Photo by Lance Cpl. Pranav Ramakrishna
23 Jan 2023 | Marine Barracks
Marine Barracks Washington installed two electric vehicle chargers at its motor pool on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington D.C., Dec. 21, 2022 in support of the Department of Defense’s zero-emission vehicle acquisition goals.
“The Oldest Post” is not the first Marine Corps installation to acquire EV chargers. In 2021, the Marine Corps acquired and distributed 21 Beam EV ARC 2020 chargers among 14 installations to continue modernization of the Marine Corps through sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives.
Marine Barracks Washington coordinated with the regional contracting office aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Quantico to procure the EV chargers.
“Operating in the National Capital Region affords us the unique opportunity to be a test bed for new initiatives and policy changes.” 1st Lt. Richard Tkac, Motor Transportation Platoon Commander, Marine Barracks Washington, D.C.
“By communicating with industry experts and negotiating with vendors, RCO Quantico enabled Marine Barracks Washington to purchase the EV chargers at a fair price while complying with federal regulations,” said Sgt. Jacie Liu, contracting specialist, RCO Quantico. “I am thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the zero-emission goals as the Marine Corps transitions to one-hundred percent electrical vehicles that are beneficial to the environment.”
The chargers help implement Executive Order 14057: Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, which directs federal agencies to reach one-hundred percent zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035, including one-hundred percent light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027.
The Beam EV ARC is a rapidly deployable, transportable, off-grid and solar-powered EV charging system supporting the accelerated integration of electric vehicles in the Marine Corps’ non-tactical vehicles fleet. The solar array has technology that allows it to follow the sun throughout the day, ensuring the best incidence angle for maximum power.
Marine Barracks Washington currently has two electric vehicles in its fleet. All light-duty vehicles at the end of their lease cycle will be replaced with electric-variant, zero-emission vehicles.
The ability to sustainably generate, distribute and effectively manage energy resources is vital to training, operational planning and warfighting and requires an innovative and multi-faceted approach to decrease energy vulnerabilities and adapt to new environmental challenges.
“Operating in the National Capital Region affords us the unique opportunity to be a test bed for new initiatives and policy changes,” said 1st Lt. Richard Tkac, Motor Transportation Platoon Commander, Marine Barracks Washington, D.C. “Solar chargers not only save the unit money in the long term but will increase the efficiency of our motor pool by eliminating unnecessary trips to the pump and maximizing the battery life of our vehicles. This is the first step in optimizing our motor pool to comply with the 2027 initiative and we’re looking forward to continuing our mission at the Barracks in a more sustainable way.”
