Take action this October Published Oct. 6, 2014 94th Civil Engineering Squadron DOBBINS AIR RESERBE BASE, Ga. -- October is Energy Action Month, a time to think about the importance of energy in our daily lives, in the lives of our families, and in our ability to accomplish our mission. Our colleagues performing tacticle missions know how critical energy is as they resupply aircraft in the skies, drop barrels of fuel to forward bases, and ensure our installations have the electricity they need. As you know, we project power directly from our installations, and without electricity and fuel we can't meet our mission. In the Air Force, and across DoD, we are developing a more capable force while meeting the budgetary limitations set by Congress. "In 2013, the Air Force spent 9 billion dollars on fuel and electricity - more than twice what we spent ten years ago," said Hugh Phillips, base energy manager. "To put that in perspective, that is the same as the cost for approximately 12 CV-22s, 12 C-17s, 36 MQ-9 drones and 24 F-22 fighters.." Fuel and electricity now make up almost 10 percent of the Air Force's budget, and every dollar we don't spend on energy allows us to invest that dollar into our Airmen, their families, and the mission, he added. Beyond cost, there are risks of being solely dependent on traditional energy supplies. Sole dependency exposes us to access and cost problems in the event of natural disasters, accidents, terrorism and political instability. These dependencies add risk to our core mission support functions and can jeopardize effectiveness. In order to maximize funds and reduce risk to the mission, when it comes to energy, the Air Force is working to Improve Resiliency, Reduce Demand, Assure Supply and Foster an Energy Aware Culture. "On Dobbins, we are upgrading our base utility control and monitoring system and replacing exsisting lighting with efficient lighting fixtures<" said Phillips. "A recent experiment includes an LED street light fixture near our base gym. This fixture is brighter and spreads light further with lower energy consumption than the older fixtures around it." We will be installing additional fixtures in the near future, he added. Throughout October, the Air Force will share innovative ways in which Airmen and their families can make more energy-aware choices. These include turning off lights, limiting the time vehicles idle, shutting down unnecessary appliances and other equipment and observing energy efficient behavior on the job. Implementing these sorts of best practices can have a significant impact on reducing energy demand.
