Event Recap: Nexus of National Security and Energy Security (TechConnect)
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“Nexus of national security & energy security” panelists at the 2021 Defense techconnect innovation summit and expo (October 19, 2021)
The Veterans Advanced Energy Project was pleased to lead and participate in a panel discussion titled “Nexus of National Security & Energy Security” at the 2021 Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit and Expo on Tuesday October 19, 2021 at 3:30 pm.
The panel discussed the impact of losing power on the energy grid in the case of natural disasters and the importance of financial investments to ensure resilience of the grid in the face of increasingly severe weather events due to climate change. Panelists reflected on Biden Administration funding priorities and the importance of universities to extend beyond science and technology to provide training and partnerships connecting academia to the rest of the world—specifically the importance of microgrid and cybersecurity training as an area to support active duty servicemembers transitioning out of the military. Others commented on the need for increased mining production for the rare earth materials required for mass electrification and using microgrids for improved resilience, especially for military installations—noting, however, that regulators and lawmakers need to become more familiar with the available technology
The session was chaired by Col. Greg Douquet (USMC Ret.), Veterans Advanced Energy Project Co-Director, and the panel included Veterans Advanced Energy Project Advisory Committee Members Col. Al Trimble (USMC Ret.) and Sherri Goodman, Senior Fellow, Wilson Center; First Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security. Other panel members included Nate Johnson, assistant professor in the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University and the director of the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions (LEAPS) and Tim Tetreault, Energy and Water Program manager for the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) at US Department of Defense.
Learn more about Defense TechConnect Conference & Expo below:
