our projects

Current Projects

We're now helping build these great projects, all of which fight global warming while providing sustainable economic development opportunities for communities in need. Click below to learn more.
Internet based sales are now helping build the Hillcrest Saylor Family Dairy Farm Methane Project and the Farmer-Owned Distributed Wind projects. We will customize large order offsets for businesses or organizations.


Prior Successes

In addition to supporting several Midwest wind farms, our customers have helped build and maintain all these projects by collectively purchasing their long-term carbon offsets output. Click below to see pictures and learn more.


The Boulder Creek Hydro Project(back to top)

The Boulder Creek Hydro Project is owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Located on the Flathead Reservation, the facility is in Lake County in Western Montana. Part of the tribes� mission is to �provide sound environmental stewardship to preserve, perpetuate, protect and enhance natural resources and ecosystems� and they have done so by renovating this renewable energy project on their reservation. In operation since 1984, the project was unable to repay principal on its outstanding debt, and paying interest only was still operating at a loss. It had reached the point that continued operations were not a feasible option, and incurring additional debt to refurbish the project in 2007 did not make financial sense based on expected costs and available revenue from the power sales.

�It became evident that unless we could find a way to increase revenue through REC sales, to service both the pre-existing debt and the refurbishment loan�the project would cease operations� said Steve Clairmont, General Manager of the S & K Holding Company, which manages the Boulder Hydro Project. After researching REC sales opportunities, S & K determined that incremental REC revenues would make the refurbishment economically feasible, and began the process to have the project certified by the Low Impact Hydro Institute so the project would be able to generate marketable RECs. The institute certifies �environmentally low impact hydropower facilities nationwide on behalf of �green� energy consumers�.


Wray School District Wind Turbine (back to top)


Watch the video, A Wray of Hope.


The Wray School District Wind Turbine was dedicated at a ceremony on Friday, February 15th, with honored guests including Colorado Governor Ritter, and hundreds of students, parents, teachers and community members from the Wray area.


NativeEnergy's commitment to fund this turbine enabled it to be built in 2008. The Wray School District is located in wind-swept eastern Colorado near the border of Nebraska and Kansas. The average wind speed at the site is estimated to be 18 mph, and the turbine is expected to produce about 2,700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy per year, enough to power about 270 homes.


"This project will be a self-sustaining model of energy production, income generation and innovative educational opportunity for the Wray School District RD-2 and rural Colorado."


- Ron Howard, Wray School District Superintendent


Faced with district spending of approximately $80,000 a year on electricity and declining student enrollment the Wray School District staff was challenged by its superintendent to "find new ways to create additional revenue streams for the district, emphasizing projects which would enhance the district's educational experience." Jay Clapper, the Vo-Ag instructor thought a wind turbine would be a perfect way to decrease spending and provide educational opportunities for students. After three years of effort, tapping funding sources from a $350,000 Energy Impact Grant down to individual pledges from local residents, the School District still found itself approximately 14% short on funding, and the project was at a standstill.

In the words of Ron Howard, "to attempt to cover this shortfall, the Wray School District began looking at the possibility of pre-selling the renewable energy credits (RECs) to a renewable energy company. Anticipating that most renewable energy companies would only purchase the RECs as they were generated over time, we were extremely pleased to find that NativeEnergy's practice is to purchase RECs on an up-front basis, and that they were very interested in purchasing the RECs from our turbine ... [R]ealizing that there was an end in sight we agreed to sell all renewable energy credits for the life of the wind turbine to NativeEnergy, with payment to be made upon commercial operations of the turbine. The funding made available by selling the RECs to NativeEnergy makes up substantially the amount we were in deficit." - Ron Howard, Wray School District Superintendent.


"Once I had NativeEnergy's contract in hand, that did it. I had what we needed and I called the manufacturer and placed the order."


- Ron Howard, Wray School District Superintendent


Wray School District Wind Turbine Project - Update 7/29/08


What happened with the Wray School District wind turbine?


We feel it is important to clarify two issues:


First, due to the unavoidable delay with this project, that NativeEnergy has not yet paid the Wray School District. The project was built in reliance on our commitment to do so, but we always withhold funding until the project is successfully operating, so we can keep our commitments to our clients that we will replace a project if it fails in development. On our web site and in our agreements, it is quite clear (http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/your_choices/35.php):


“We commit to these projects that if they proceed with development, when they achieve and demonstrate successful operations, we will purchase and pay up front for all the carbon or other offsets their project is conservatively estimated to generate over its operating life.”


