Haaland Climate Resilience Priorities Included in NDAA Conference Report

Press Release

Congresswoman Deb Haaland's (NM-01) climate resilience priorities were included in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was filed on Thursday. The Department of Defense has identified climate change as a threat to military readiness, but a recent report noted that the department's preliminary assessment of climate change effects at military installations relied on past experience rather than an analysis of future climate change vulnerabilities. So, Congresswoman Deb Haaland has worked to ensure that the United States' military installations both at home and abroad are ready to address climate threats that put military personnel at risk, all while reducing the carbon footprint of America's military.

"Our service members deserve all the security and protection we can provide, but right now the military is ill-equipped to address the additional risks that come from a changing climate," said Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "The microgrid expansion, water resilience, and measures to reduce fuel consumption will help keep our military service members safe while addressing the larger threat that climate change presents to our national security.

Haaland's climate priorities that are included in the 2021 NDAA Conference report are included in the list below:

Addressing Climate Change Threats & Improving Military Resilience

Pilot program for expansion of microgrids reducing costs and emissions
Direct Energy Research Microgrids for Energy Assurance and Mission readiness Report on the impact of diesel generation with regard to the unit cost, fuel cost, load supplied per unit, start-up reliability, supply chain costs and reliability and dependence on foreign suppliers
Report on water resiliency at military installations, to include the degree to which the Department has assessed the resiliency, opportunities for public-private partnerships, and barriers to addressing water and sewage resiliency gaps
Reports on fuel consumption, distribution, etc., to reduce consumption
Strengthen use of electric and hybrid vehicles for official business on military installations
Energy Metering requirement to ensure resilient power sources
During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in 2019, Haaland questioned Department of Defense officials on climate change impacts on military housing and readiness. She later cosponsored legislation introduced by Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) that would require the Department of Defense to adapt to climate change threats, and that language was included in the 2020 NDAA.

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