DoN Energy Program Key Focus at GreenGov Symposium

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Tom Hicks gave remarks at the 2012 GreenGov Symposium in Washington, D.C., Sept. 24.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) hosts its third annual event for leaders in government, the private sector, non-profit and academia organizations to share ideas and identify opportunities for the development of greater energy security and energy efficient technologies for the future, Sept. 24-25.

"We are pursuing energy alternatives that will increase our energy security and make the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps more flexible and better warfighters," said Mabus.

Later in the day, Hicks provided remarks during the panel, "A Fresh Look at Demand Response" where he highlighted the Department of the Navy's energy program, goals and why the Department has made energy a top priority.

"What the Department of the Navy is doing is not about an environmental agenda," said Hicks. "We see the technologies and capabilities that are necessary to enable demand responses as being technologies that can improve combat capabilities, increase mission effectiveness and reduce vulnerabilities to grid challenges."

Other speakers on the panel included Lee Krevat, director, Smart Grid, San Diego Gas & Electric; Brendan Owens, vice president of LEED Technical Development, U.S. Green Building Council; and Mary Beth Tighe - director of Office of Energy Market Regulation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The moderator for the panel was Dan Delurey, president, Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition.

In his panel discussion, Hicks also highlighted the Department of the Navy's alternative energy initiatives, the Marine Corps' Experimental Forward Operating Base initiative and the Department of the Navy's goal of producing 50 percent of our shore energy from alternative sources, one gigawatt initiative, which was highlighted during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Jan. 24.

At an award ceremony that evening, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Yokosuka Naval Base Japan received a 2012 GreenGov Presidential Award, "Lean, Clean and Green" for outstanding organizational achievement in building or fleet energy efficiency or renewable energy development and deployment.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards honor federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects and facilities, and agency programs that demonstrate extraordinary achievement in support of President Barack Obama's Executive Order 13514 on federal leadership in environmental, energy and economic performance.

In October 2009 the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus laid out five aggressive energy goals to improve the Navy's energy security and efficiency, increase the Navy's energy independence, and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.

For more information on the Department of the Navy's energy program visit, http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/.