Second, the delay certainly does not deprive our customers of the many benefits they are purchasing. Our agreement with the Wray School District is for 25 years from the date of commercial operations, so this unavoidable delay is simply postponing the start date of our agreement, but will not shorten it.


On schedule, we contacted the folks at the Wray School District in mid-July and requested they provide Q2-08 performance data* (and any Q1 data); this is a contractual obligation. At that time NativeEnergy was informed of the performance issues.


Dale Osborn, the president of Distributed Energy Systems, Inc. (www.disgenonline.com), a well-respected renewable energy project developer, was hired by the Wray School District to help them get their project built. Dale recommended this model turbine to the school, specifically because it is a direct drive system (no gearbox, the component that fails in wind turbines most often), which has performed very well throughout Europe.


“I have spoken at length with the original European developers of the electrical inverter technology and they have taken the appropriate action to correct this problem. The issue is a result of a licensed manufacturer in Canada producing an inverter that has not performed properly. The owners of the technology have stepped in to replace the inverter with one manufactured in Europe, which has been deployed extensively with no problems.”


– Dale Osborn


The CEO of Americas Wind Energy, Inc. (www.awewind.com) has provided the following estimated timeline for replacing the faulty power converter on the School’s wind turbine:


EXPECTED TIMELINE


for replacement of the faulty power converter and schedule for the Wray School wind turbine to be fully operational:


Tuesday, July 29, 2008 replacement power converter arrived at the Wray School


Thursday, July 31 technicians will begin disassembling malfunctioning power converter (typically 2-3 days)


Sunday, August 3 technicians scheduled to begin installing the new power converter (3-4 days)


Wednesday, August 6 power converter installation completed, check-out and certification begins


Friday, August 8 commissioning of turbine – engineers will complete the process, including testing and commissioning over 3-4 days


Tuesday, August 12 Wray School District wind turbine expected to be fully operational (power generation depends on available wind)


* If the Wray School District wind turbine had gone online according to schedule in the latter part of Q1-2008, there would not have been a significant amount of data.



Wray School District Wind Turbine Project – Update 7/25/07


Sometimes ordinary people who attempt to do extraordinary things encounter unforeseen challenges. The school district in the small, rural town of Wray, CO has faced a few challenges they could not predict in developing their renewable energy project. Their wind turbine, the first large-scale wind turbine in our nation to be owned and operated commercially by a school district, was scheduled to be online by now. But a malfunctioning power converter created unavoidable delays. Replacing this component was further complicated when the U.S. distributor of the Danish-made wind turbine recently changed ownership. The malfunctioning component is now being replaced, so the turbine should be fully operational in early August. The wind turbine will generate electricity, environmental benefits, and educational opportunities, as well as reduced energy costs for the Wray School District.


NativeEnergy’s unique forward stream model brings upfront financing to help new renewable energy projects like the Wray School District wind turbine get built. Once the project achieves commercial operation we purchase the offsets on behalf of our clients. The time period over which the offsets are generated commences after commercial operation is achieved, which, in the case of the Wray School District project will be after the component is replaced on its wind turbine.


This situation clearly demonstrates why new renewable energy projects like this project need upfront capital – including the financing provided by NativeEnergy’s community – to overcome challenges on their path to operation. It also demonstrates that well-designed and financed community-based projects can be successfully developed, and importantly, that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.


For more information about our methodology, detailed answers on commonly asked questions relating to carbon offsets, e.g., “How do you estimate how much CO2 pollution is reduced?”, “Are some carbon offsets better than others?”, and “What if my project breaks down?”, please visit our web site at: http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/faq_s/15.php. For our terms and conditions, please visit: http://www.nativeenergy.com/pages/terms_and_conditions/93.php

 



 

Brubaker Farms Family Dairy Farm Methane Project(back to top)

The Brubaker family farm, founded in Mt. Joy, PA in 1929, has a history of environmental stewardship in its farming efforts. The Brubaker family sponsors local events that promote environmental efforts at the farm, and also holds educational tours for local community members. In 2003, NativeEnergy began working with the Pennsylvania Biomass Working Group to help support the state's digester initiative. In 2004, we began discussions with the farm regarding funding support for their planned manure anaerobic digester project. The farm was awarded grant money from the State of Pennsylvania in 2005 and then funds from the US Department of Agriculture in 2007. Our discussions with the Brubakers continued, and after exploring other alternatives, the Brubakers selected NativeEnergy to purchase upfront the carbon emission reductions and RECs associated with the operation of the digester and generator. This additional funding from NativeEnergy allowed for the Brubaker family to successfully complete the project financing.

