MN Sustainability

Energy resilience enables Army readiness and is a key enabler critical to all military functions and operations. Energy resilience is the ability for an Army installation to avoid, prepare for, minimize, adapt to, and recover from anticipated and unanticipated energy disruptions. Increased resilience reduces the frequency of operational pauses and enables Army readiness. Sustainable and renewable energy systems allow the MNNG to anticipate, respond to, and recover from service disruptions to reduce infrastructure vulnerabilities and successfully execute missions.

The MNNG works with its planners, facilities managers, and engineers throughout the installation to ensure that construction and design of new buildings heavily considers LEED Silver criteria, as well as MN’s B3 Sustainable Building 2030 (SB2030) Energy Standard. Energy resiliency initiatives will target monitoring energy performance of facilities, encourage energy conservative behavior, and identify renewable/sustainable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal, biomass, and other renewable or sustainable technologies.

Within the Campaign Plan (Arrow Head) we are targeting a 3% reduction in Energy use a year (30% total by 2030). For FY21, MNNG is on target to meet that goal at 14% reduction in energy use intensity.

The MNNG has several renewable and resilient energy systems across the entire state installation. These systems include solar PV, solar thermal, geothermal ice bank, and ground source heat pump technologies. With these added efforts, for FY21 MNNG’s cumulative renewable energy use (compared to electric and natural gas) was 43%.

A vital part of being mission ready is the availability and proper use of clean water. Population and economic growth, climate change, pollution, and other challenges create pressure on our shared water resources. This has major impacts on all our social, economic, and environmental well-being. To ensure that we are good stewards of our water resources, the DMA utilizes tools such as water reduction education, behavior changes, use of low flow technologies and advanced metering, containment, infiltration of run off, and other techniques which reduce our facilities’ impacts on water resources.

Within the Campaign Plan (Arrow Head) we are targeting a 15% reduction in Water use a year (15% total by 2027). For FY21, MNNG is on target to meet that goal at 22% reduction in water use intensity. Current resiliency efforts relating to water are installation of more efficient water fixtures, increased metering and monitoring, and annual inspections at CRTC to identify subsurface leaks. CRTC utilizes recycled water at the Area 22 wash rack to wash tracked vehicles. In FY21, 42% of the water used at the Area 22 wash rack was recycled.

Waste diversion is the prevention and reduction of generated waste through source reduction, recycling, reuse, or composting. Waste diversion generates a host of environmental, financial, and social benefits, including conserving energy, reducing disposal costs, and reducing the burden on our local landfills. DMA is working to make it simple for Soldiers, staff, and community members to direct waste to the right place through simplification and standardization of waste and recycling signage/ materials, as well as expanding organics recycling to the Arden Hills campus location.

Recycling efforts supported by MNARNG include co-mingled recycling, construction and demolition materials, metals, batteries, light bulbs, oil, paint, toner, fabrics, pallets, and asbestos abatement. The DMA is also committed to the reduction of waste through sustainable purchasing and green procurement.

Within the Campaign Plan (Arrow Head) we are targeting a 60% diversion rate (recycling + composting) of Solid Waste by 2030. For FY21, MNNG is showing a 38% diversion rate. Waste initiatives in FY21 include streamlining program messaging, development of new education and outreach materials as well as updated online learning materials. In FY21, organics recycling was expanded to the new Division HQ building at AHATS. CRTC has 20 T-buildings and 4 regularly occupied office buildings with organics service.

Climate change refers to the long-term changes in global temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other aspects of climate. These climate change impacts can cause property damage, harm critical infrastructure, and threaten both safety and quality of life for residents in our communities throughout the state. Climate change mitigation includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) such as CO2.

o Current efforts that reduce DMA agency GHG emissions include increasing our utilization of on-site renewable/alternative energy systems, reduction of fleet petroleum use with more efficient or electric vehicles, as well as building and maintaining resilient facilities. MNARNG is a part of the Army Compatible Use Buffer and Sentinel Landscape programs, which are used to reduce the MNARNG’s impact on the environment while promoting compatible land use to mitigate degradation of training ability, habitat loss, and encroachment at CRTC.

Sustainability is a critical enabler in the performance of the Army's mission, and its importance and benefits cut across the entire Army enterprise. By implementing these practices, MNARNG is decreasing future mission constraints, increasing operational flexibility and resilience, safeguarding human health and the environment, and improving the quality of life for Soldiers and local communities.

Initiating Sustainable Goals

Current Performance Data