A couple weeks ago, I participated in a working group tasked with shaping the message we would deliver to the four star general on the state of our energy programs.  The level of confusion was astounding.  One always expects some amount of conflict whenever a diverse group meets.  This was a new layer of chaos to me.

But, first:

As I have been settling in to my role in Energy Management, I have been confronted with several harsh realities.  First, my boss is a very vocal climate change denier.  He justifies his role in reducing our energy consumption as a matter of cost savings, not green house gas emissions reductions.  This is in direct conflict with our Agency agenda, and creates tension with our work colleagues in the Environmental Compliance section.  His denial makes a bigger impact than just the social conflict: our section also chooses the technology to use in major construction efforts on the installation, as well as improvements to the resiliency of the energy supply (both from the electric grid and the natural gas network).

As a consequence, our most recent resiliency efforts have been focused on the use of natural gas micro-turbines.  While natural gas burns cleaner than the diesel  it replaces, they are not environmentally friendly.  In order to be an effective, reliable source of heating/cooling and electric generation, they will be run 24/7, emitting CO, CO2 and NOx.  That’s right: producing GHG 24/7.

I continue to search for substitute technologies to no avail.  At the city-scale, this is what we create microgrids with, and I’d better get used to it.

My boss was happy to hear of the repeal of the previous executive orders mandating adoption of cleaner technologies and reduction of carbon emissions.  Even with their repeal, however, that doesn’t mean the agency changes its policies on climate change.  This is what I was banking on when I went to the working group.  Cooler heads, with a long vision and a “stay the course” attitude.  That isn’t what happened.

In fact, the other members, except those in uniform, where happy to no longer have any restrictions to the emissions they created or the products they used.  They were even giddy.  I suppose they forgot that California has climate friendly policies, too.  Of course, I reminded them.  It didn’t help.  You see, that the new administration has emboldened ignorance, and slighted truth.  If it isn’t easy, and in one’s self-interest then many people aren’t interested.

So, mine has become a campaign to undermine the ignorance.  I won’t waste my breath on the entrenched.  Instead, I look to remove components which make our footprint worse.  When asked by senior leaders, I find the compelling reason to say no to certain technologies.  I will seek out the GAO officials who came to our installation for a site evaluation, and I will answer their question:

No, we are not doing anything about climate change.  In fact, we stand to create more GHG than a year ago because of this new technology.  Yup, I am going to drop a dime on us.

And while we all wait for the GAO report to come out, I will continue to seek out new, clean technologies and expert partners to keep my corner of the world on track.  Solar, wind, biofuel– whatever it takes!

This is my ongoing leadership challenge.