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Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment)

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Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment)

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment serves the Department of the Navy and the nation by enhancing combat capabilities for the warfighter through greater energy security; the acquisition and disposal of real property; construction and maintenance of installations; protecting the safety and occupational health of the military and civilian personnel; environmental protection, planning and restoration ashore and afloat; and conservation of natural and cultural resources.

 Leadership
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​Karnig H. Ohannessian
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
(Energy, Installations and Environment)


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On 16 October, 2019, Secretary Niemeyer testified before a joint House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities and Subcommittee on Readiness.  Secretary Niemeyer testified about resiliency at Department of the Navy military installations.  His topics included contingency resiliency, energy and water resiliency,  data and network resiliency, control systems cyber resiliency, physical security resiliency and environmental resiliency.  A copy of his statement can be found here.

On 10 February, 2020, Secretary Niemeyer delivered remarks on the future of military bases at an Installation Innovation Forum conducted by the Association of Defense Communities in San Antonio Texas.  Mr. Niemeyer’s remarks focused on the technologies and installation support demands that will define future military value. A copy of his written remarks can be found here.

On 3 March, 2020, Secretary Niemeyer provided a statement to the House Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations on the programs and policies within the Department of the Navy’s housing program. His statement focused on three areas: restoring resident trust, reestablishing active and engaged leadership on this issue, and reinforcing DON oversight. A copy of his written remarks can be found here.


On 12 March, 2020, Secretary Niemeyer submitted testimony to the House Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations.  Secretary Niemeyer’s statement covered Navy and Marine Corps installations infrastructure and Quality of Life programs.  His topics included the DON budget; Military Construction program and execution; Fallon Range Training Complex modernization; infrastructure sustainment, restoration, and demolition; family housing; per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); the DON’s Energy Strategy; environmental priorities; and base realignment and closure (BRAC).  A copy of his statement can be found here.


 Recent Successes
  • Navy Signs Agreement for Live Fire Training Range, Watches Conservation Mandate
      USFWS USGS DON Guam Refuge MOA - FINAL SIGNED 05142020

    Guam_Refuge_Signing_screen_capture.jpg 
  • Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) Modernization Final EIS Record of Decision (ROD): On 12 March, 2020, PDASN(EI&E) signed a ROD on the FRTC Final EIS that will support the Navy’s request for a legislative proposal in the FY21 NDAA for Congress to expand the FRTC.  The expansion will more than triple the size of the FRTC.  With the modernization, the FRTC significantly enhances the aviation and ground training for a wide range of mission capabilities into the foreseeable future.  Modernization allows the use of precision-guided weapons to their required capabilities by Navy aviators, and use of the full complement of weapons by SEAL teams during ground training.  It also protects the capabilities of the aviation electronic warfare range, and modifies existing special use airspace to accommodate the additional training capabilities created by modernizing the range complex.  The ROD follows years of research, analysis, and public involvement.  It also commits the Navy to mitigation and other measures to reduce impacts from the expansion.  Some of the more notable commitments include the development of access protocols, funding for follow-on natural and cultural resources surveys and other studies, improvements to (and relocation of) roads, and the establishment of new positions.  Expansion efforts will cover multiple years with completion expected in 2027.
       
  • ​Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights - On 25 February, 2020, the Acting Secretary of the Navy, along with the Secretaries of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the other Military Departments, signed the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) Tenant Bill of Rights (BOR) as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2020 (FY20 NDAA). The FY20 NDAA set out eighteen rights for military service members and their families residing in privatized housing. As a result of significant work and coordination with MHPI companies, 15 of the 18 rights will be fully availably by 1 May, 2020. We continue working to ensure the benefits of the three remaining rights – access to maintenance history, process for dispute resolution, and withholding of rent pending dispute resolution – are fully available. Each Service Secretary has taken the lead for one of the three remaining rights. A template for maintenance history is currently being finalized by the Air Force while the Army is reviewing the potential for expanding the use of an existing contract to withhold rent payments. Finally, the Navy has drafted a dispute resolution process and is currently reviewing initial feedback from the MHPI Partners. The DoD remains committed finalizing these last three rights soon and ensuring military members and their families have safe, quality, and well-maintained homes on base. 

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  • Navy Creates Installation Energy Resilience Strategy - The Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Thomas Modly, recently signed the first Installation Energy Resilience Strategy.  This strategy is meant to align the Department’s leadership, from top to bottom, on the objective of achieving assured energy at our installations, in the quantity and of the quality we require to accomplish required missions.  It provides a guide for Navy commanders and energy managers at all levels to enhance energy security within the Department of the Navy.

  • DON 5G Policy Update - DON is currently revising the 2016 policy for streamlining the process for supporting commercial wireless broadband on DON installations in order to better accommodate 5G technology.  Chief among the policy revisions will be treatment of a 5G system on an installation as one agreement, vice separate agreements for each transmitter/receiver.  The policy revision will encourage the acceptance of “dual use” by DON as in-kind consideration for a real estate agreement.  This approach will enable DON to use a slice of a 5G system for its own use without incurring the additional cost of installing its own 5G system.  DON anticipates issuing the policy revision in April/May 2020.  See the current 2016 policy here.

  • Explosive Safety in Guam – DON leaders recently signed an agreement to establish a disciplined process giving the Commander, Joint Region Marianas authority to implement prudent explosive safety principles on Guam. The agreement will have an immediate impact on billions of dollars in military construction activities being undertaken by all military services with missions on Guam, including the relocation of United States Marines from the Island of Okinawa, Japan.

  • Revitalization of NAVWAR Old Town Complex – DON has partnered with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to maximize the value of approximately 70.5 acres of Navy-owned underutilized property at the Old Town Campus to provide new, mission-capable, and modern facilities to support Naval Information Warfare Systems Command’s (NAVWAR) cyber security mission.  NAVWAR provides $3.2 billion annually to the San Diego regional economy. The potential redevelopment would bring additional economic benefits to the region through the construction and operation of new commercial, residential, and transportation facilities.

  • NDAA FY20 Disaster Recovery Funding – After multiple natural disasters caused significant damage at mission-critical Navy and Marine Corps installations in 2019, including Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Camp Lejeune, OASN (EI&E) staff worked closely with CNIC, MCICOM, NAVAIR, NAVFAC and other parts of DON and DoD to quickly respond to local installation needs.  At the same time, DON leaders began close coordination with Congress to ensure long-term recovery funding would be available.  Ultimately, when Congress passed NDAA FY20 Congress, it included $5.3B in disaster recovery funding for these essential facilities.

  • Acquisition Modernization Office  - The Navy took an important step forward in its drive for innovation with the charter signing to establish the Acquisition Modernization Office (AMO) within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC).  Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment Lucian Niemeyer and other major Navy and Marine Corps installation stakeholders signed the charter on February 20, 2020.

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