vate cadets to lead a life of conservation and instilling
the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and conserve.
These actions will assist the Superintendent to achieve
his goals in recycling, energy, and water conservation
as outlined in his Strategic Planning Guidance (USMA,
2009); aid the West Point Energy Council to achieve
its vision of making West Point a flagship installation
and Army leader in the areas of reducing energy con-
sumption and improving energy and environmental
security; and support the Army to achieve its Energy
Security Goals (Army Senior Energy Council, 2009).
These new cadet leadership positions will also
be integral to a fresh challenge that West Point will
embrace in the coming months. West Point competed
with other Army facilities to develop a preliminary
plan to become a net zero energy installation by 2020.
In April 2011, West Point was selected as one of six
Army installations to be designated a pilot Net Zero
Energy installation. A net zero installation is one which
produces as much energy on-site from renewable en-
ergy generation or through the on-site use of renew-
able fuels as the post consumes in buildings, facilities,
and fleet vehicles over the course of a year (Booth et
al., 2010). Meeting this exciting challenge will take the
combined efforts of these new cadet energy officers,
the West Point Energy Council, and virtually every-
one on post.
Cadets who are not chosen to serve as leaders at ei-
ther the company or brigade level can still participate
in environmental sustainability actions. The primary
vehicle for these actions is the new cadet club, Green
Think. Green Think was an outgrowth of the Recyle-
Mania competition and serves as a formal club dedi-
cated to improving West Point in general and cadet
life in particular from an environmental sustainability
sharon
(sharon)
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