AFCEC teams work together to expand Air Force energy programs

  • Published
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  It is well-known that collaboration towards a shared vision will strengthen and increase the successes of any organization. The dedicated energy professionals within AFCEC and the Office of Energy Assurance, or OEA, are doing just that - working together to accomplish the Air Force energy vision of enhancing mission assurance through energy assurance.

To increase collaboration, AFCEC and OEA staff meet regularly. In February 2017, AFCEC Energy Directorate staff met at OEA offices to focus on integrating OEA with the AFCEC enterprise and leveraging AFCEC’s vast experience. At this meeting, roles and responsibilities were identified to direct coordinated and collaborative efforts. OEA has taken on the “storefront” responsibilities for Air Force energy resiliency projects, while AFCEC continues to provide specific implementation guidance. Since then, more groundwork has been laid for providing mission-driven assurance projects to Air Force installations.

“AFCEC’s successes with previous energy projects and knowledge of installations are immeasurable resources as we collaborate on installation energy needs,” said Robert Hughes, OEA executive director. “With AFCEC’s assistance, we are refining our processes to avoid common pitfalls and complications of a typical start-up.”

OEA is proactive in its approach to resiliency projects by initiating project development at installations. AFCEC representatives are an important part of this process, joining OEA on installation visits, reviewing project concepts at installations, and completing evaluations. OEA and AFCEC are also working together to provide practical tools and support to installations. This includes helping installations optimize third-party funding and scoping projects that require appropriated funding.

OEA interacts closely with several AFCEC directorates including Installations, Operations, Environmental, Planning and Integration, and, most often, Energy. For enhanced communication between OEA and the AFCEC Energy Directorate, Rick Weston is the liaison who facilitates continued interaction and flow of information between the two offices.

“At the end of the day, OEA and AFCEC share the same victories and defeats,” Weston said. “We are all Air Force getting the job done to support the missions at our installations.”