Abstract- U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) installations are contained communities; however, each relies on external electrical grids. Increasing resilience against grid outages has become a strategic priority, prompting installations to explore on-site renewable energy solutions. This study evaluates anaerobic co-digestion (ACoD) of wastewater sludge, food scrap waste, and fats, oils, and grease (FOG) for on-site energy generation. I will present an examination of 60 DOD installations to identify which have favorable characteristics for ACoD. Using population data, wastewater characteristics, existing infrastructure characteristics, and stochastic modeling, we identified that ACoD coupled with combined heat and power makes economic sense for a limited number of installations. Only one installation will yield a positive NPV ($6.6 million USD), while also generating 4,700 kWh/day of electricity and saving 32.2 x 106 MTCE/year. None of the remaining installations achieved a positive NPV; however, seven installations achieved a positive annual cash flow, while generating between 1,600-9,900 kWh/day and saving 9.8-53.9 x 106 MTCE/year. Despite this, environmental and energy resilience benefits were attained by many installations. Specifically, those with high populations and/or those located in states with carbon-intensive energy supplies achieved notable gains in electricity production and carbon savings. These results suggest that decision-makers should consider metrics beyond NPV to achieve energy security. Additionally, in-depth analysis for one military installation, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, which has the only full-scale co-digestion unit in DOD, will be presented.

Bio- Colonel Andrew Pfluger, U.S. Army, is an Associate Professor and Academy Professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at the United States Military Academy. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from USMA, a M.S. and Engineer Degree in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE). His research interests include sustainable and resilient systems engineering, water and wastewater engineering, resource recovery, and renewable energy generation.