JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Shari Fort is passionate about her work because it not only enables the Air Force mission, it has the potential to shape a better future for everyone.
As the Air Force Materiel Command National Environmental Policy Act Liaison and a member of AFIMSC Detachment 6 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Shari helps the Air Force make informed decisions for vast endeavors that ensure our military’s competitive advantage and adherence to NEPA. By adhering to NEPA, the Air Force achieves environmental, economic and social balance at installations.
“I enjoy the diversity of programs and projects I work on and the challenges that come with each action,” she said. “When it comes to NEPA, no two actions are the same.”
Shari’s recent work has included preparing technical decision documents for building and operating private-sector solar arrays on Edwards Air Force Base, California. She recently prepared the technical decision document for a 6.5-mile-long array that will garner $2.8 million for the Air Force and generate 530 megawatts of alternative energy for the state’s grid. Prior to that project, she supported the Department of Defense’s largest solar project, an array sitting on 4,000 acres of underutilized property on the installation. That array will produce up to 650 megawatts of power for California, enough for nearly 240,000 homes, and yield up to $80 million in rent for the Air Force throughout the expected 35-year lease.
“For me, the Edwards Solar Array was more than an action supporting Airmen and the Air Force mission,” she said. “It was about finding ways of reducing reliance on fossil fuels, a resource that will one day be depleted, and finding a way to provide renewable, cleaner energy that will ultimately protect the Earth for future generations to come.