Power Up Energy Expo 2021 Speaker Presentations

Colonel Travis K. Leighton is the Chief of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center Natural Disaster Recovery Division located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. He leads an organization supporting a $6 billion, multi-year planning, programming, design, and construction effort to rebuild Tyndall following Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Offutt Air Force Base following a March 2019 flood.

After building a national non-profit organization, Echols ran for and was elected to statewide office in 2010 serving as Public Service Commissioner. His primary job is energy regulation. When Echols took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power. Now, 7 years later the state is 5th in the nation in approved solar.

Energy security is a key readiness enabler that ensures successful operations for communities and military installations, alike. This panel will discuss new strategies for distributed energy solutions to maintain critical services, while balancing the demands and constraints of the operation and the goals of CO2 reduction. Our experts will discuss how we increase resilience and reliability in power grids with new programs that leverage partnerships between community stakeholders, military installations, and other partners.

As we address the impacts of climate change, we see how extreme weather events impact our national security. Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home & Abroad, established administration policy that climate considerations shall be an essential element of United States foreign policy & national security. For the Department of Defense, energy is an operational imperative and our dependence on traditional energy sources has increased vulnerabilities and poses a threat to military operations.

Adapting and modernizing our buildings and infrastructure are critical to creating a culture of resiliency. Leveraging advanced building systems and technologies and part of the solutions. This panel will discuss how we combine resource efficiency, onsite power supply through advanced microgrids, and innovative financing tools to achieve resiliency goals and mandates.

This expert panel explores the latest energy technologies and other solutions just beyond the horizon. Learn about new strategies to ensure resiliency and meet cyber security mandates.

Our panel of subject matter experts will discuss alternative funding strategies to include third-party financing and Energy-As-A-Service business models. Learn about new programs for partnerships to advance the clean energy economy.

Rebuilding an Air Force installation after Category 5 hurricane takes a team of experts from ac from multiple sectors. This panel looks at smart and sustainable design principles, coupled with the latest technologies in fortified construction. This session takes a deep dive into the Installation of the Future at Tyndall Air Force Base.

The Department of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance (OEA) was established in February 2016 by the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff to serve as the aggregator for installation energy and water resilience initiatives. The new OEA Director, Mr. Kirk Phillips, offers a great overview of the Office and its recent accomplishments.

We are so pleased to partner with of friends at the RISE Consortium. The mission of the Resilient Infrastructure + Secure Energy (RISE) Consortium is to address the energy security and climate crises by reimagining how we use, generate, transport, and store energy and how we build efficient, modern, resilient infrastructure. Join more than 300 organizations as a RISE Consortium member.

The Department of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance (OEA) was established in February 2016 by the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff to serve as the aggregator for installation energy and water resilience initiatives. The new OEA Director, Mr. Kirk Phillips, offers a great overview of the Office and its recent accomplishments.

We are so pleased to partner with of friends at the RISE Consortium. The mission of the Resilient Infrastructure + Secure Energy (RISE) Consortium is to address the energy security and climate crises by reimagining how we use, generate, transport, and store energy and how we build efficient, modern, resilient infrastructure. Join more than 300 organizations as a RISE Consortium member.

Mr. Kidd IV shares insight on national security decisions, strategies, and policies regarding climate change, as well as the services needed to implement climate-based interventions across the DOTMLPF to meet national and Department objectives.

The Community Partnership for Defense Innovation discusses multiple key strategies on installation resilience plans regarding energy, grid and shoreline resilience, along with the federal sustainability framework.

The Tyndall Air Force Base Program Management Office Session describes, in detail, measures taken and future plans for the Natural Disaster Recovery Program. With key concepts from the Innovation Resilience Operations Center and Leading Energy Resilience Efforts for Tyndall.

Craig Williams is the Director of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Congressional Principal Advisor of Military and Veteran’s Affairs to Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D., representing the largest district (FL-02) in the great State of Florida (19 counties). As Director, Craig is responsible for
maintaining liaison and relationships with installation leaders, members of Congress and their staff, the Senate, the Executive Branch, and local community leaders.