Beale selected for Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative Published April 28, 2016 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force has selected Beale Air Force Base, California, as the lead site for its Resilient Energy Demonstration Initiative (REDI) to develop and deploy innovative energy resilience technologies and business models, and then apply the results to other missions and installations across the Air Force enterprise.A team of representatives from the Air Force, Department of Energy’s national labs, and other outside experts will visit Beale AFB for a site visit and assessment May 3. The team will conduct interviews with mission owners and evaluate opportunities for energy projects. Once the visit is completed, the REDI team will develop a plan to provide resilient, cost-effective, cleaner power to the installation, and begin implementing that plan by the end of 2016.“We selected Beale AFB because of its critical missions, the opportunity to collaborate with regional industry and government partners leading the way in resilient energy solutions, and the leadership and experience of Beale’s team,” said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command.Policymakers and national security officials have voiced the need to build a more resilient electric grid, and mitigate cyber and physical threats to critical infrastructure. After Beale AFB’s energy resiliency plan is developed, the REDI team will issue a request for information to energy developers and partners to determine market interest and industry capabilities for energy resilience projects.“REDI will help ensure Airmen can execute their missions, like remotely piloted aircraft, which rely on uninterrupted access to electricity,” said Miranda Ballentine, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy. “Our team is looking at distributed energy resources, like renewable energy generation and energy storage, which can provide strategic energy agility for our Airmen when they need it most.”Though Beale AFB will be REDI’s lead project, the team will be helping shape other energy resilience projects across the Air Force.“Our Airmen continue to develop innovative ways to maintain our base and meet the mission demands of providing global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to national decision makers,” said Col. Christopher Stricklin, the 9th Reconnaissance Wing vice commander. “Team Beale is excited about our role in this collaborative effort to build more energy resilience and potentially shape the future of the Air Force.”