a 210 Megawatt direct current solar facility, benefiting 14 West Coast Navy and Marine Corps installations. This is the largest purchase of renewable energy ever made by a federal agency. NP&FP: What are some new types of technology and hardware being used to upgrade shore facility energy and power infrastructures? CDR Sherwood: Our shore installations play a critical role in
tacticaldefensemedia.com
Commander Jeff Sherwood
Director Shore Energy Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy Energy, Installations, and Environment
promoting readiness and generating the force structure necessary for mission success. The security and resilience of the electrical grid on our bases and in surrounding communities is critical to mission assurance. We are taking steps to maximize energy efficiency and leverage technologies like distributed generation, distributed storage and demand response management to improve grid stability and make our facilities more resilient. At our Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, we are working on a partnership with the City of Groton to create a microgrid to provide mutual support to on and off base emergency services, in the event of a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy. We are also conducting long term testing of a flywheel at Camp Pendleton that provides storage for intermittent solar on what we call a “fractal grid.” The Navy is also among the federal government’s leaders in pursuing third party financing to increase energy efficiency and improve grid stability on our installations, with more than $1.2 billion either under contract or in the pipeline. NP&FP: Please describe Navy energy acquisition reform broadly and how this impacts shore installation energy infrastructure upgrades?
Naval Power & Force Projection | Q1 2015 | 5