Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $6.13 million Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) to Johnson Controls, Inc., Dec. 20.

This project will bring energy upgrades to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

"These energy efficiency upgrades will enhance our mission readiness and increase our ability to be responsible stewards of the environment," said NAS Corpus Christi Commanding Officer Capt. Steve Banta. "This project will help us develop additional cost-effective solutions to provide modern, secure, sustainable facilities that meet the Navy's mission while maximizing the life cycle of our shore facilities."

An ESPC is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract between a federal agency and an energy service company (ESCO) for energy and water efficiency improvements and demand reduction services. ESPCs allow federal agencies to procure energy savings and facility improvements with no up-front capital costs or special appropriations from Congress.

This ESPC calls for the design and installation of interior and exterior lighting upgrades in 22 facilities, water conservation measures in 21 facilities, and building automation system upgrades in 11 facilities at NAS Corpus Christi.

"This project will significantly reduce the energy consumption and facility maintenance at NAS Corpus Christi, and we hope to save the Navy and taxpayers approximately $6.26 million in energy costs over the next 15 years," said NAS Corpus Christi Energy Manager Roberto Reece. "The principal beneficiary of this project, however, will be the environment. This project not only helps NAS Corpus Christi and the Navy meet the energy reduction goals in Executive Order 13693, but it also allows the installation to replace inefficient, less reliable systems with newer technology."

This project is projected to save up to 10,499 MBTU (Million British Thermal units) and more than 1.36 million gallons of water annually. That equates to more than $415,000 annually in combined energy and water savings.

The project falls under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which authorizes agencies to use appropriations, private financing, or a combination of both to comply with its requirements for UESC for evaluations/project implementation.

It also supports President Barack Obama's December 2011 announcement of a $4 billion investment in energy upgrades to combined federal and private sector buildings. When announced, the investments were intended to save billions in energy costs, promote energy independence, and according to independent estimates, create tens of thousands of jobs in the hard-hit construction sector. The $4 billion investment in 2011 included a $2 billion commitment, made through the issuance of a Presidential Memorandum, to energy upgrades of federal buildings using long-term energy savings to pay for up-front costs at no cost to taxpayers.

The project is expected to be completed by January 2018.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.