The assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations & Environment visited Quantico Nov. 24.

During the visit Secretary Dennis McGinn recognized base energy managers for their work in reducing the consumption aboard Quantico by 27 percent since 2003. The base achieved gold level in the 2014 Secretary of the Navy Energy and Water Management Awards.

McGinn and members of his staff also spoke to students at the Command and Staff College about the energy issues facing the Marine Corps.

“The reason we are focused on energy is mission effectiveness,” McGinn said. “We paid a tremendous price in the loss of our fellow shipmates and Marines, because of our reliance on energy.”

Fifty-two percent of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan have come at the cost of keeping supply lines open, said Col. Jim Caley, director of the Expeditionary Energy Office. This included the delivery of fuel and water to sustain operations. 

Although recent developments in technology have allowed for an oil boom in the U.S., McGinn emphasized that being less reliant on energy produced by fossil fuels will give Marines freedom of action on the battlefield and in a training environment by reducing their need to refuel.

“This is a team effort. Energy affects us all, whether we are in the military, part of the civilian team or contractors that support our military-civilian team here at Quantico,” McGinn said. “This is something that everyone has a part in addressing.”

Energy savings at the bases and stations can also have a significant impact on the Marine Corps’ ability to fight and win, said Aaron Fielder, regional energy advisor for Marine Corps Installations, West. There can be up to a 10 percent reduction in energy usage at bases and stations by behavior changes, like powering down computers each night.

Quantico spent approximately $27 million in fiscal 2014 on electricity, including the tenet commands. A 10 percent reduction could have save millions of dollars when multiplied across all the base and stations, said Joe Provenzano, Quantico’s deputy director of the base Installation and Environment Division.

“We can do so much more when we are empowered by knowledge,” McGinn said. “We need to empower everybody. This isn’t a job just for the military.”

The Department of Defense has been charged with reducing the consumption of fossil fuel energy by 50 percent by 2020. This will be done by combining energy efficiency projects and by using alternative energy sources, McGinn said.

Ultimately McGinn hopes to develop an energy ethos across the Navy and Marine Corps where, “We value energy the same way we value ammo.”