Expeditionary energy economics (e3) is an emerging field of

energy economics Energy economics is a broad scientific subject area which includes topics related to supply and use of energy in societies. Considering the cost of energy services and associated value gives economic meaning to the efficiency at which energy ...

that addresses

energy management Energy management includes planning and operation of energy production and energy consumption units as well as energy distribution and storage. Energy management is performed via Energy Management Systems (EMS), which are designed with hardware ...

in the military expeditionary environment or as part of the

disaster response Disaster response refers to the actions taken directly before, during, or immediately after a disaster. The objective is to save lives, ensure health and safety, and meet the subsistence needs of the people affected.UNGA (2016)Report of the open- ...

stage of the

emergency management Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actu ...

cycle. The term was first introduced in 2018 in an article by U.S. Army Major Alexander Thymmons, a research fellow within the Strategic Analysis Department of the NATO Energy Security Center of excellence in Vilnius, Lithuania. Major Thymmons proposed that the successful

megacity A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report defines megacities as urban a ...

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

(COIN) campaigns of the twenty-first century will depend on fast solutions to critical energy infrastructure (CEI) vulnerabilities within individual communities. Material was copied from this source, which is available under
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
The practice of energy management in the military expeditionary environment (EMMEE) is not new. The

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

has an Expeditionary Energy Office, and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

uses the new field to test the applicability and value of a draft military adaptation of

ISO 50001 ISO 50001 Energy management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, is an international standard created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It supports organizations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently thro ...

:2011 (Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use). The successful implementation of e3 theory requires that COIN practitioners have a basic understanding of CEI. Thymmons proves his

hypothesis A hypothesis (: hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. A scientific hypothesis must be based on observations and make a testable and reproducible prediction about reality, in a process beginning with an educated guess o ...

with personal vignettes from his time as an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

platoon leader A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank ...

during the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. In

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

, before the 2007 surge, the unreliability of CEI created a safe haven and power base for

insurgents An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregular forces face a large, well ...

. During the surge, however, the effects of military units promoting community based economics (CBE) and high-risk/high-impact

innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or service (economics), services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a n ...

(HRH2I) as a solution to local energy supply shortages on Haifa Street were a significant increase in the

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...

, a decrease in ethno-sectarian violence, and an increase in support for the Coalition Forces. The Haifa Street case study shows that one of the most vital elements of successful megacity COIN is facilitating rapid access of the urban community to affordable and reliable energy sources—which is a matter of managing both security of CEI and security of supply.

The role of economics and energy security in megacity COIN strategies

David Galula—the father of counterinsurgency theory—defined an insurgency as "a protracted struggle conducted methodically, step by step, in order to attain specific intermediate objectives leading finally to the overthrow of the existing order". A COIN campaign is then "the set of political, economic, social, military, law enforcement, civil and psychological activities with the aim to defeat insurgency and address any core grievances".AJP-3.4.4 (2011). Allied joint doctrine for counterinsurgency (COIN). Brussels: North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO Standardization Agency (NSA). The study of economic principles during COIN or disaster relief is referred as expeditionary economics. The extant understanding of expeditionary economics treats the planning and execution of state building by the military as a "three-legged strategy of invasion, stabilization or pacification, and economic reconstruction," which is "the ultimate objective of counterinsurgency (COIN) campaigns". This is in line with NATO's preferred COIN operational approach—Clear, Hold, and Build (CHB)—which “encompasses offensive, defensive, stability and enabling activities”. 2006megacities

The NATO doctrine states that "the effective ‘offensive’ operation in COIN is one that takes from the insurgent what he cannot afford to lose—control of the population. ... Protecting the people is the mission. The conflict will be won by persuading the population, not by destroying the enemy". For this reason, CHB is the joint civil-military action—taken by NATO, Host Nation, and civil actors—which places the restoration of basic services and infrastructure before the neutralization of hostile groups. In the context of megacities in the twenty-first century, which are dependent on glocal (global/local)

energy system An energy system is a system primarily designed to supply #Energy-services, energy-services to end user, end-users. The intent behind energy systems is to minimise energy losses to a negligible level, as well as to ensure the efficient use of ...

s, this means that the offensive operation in COIN is dependent on EMMEE and cannot be accomplished in the absence of

energy security Energy security is the association between national security and the availability of natural resources for energy consumption (as opposed to household energy insecurity). Access to cheaper energy has become essential to the functioning of modern ...

. The US Stability joint publication articulates that "energy is clearly a priority" to achieve security during COIN. This implies that the implementation of quick solutions to CEI vulnerabilities takes precedence over long-term CEI development.

References

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External links

Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy Office
Energy economics

The role of economics and energy security in megacity COIN strategies

See also

References

External links