Green energy programs need boost.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Defense Insider

The Army has more than 120 renewable energy projects under way, but they only account for 2 percent of its needs. One reason green programs are off to a slow start is a lack of funding, said Caroline Harrover, a senior policy analyst at Current Technologies Corp., a support contractor for Army energy partnerships. "What the Army is trying to do is reposition to attract that private sector investment, particularly in renewable energy development," she said. At the top of the list is the Army's "net zero" goal of making installations produce as much energy on site as they use in a given year. The service has selected more than a dozen installations to participate in a pilot program.

The Army also is looking at a few different alternative methods to finance its energy-related projects. One, an Energy Savings Performance Contract, involves a partnership with a private company that designs, builds and monitors the savings from a project Another called an Enhanced...