As Michael Brubaker explains, "We were fortunate to receive the two grants, however we were still concerned about the risk involved in the $367,000 remaining in the project. Our farm would be similar to many farms in that it is "land rich, cash poor". Factoring that amount of money into the cash flow drastically affected profitability. When we learned of the potential revenues from the REC and carbon credits, we felt it was the final piece of the puzzle that was needed to go ahead with the project. This final portion of the funding is exactly what was needed to insure a quicker payback and better rate of return without putting an excessive burden of debt on the rest of the farm."

The Brubaker family farm methane digester produces renewable energy, some of which is delivered to the local electric power grid. The digester also powers a portion of the farm's operations. Additionally, excess heat from the electric generator engine is used to heat the farm buildings, reducing the farm's fossil fuel use. Brubaker Farms is among the first to receive the Pennsylvania Environmental Agricultural Conservation Certification of Excellence. The farm received the National Environmental Stewardship Award in 1999 and a major livestock award in 2000.

The project is a good example of a working and successful farming operation that is a responsible steward of the environment, an active member of the local community, and able to co-exist in an area that is experiencing a growth in residential development.




Hillcrest Saylor Family Dairy Farm Methane Project (back to top)

Four generations of the Saylor family have developed the Hillcrest Saylor dairy in Rockwood, PA about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Richard Saylor and sons, Sam and Shawn, now operate the farm, started in 1910 when Sam's and Shawn's great grandfather milked five cows. The family currently milks 600 cows, farms more than 1500 acres and employs more than 20 people. The Saylors have worked closely with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture improving soil conservation practices and manure handling techniques. They provide annual educational tours to Boy Scout groups, school tours, teachers, elderly groups and other farmers. Their highest aspiration is to be a farm of the future, producing high quality food while also generating renewable energy from waste and employing environmentally friendly practices.

Shortly after the start-up of the farm's new high-efficiency milking facilities in 2002, Shawn Saylor began investigating use of an anaerobic digester to improve their manure management system and also control operating costs better for the dairy. In January 2003, NativeEnergy offered an upfront purchase of the RECs and other carbon offsets to help fund the project. With this proposal in-hand as a significant part of their required matching funds, the Saylor's were able to secure an Energy Harvest grant from the PA Department of Environmental protection. Shawn Saylor began his own digester design in late 2004, and construction started in 2006.

The Hillcrest Saylor anaerobic digester, now operating in its early commercialization stage, powers a 130 kW engine-generator, which provides power for all farm operations and helps to control energy costs. The Saylors will also be selling surplus generic electricity to their power provider. The digester is already greatly reducing manure odor and pathogens and creating a safer organic fertilizer to apply to their fields. The separated solids from the digested manure are so low in harmful bacteria that the Saylor's have improved animal health by using the solids for bedding material for the cows in place of purchasing wood shavings.


Wanner Family Dairy Farm Methane Project (back to top)

Seven generations of the Wanner family have developed the Wanner's Pride-N-Joy Farm located in Narvon, PA, in eastern Lancaster County. The farm was founded in 1840, and is operated today as a dairy by Alfred Wanner and his two sons, Matt and John, with 600 milking cows. Their goal is to keep the farm a viable economic unit for future generations. Based on the Wanner family's long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, a major component of their dairy expansion plans is to build a modern and efficient manure management system that will be both labor efficient and improve the environment.

In early 2006, the Wanners began to improve their manure management system by constructing increased manure storage capacity, manure solids separation, and an anaerobic digester. The proposed anaerobic digester, completed in the summer of 2007, produces approximately 2,000 kWh of electricity each day, more than 3 times the amount of electricity the farm currently uses. The Wanners sell surplus generic electricity to their power provider and turned to NativeEnergy to provide an upfront purchase of the RECs and other carbon offsets to help fund the project. Other benefits from the project include producing digested manure solids, which after composting can be sold to landscaping contractors. Digested manure liquids, which are essentially made odorless by the process, will be irrigated on nearby fields as natural fertilizer.





Farmer-Owned Distributed Wind Turbines (back to top)

NativeEnergy works closely with Next Generation Power Systems, Vinco, Pioneer International and other developers to support their sales and installations of farmer-owned and community based 40 kW and larger distributed wind turbines.


With up-front funding from NativeEnergy reducing turbine costs to an acceptable level, these turbines will help farmers reduce their long-term electricity costs, while helping stabilize the electricity grid with distributed, small scale power generation. NativeEnergy has helped build 20 turbines in the last year, the program is growing rapidly.


