Haaland Pushes for Climate Innovation, Resilience at U.S. Military Installations During Hearing

October 17, 2019
Press Release
House Armed Services Committee hearing addresses military resilience

Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) pushed for climate innovation and resilience at U.S. military installations during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

“Whether we like it or not, climate change is an ongoing threat to our military service members at home and overseas. As we move forward, it will be imperative that the Department of Defense plan for these changes and shift to renewable energy,” said Congresswoman Deb Haaland. 

During the hearing, Haaland asked for more information about the ways that national labs and military installations can work together to find innovative ways to increase energy resiliency and climate adaptation measures so that they can be used at bases throughout the country.​​


>>>WATCH: Haaland Calls for Innovation, Resilience at U.S. Military Installations During Hearing

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Deb Haaland hosted House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (Wash.-09) and a delegation of Congressional members at Kirtland Air Force Base.One of the projects the members visited a pilot solar grid solar model being used as an innovative neighborhood energy system where every building generates its own electricity, greatly increasing resilience. Haaland will be exploring possibilities to address energy resiliency in the military. 

During the National Defense Authorization Act markup, Chair Smith and Rep. Haaland worked to include climate resilience provisions including:

  • Updates to building practices and standards to promote military installation resilience, energy and climate resilience, and cyber resilience;
  • Study on 10 most vulnerable military installations within each service based on the effects of sea-level rise, flooding, drought, desertification, wildfires, and thawing permafrost; mitigations that may be necessary to increase installation resiliency; and an estimate of the cost of mitigations;
  • Briefing on efforts and opportunities to reduce expenditures on, and waste from, single-use plastics within the armed forces
Issues: 
Environment & Natural Resources, Veterans