JB Charleston releases notice of opportunity for base-wide ESPC

  • Published
  • By Kevin Elliott
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
The Defense Logistics Agency Energy recently released a notice of opportunity for an energy savings performance contract at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.

The notice invites the 16 energy service companies, or ESCOs, under the Department of Energy multi-award ESPC contract to submit written responses of their intent to pursue the project.

The proposed scope of the ESPC includes 121 Naval Weapon Station buildings and 461 parking and streetlight fixtures on JBC, according to the notice. Any energy conservation measures developed by the chosen ESCO in the preliminary assessment and investment grade audit phases must specifically address energy reliability and surety.

"We have certain renewable energy goals," said Cathy Cook, energy manager at Air Mobility Command, the major command under which JBC is organized. "So in addition to traditional energy conservation measures, we certainly want to look at renewable capabilities if feasible."

Joint Base Charleston provides installation support to 53 Department of Defense and federal agencies, servicing a total force of over 79,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians, family members and retirees. The base is a consolidation of Charleston Air Force Base and Naval Support Activity Charleston, merged under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing.

"This will be a substantial ESPC," said Tom Laney, ESPC project manager at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the agency responsible for managing Air Force ESPCs. "Projects at large installations like JB Charleston are an opportunity to gain significant energy savings for the Air Force as a whole."

Due to a constrained budget environment, the Air Force is utilizing third-party financing tools like ESPCs to accomplish energy-efficiency upgrades at its installations. Under the ESPC model, ESCOs compete to finance, design, construct and manage energy projects, and maintain the systems long-term. ESPCs range from 10 years to a maximum of 25 years, with the Air Force paying the ESCO back over the term of the contract from cost savings garnered by the higher-efficiency equipment.

"The ESPC project effort at JB Charleston is very comparable to the other ESPC efforts we've executed," said Pamela J. Griffith, DLA Energy installation energy director. "The intent is to optimize the combination of conservation measures to achieve more substantial energy savings within a given facility."

The Air Force is currently pursuing potential ESPC opportunities valued at approximately $416 million across its installations by the end of calendar year 2016.