. . . Fortunately for the microgrid industry, the military is placing increasing emphasis on energy resiliency, a key benefit of microgrids. For example, the Army now mandates that critical infrastructure be able to withstand a 14-day power outage, up from 2-3 days in the past. . . .
The May 14-16 conference features a special session, “The Reliability Mission: How and Why the Military is Prioritizing Distributed Energy Resources. . . ."
In addition, the event includes a tour of one of the most advanced military microgrids in development, located at MCAS.
Reliable energy is crucial for MCAS — the San Diego base serves marines and sailors from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which provide combat ready expeditionary aviation forces capable of short-notice worldwide deployment. It is home to 10,000 service members and their families and supports more than 200 aircraft.
Backed by $20 million in Congressional funding, MCAS is building a microgrid that integrates multiple resources and showcases sophisticated, best-in-class features.
In addition to supplying redundant power, the microgrid is designed to help green the base’s operations, bolster cybersecurity, reduce demand charges and manage overall energy load. By participating in demand response and providing grid services, the microgrid also will support the efficient functioning of California’s electric grid. . . .