Innovate solutions key to reducing petroleum demand

by Jeanine Dunn
AMC Productivity Programs manager

10/5/2012 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.  -- In response to a number of presidential mandates and executive orders, the Air Force implemented the 2012-2016 Strategic Energy Plan in an effort to integrate energy considerations across the enterprise. Of the multiple focus areas outlined in the plan, Headquarters Air Mobility Command's response to Air Force's "reduce demand" goals, addresses demand-side energy management issues, supports various activities to build, and sustains capabilities in the vehicles fleet management area to decrease the amount of petroleum required to conduct mission operations.

Desiring to "right-size" vehicles fleet, the Air Force developed the Fleet Management Decision Support System (FMDSS) to aid organizations in validating actual vehicle requirement by location versus using standard determinants from prior years.

Senior Master Sgt. Roman Jaye, AMC Vehicle Fleet manager, said AMC applied FMDSS modeling recently at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and Joint Base-Charleston, S.C., to test unique variables associated with joint base operations.

According to Jaye, after applying the results at these test locations, AMC reduced the fleet by 419 vehicles combined, and are looking to implement this success at other locations to reap additional benefits atop the $2.8 million estimated savings associated with this vehicle and petroleum demand reduction effort to date.

A number of other petroleum demand-reduction initiatives underway in AMC vehicles fleet management include:

-Converting to an alternative fuels (hybrid, biofuel, etc) vehicle fleet through new light-duty vehicles leases/purchases

-Reducing the number of Class III/IV vehicles (Presidential Memorandum on Federal Fleet Performance, 2011)

-Purchasing electric vehicles and installing power grids, producing sideline benefits of a rechargeable energy solution simultaneously

-Upgrading to Automotive Information Module (AIM 2), augmenting the fleet manager's ability to analyze vehicle usage characteristics and identify further opportunities for fuels and maintenance cost savings and Federal Excise Tax reductions

AMC estimates seeing the full benefit of these and other petroleum-demand reduction initiatives around 2015. The next question is how will AMC continue to sustain these reductions, and at the same time produce new initiatives to meet the President of the United State's reduction goal of 2 percent per year through 2020? AMC turns to the Air Force Innovative Development through Employee Awareness (IDEA) Program to help find that answer.

During the month of October, HQ AMC is sponsoring the "2012 Fuels, Energy and Environmental (FEE) Idea Campaign." For the third year in a row, AMC seeks out fresh, new ideas from military and civilians, and asks them to contribute their own efficiency and conservation ideas into the Air Force IDEA Program when the Air Force focuses on relative efforts.

Interested individuals can prepare for the FEE-IDEA Campaign submission by gathering background data and supportive material, and then organizing their resource-saving proposal into three categories: Present Method, Proposed Method and Expected Benefits. When ready to submit, visit the IDEA Program Data System (IPDS) online at: https://ipds.randolph.af.mil, build an IPDS user profile, add idea content, and reflect "2012FEEIDEACAMPAIGN" in the Tracking/Control Number field. From there,
participants can watch as their FEE-Idea Campaign submission is routed.

For more information, visit your local Manpower and Organization Office. Anyone interested can also contact Jeanine Dunn at 618-229-3916.