Photo By Carlos Cuebas | Members of the installation's Directorate of Public Works (DPW), Environmental...... read more read more
Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico- Members of the installation's Directorate of Public Works (DPW), Environmental Division, conducted an educative campaign at the Post Exchange lobby Oct 24 to promote community awareness about energy conservation initiatives, while commemorating the Army's Energy Action Month.
The team distributed flyers presented a video and answered energy conservation-related questions.
Anibal Negron, Chief Environmental Division and Energy Manager, DPW, oversaw the community interaction.
"It is important for the Army to secure the mission by developing energy security initiatives. We can't afford to lose power. Energy security is national security. Power is critical to Army operations," said Negrón.
With this reality in mind, Fort Buchanan is increasingly sustaining its role as a leader in implementing renewable and alternative energy sources in the region. For example, according to Negrón, the installation has developed an Installation Energy and Water Plan (IEWP) that provides a roadmap for achieving energy security, resiliency, readiness, and mission assurance.
"The IEWP highlights several critical upcoming projects such as an installation-wide microgrid, scheduled for fiscal year 2025. We also have a plan for a Potable Water Purification System for Las Casas Lake scheduled for fiscal year 2027," stated Negrón.
Negrón described some of the energy resilience efforts Fort Buchanan has accomplished.
"We have come a long way and have implemented many projects, such as Solar Photovoltaic Sites, Eolic Power Generation, LED Lighting, Advanced Metering, Electrical Vehicles, and Fully Sustainable Rainwater Harvesting, to ensure we sustain our mission readiness and energy security at the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean," added Negrón.
According to Negrón, the information they provided at the Post Exchange is beneficial to everyone because it can make a difference in everyone's homes, something critical when citizens live on an island.
"Our major topic here is energy saving. A simple measure that we can implement in any house is purchasing energy-efficient systems, including lighting, air conditioning appliances, and furniture; those systems will secure and save more energy for any house in Puerto Rico, "added Negrón.
Meanwhile, Javier Martinez, a Resources Efficiency Manager, highlighted the importance of the educational event.
"We bring awareness to the community in Fort Buchanan about how we achieve energy resiliency and minimize energy consumption," said Martinez.
The educational campaign impacted many Post Exchange patrons. One of them was Luis Ortiz, a retired veteran.
“It is important to conserve energy to avoid consuming fossil fuels, which leads to contamination. Above all, if I save energy, I save money. Also, with this information, I stay up to date with innovations," said Ortiz.
Energy Action Month is an annual observance by the federal government to raise awareness and educate people on energy efficiency, conservation, and resilience. Energy resilience enables readiness, power projection, and deployment during manmade and natural threats.
According to the Federal Department of Energy, in September 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused most of the energy transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico to collapse, leading to one of the longest blackouts in U.S. history and leaving residents in some parts of the territory without electricity for almost a year.
With an annual investment in the local economy of more than $500 million, Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve personnel. Fort Buchanan's mission is to serve as a readiness enabler platform to facilitate the deployment of military personnel anywhere, anytime.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2024 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 484074 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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