A LEADER IN EFFICIENCY

Fort Monroe’s historic resonance is undeniable yet it

could have a future as a renewable energy model

Fort Monroe is one of the nation’s richest historic landmarks. Students learn about the fort’s role in defending our nation; they are taught about the “contraband of war” decision, and they recognize the meaning behind the nickname “Freedom’s Fortress.”

But Fort Monroe could also become Virginia’s showpiece of innovation, where the latest energy efficient technologies are on full display.

The property is already a place where negotiation and cooperation have bubbled under the surface for several years to keep the property open and operating with some semblance of normalcy.

That’s why it came as a shock to learn Dominion Energy is suing the federal government over $13 million in needed electrical upgrades at Fort Monroe

At the center of the lawsuit filed in U.S. Court of Federal Claims is a debate over who should bear the cost of bringing the property’s electrical infrastructure up to existing standards.

In 2004, Dominion landed a 50-year contract to operate the electrical system that built in provisions for the utility company to make infrastructure improvements.

Just eight months later, the fort was targeted for closure, cutting short Dominion’s contract.

The lawsuit asserts U.S. Air Force officials — then overseeing the base closure — “stonewalled” Dominion by refusing to engage in settlement talks, even though federal money was set aside for such agreements in the closure process.

The Army vacated the property in 2011and relinquished large chunks of it to the state’s Fort Monroe Authority.

When it was an active Army post, Fort Monroe was exempt from many state regulations concerning the electrical infrastructure. Those standards no longer apply.

Among the oddities within the system is that just one meter records all electric use on the property.

Upgrading the system will be a costly and daunting task.

Dominion now must install individual meters on the fort’s 224 buildings. The utility also wants to install new circuits and power supplies to street lighting systems — so a failure on one circuit won’t lead to widespread outages. And it must add electrical switches to quickly isolate problems.

The question is: Who will pay?

At the moment, it’s you — the Dominion ratepayers and taxpayers — who are paying for the lawyers to represent these two parties in court.

The dispute has already lasted seven years. Who knows how long the lawsuit will take to travel through the court system.

While Dominion maintains the existing system is safe and reliable, it is far from efficient.

The irony, of course, is that Gov. Ralph Northam released his10-year energy policy recommendations on Oct. 2 that push cooperation with Dominion Energy to create energy efficiencies within the state.

Among those initiatives is to set energy efficiency targets for state agencies, and increase annual investments by utilities in energy-efficiency programs — to $100 million a year by Dominion.

Upgrading Fort Monroe’s campus to one that meets 21st-century standards would be a shining example of cooperation between the public utility and government.

Dominion, the U.S. Army, as well as state and federal representatives must figure this out.

While we have no inside knowledge of negotiations between the parties in the lawsuit, we wonder whether all options were considered before this dispute was taken to court.

Would Fort Monroe tenants be willing to pay a surcharge on their electrical bill that would be earmarked for needed upgrades?

Maybe the city of Hampton would agree to a tax-increment financing deal to allow any new tax revenue created by development at Fort Monroe to be placed toward needed infrastructure projects?

Could Fort Monroe’s location along the Hampton Roads harbor be used to harness wind, solar or hydropower to save money and fund upgrades?

The questions are too numerous to recite here. But the opportunities for compromise and innovation are not too far of a stretch.

What we do know is that Fort Monroe has been a financial and operational quandary since 2011. Creative thinking and negotiation have kept the property solvent for the public to enjoy without having to pay an entrance fee.

Consider the agreement between the Army and state government that transferred close to 70 acres of land to the Fort Monroe Authority in exchange for the state agreeing to pay $23.1million that was earmarked to address infrastructure needs outside Army posts in Virginia.

The city of Hampton and Fort Monroe Authority also signed a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement that ensures basic city services are extended to Fort Monroe without the hassle of duplicative government.

Negotiations ultimately ruled the day in those scenarios — not litigation. Fort Monroe’s value has been anchored in its connection to the past, but we also must embrace its potential to be an asset for the future.

Let’s hope Dominion and the federal government settle this debate quickly. Before they burn through any more money.