Prime Power: Filling the Army's Electric Power Gap

The Army cannot be sure whether it has enough prime power generators to provide electricity during wartime. It has reason to believe it may not. The uncertainty - the possible deficiency - should not be tolerated. Prime power is essential. The alternatives will not suffice. Commercial utilities are not available everywhere and are too vulnerable in wartime. Tactical generators consume too much fuel, demand too much maintenance, and wear out too fast general usage. The barrier to overcoming the problem is the Armys inability to produce a sound estimate of the requirement. The current estimating method is based on an outdated and incomplete mission statement for prime power generators and employs a single, outdated, kilowatt-per-person planning factor. The mission should be restated to include Overseas, provide reliable, mobile, and resource- efficient power to groups of Army units and essential installations behind the front combat zone In the United States, support large, rapid population increases in Army installations during mobilization and In the United States, provide emergency power to Army and other critical installations when commercial power distribution is disrupted. The requirements calculation should, to be more reflective of real-world forces, be based on scenario-specific simulation of peak-time power consumption by selected Army units and installations. These changes should be implemented by the Armys Engineering and Housing Support Center. Only then will the Army be in a position to rectify any prime power deficiencies.