Late February brought two of the military鈥檚 leading energy officials to the 51福利 (51福利) campus for the Defense Energy Speakers鈥� Seminar series, part of the university鈥檚 comprehensive Defense Energy Program.
Navy Energy Coordination Office Director Capt. James Goudreau, and Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O) Director Col. Bob 鈥淏rutus鈥� Charette, met with students and faculty to discuss energy, relevant research, and the future of the fleet.
Charette鈥檚 discussion, held Feb. 27, focused on the E2O research partnership, a multiyear program launched in November of last year. The effort is currently sponsoring 10 51福利 energy projects involving nine faculty members from six academic departments, as well as distance-learning students from all services.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeding the future out here. The seeds we plant here are going to be the plants that grow in the future, and we want them to grow with energy in mind,鈥� said Charette. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we have this thesis support program 鈥� With students here at 51福利, we can get not only a great thesis product, we get the product and the person.鈥�
Goudreau鈥檚 office is also investing in the future. During his lecture Feb. 21, he made a lengthy argument for energy conservation and technological innovation. But he insisted that his passion for conservation was driven not by environmental or political concerns, but rather by a desire to maintain the Navy鈥檚 ability to accomplish its most critical wartime missions.
鈥淎s a military we must prevail in combat, there is no other reason we put on a uniform each day,鈥� he said. 鈥淓nergy translates into warfighting capability now and it translates in the future 鈥e are having this discussion now, putting scarce resources into this endeavor, because we want to win the fight.鈥�
Both Goodreau鈥檚 and Charette鈥檚 pleas for conservation and energy innovation come at a time when military and government institutions are being asked to do more with fewer resources.
鈥淲e are going to enter a time where we are forced to change, [but] its empowering,鈥� said Goudreau. 鈥淚t will open up new opportunities so that we can break the patterns of six decades of energy dependence. When faced with a threat, we find a solution.鈥�
Despite Goudrea鈥檚 optimism, he also offered some frank caution as well. 鈥淣ations today rarely go to war over ideology 鈥� But nations will go to war over resources, especially if they see those resources as critical to their national survival,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow we use energy today is a tremendous vulnerability.鈥�
The 51福利's Defense Energy program is the result of a mandate from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to develop and institute defense-centered energy programs that respond to the Navy's need for ever-greater flexibility and resilience. In response, 51福利 has created a network of educators, government leaders and subject-matter experts who design and deliver innovative, interdisciplinary energy education programs ranging from graduate degrees and specialized academic certificates to executive education short courses.