Located outside of Augusta, Georgia, Fort Eisenhower is the current home of the Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cyber Command, and the Cyber Center of Excellence as well as the National Security Agency/Central Security Service' Georgia Cryptologic Center.
The initiative is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and includes the replacement of outdated generators with modern, high-capacity natural gas units.
The UESC will implement 20 Energy Conservation Measures, ECMs, designed to improve operational reliability, reduce costs and enhance quality of life for personnel at Fort Eisenhower.
The ECMs will collectively impact 449 buildings across 6.6 million square feet of facility space and are expected to generate approximately $5 million in annual energy savings.
“This upgrade will help ensure Fort Eisenhower’s ability to maintain uninterrupted power, enhancing mission readiness and resilience,” said Aubrey Glynn, Huntsville Center UESC Program project manager.
A significant component of the project is the replacement of the base’s power generation system. The original 13.5-MW generators date back to the 1960s and will be replaced with modern 15MW natural gas generators over the next few years.
“We are extremely happy to be partnering with Georgia Power for this project,” said Col. Reginald Evans, U.S. Army Garrison Eisenhower commander. “Replacing Fort Eisenhower's aging diesel powered generators with natural gas systems is a huge step toward reducing the installation's carbon footprint, in addition to the energy savings from the numerous other conservation measures planned.”
The scope of the project not only includes power generation, but also entails improvements to the mechanical and controls systems, central plant chillers and lighting.
“This project is unique for a couple of different reasons,” Glynn explained. “First, it’s a third-party financed project, which allows Department of Defense federal agencies to implement energy savings projects without upfront costs. Second, this UESC directly addresses resiliency by modernizing the base’s power generation system.”
UESCs are a type of third-party financed projects, where the total implementation price is financed by a bank or financier working closely with the utility company. The Garrison will then pay back the implementation price with the energy savings gained from the implementation of ECMs.
The initiative involves coordination between several organizations, including Fort Eisenhower Garrison, Army Installation Management Command, G-9, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment and the Gillem Enclave, which is a community in Forest Park, Georgia, that includes the former Fort Gillem and the Defense Forensic Science Center.
Huntsville Center is working alongside other organizations for the project’s implementation, ensuring that construction timelines align with operational needs to minimize disruptions.
“This project has been a team effort with Garrison, Installation Management Command, G-9 and others. Scheduling has been one of the biggest coordination efforts throughout the project,” Glynn elaborated. “It has been critical to work together to ensure that energy conservation measures are implemented in a timely manner while minimizing impacts to Fort Eisenhower’s daily operations.”
The generator replacement project is part of a two-year effort that began in 2024 and is expected to conclude in 2026. The upgrades aim to significantly reduce maintenance costs, avoid expensive equipment replacements and contribute to improved air quality across the installation.
As Huntsville Center continues to lead energy efficiency initiatives across military installations, the Fort Eisenhower UESC serves as a model for innovative, cost-effective infrastructure modernization.
“With energy resilience playing a vital role in national security, projects like this demonstrate the Army’s commitment to sustainability and mission readiness,” Glynn said.
