The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment and the Tennessee Valley Authority recently announced a Memorandum of Understanding to explore energy resilience opportunities on Army installations in the Tennessee Valley.
"Building on a longstanding partnership, this collaboration supports the Army’s evolving energy needs and strategies," the Army said.
The MOU replaces a prior 2024 green energy agreement that included offsite solar energy and renewable energy certificates "to align with current priorities and broaden the range of potential energy solutions," the Army said.
“We very much appreciate our collaboration with TVA in supporting this significant policy shift,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. “The U.S. Army is now focused on energy dominance in the form of resilient, reliable, affordable energy for our Soldiers and their Families. We are no longer interested in carbon credits.”
The primary goal is to bolster energy resilience and grid security, ensuring installations in the TVA region have reliable, continuous power to sustain critical missions during emergencies, while also supporting regional energy demands.
“This agreement reflects the strength of federal partnerships and the proactive steps we’re taking to ensure resilient, modern energy systems for our nation’s energy security,” said Mike Skaggs, TVA interim president and CEO. “We look forward to exploring energy resilience options on Army installations that can drive job creation and economic growth in the region while bolstering critical infrastructure to continue providing reliable, affordable and resilient energy for generations to come.”
As part of this partnership, the Army and TVA have agreed to unwind a 2024 power purchase agreement, "ending legacy offsite green energy which originally imposed more than $40 [million] in additional costs upon the Army over the next 20 years," the Army said.
This non-binding MOU outlines a framework for potential siting of energy resources on Army installations, focusing on Redstone Arsenal and Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
"Such resources will bolster grid security, address growing energy demands from data centers and American manufacturing resurgence and ensure reliable power for Army installations during emergencies," the Army said.
The MOU will facilitate site characterization activities at Fort Campbell and Redstone Arsenal to assess the feasibility of siting TVA resources on these installations.
It also establishes a process for information sharing, compliance with relevant regulations -- including the National Environmental Policy Act -- and coordination on public communications.
