Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast selected Georgia Power of Atlanta, Georgia, to receive a $22.4 million award Dec. 20, for a Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) to bring energy upgrades to Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay, Georgia.

A UESC is a limited-source contract between a federal agency and its serving utility for energy efficiency improvements and demand reduction services. UESCs implement energy upgrades at federal installations using long term energy savings to pay for up-front costs, at no additional cost to taxpayers.

“This project is a great demonstration of the Navy’s ability to partner with utility providers and energy experts,” said NSB Kings Bay Commanding Officer Capt. Chester Parks.  “This project will improve Kings Bay’s mission capability and resilience by reducing maintenance downtime and replacing potential single points of failure with newer, more efficient equipment.”

The UESC calls for the design and installation of four Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) throughout 37 facilities encompassing all areas of NSB Kings Bay. The ECMs include interior and exterior lighting upgrades to 28 facilities; HVAC building controls upgrades, building controls optimization, and controls system repairs and adjustments to 22 facilities; high-efficiency stepdown transformer upgrades to 22 facilities; and building envelope improvements to 27 facilities aboard NSB Kings Bay.

“The project scope includes nearly every tenant here at Kings Bay,” said Steven Vickery, energy manager. “We are replacing obsolete systems and equipment, installing newer technology, and creating a positive change in the management of these facilities base wide. My vision as energy manager is to implement the energy conservation measures, successfully transition the knowledge requirement of the new technology to the owner, and ensure the final product facilitates a culture of ownership and energy conservation.”

This project is projected to save nearly 46,116 MBtu (million British thermal unit), which equates to about $1.3 million annually in combined electric, chilled water, steam/hot water, and customer base line savings.

The project falls under 42 USC 8256 (The Energy Policy Act of 1992) and 10 USC 2913 (National Defense Authorization Act of 2007), which authorizes DOD agencies to partner with utilities and use appropriations, private financing, or a combination of both, to utilize UESCs for the purpose of acquiring energy management services.  The UESC contract vehicle is an essential tool assisting DOD agencies meet their energy reduction mandates set forth by 42 USC 8253 (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) and Executive Order 13693.

The project implementation is expected to be completed by June 2020.

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