Successful projects include:

  • The Burkhalter Farm in Minnesota
  • Marty Espenson's farm in Minnesota (Pictured above)
  • Dean Harder's farm in Minnesota
  • Peter Samuelson's farm in Minnesota
  • Charles & Louise Worm's farm in Minnesota
  • Steve and Jane Tiedeman's farm in Minnesota
  • The Overgaard family farm in Minnesota
  • Neil and Tammy Bartel's farm in Minnesota
  • Dean Tofteland's farm in Minnesota
  • Barry and Tami Bork's farm in South Dakota
  • The Peterson family farm in Minnesota
  • Roddy Hanson's farm in Minnesota
  • Mark Hanson's farm in Minnesota
  • The Schroepfer farm in Minnesota
  • The Fredin farm in Minnesota
  • The Jacoby farm in Minnesota
  • The Williamson farm in Minnesota

Click here for farm images






Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine (back to top)

The Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine was built with NativeEnergy's financial support in the spring of 2003. The turbine is located near the town of Rosebud, on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in south-central South Dakota. Tribal officials see this first turbine as a start of an economic development initiative that will bring a vital industry to the reservation - a "show horse" with an educational mission. In addition to the support from our customers, the Rosebud single turbine project and plans for the wind farm were funded under a DOE grant and loan from the Rural Utility Service. Disgen, Inc. provided development services.

See construction and dedication photos.

"We appreciate NativeEnergy's help in getting this first turbine built, and we're excited about how their WindBuilderssm program engages people in the fight against global warming by helping to build new wind farms."

--William Kindle, (then) President,
Rosebud Sioux Tribe

The Alex Little Soldier wind turbine is a 750 kilowatt (kW) NEG Micon wind turbine. The turbine stands atop a 170 foot tubular tower and has three blades, spanning a diameter of 150 feet. The gearbox and generator are located at the top of the tower in an enclosure known as a "nacelle." Cables transmit electricity generated by the wind turbines to a transformer at the base of the tower, and then to the local electric distribution line. The wind turbine begins generating electricity when wind speeds exceed 8 mph. It reaches its maximum 750 kW rating at 31 mph, and will shut down when wind speeds exceed 55 mph. The average wind speed at the site is estimated to be 17.9 mph at a 155 feet above ground, and the turbine is expected to produce about 2,400,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity each year, enough to supply about 200 homes.

"The tremendous wind resources of the northern Great Plains have many Indian tribes looking at utility scale renewable energy generation as a "no-regrets" sustainable homeland economic development strategy, with a positive impact on CO2 emission reductions. And the Rosebud Wind Project is leading the way in bringing tribal utility scale wind power on line."

-- Pat Spears, President, Intertribal COUP.

According to Bob Gough, the attorney who represented the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in connection with the project's development, "NativeEnergy's funding was approximately 25% of the cost of the Rosebud turbine. NativeEnergy's promise of additional revenue for the renewable energy credits, to be paid up front to the project once it achieved commercial operation, was a valuable component of the overall project financing and helped make it possible for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe to make the final decision to move ahead. As the project approached completion, it became clear that the payment from NativeEnergy was critical to both the coverage of costs associated with this first turbine and the work that the Tribe began for the expansion of wind development on the Rosebud Reservation."


Owl Feather War Bonnet Wind Farm

NativeEnergy has been supporting the development of the Owl Feather War Bonnet Wind Farm on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation since completion of the Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine in 2003. The 30 MW project is currently in final negotiations with a local utility that is now interested in purchasing both the energy and the renewable energy credits (RECs) that the project can provide. Due to the utility�s interest in purchasing all the RECs from the 30 MW of capacity and the recent determination that additional interconnection capacity is not available, NativeEnergy is no longer offering RECs or related carbon offset sales from this project � at least until the final details of the utility arrangements are settled. These final details may continue the sale of a portion of the RECs to NativeEnergy. In accordance with our Terms and Conditions of Sale, we will arrange for a replacement source if our withdrawal is required for this project to succeed. Further, due to the slippage of the expected project start date into 2008, we will be replacing previously assigned sales from the Owl Feather War Bonnet Wind Farm that were made prior to April 1, 2007 � after which allowance was made in our Terms and Conditions for a delayed 2008 operations date. For more information, please click here. We are proud that our support has helped kept this project moving forward and we look forward to its completion.


Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation Demonstration Wind Turbine Project (back to top)

NativeEnergy's customers have helped build a new 60 kW single turbine of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation on their reservation in North Dakota. In anticipation of support from NativeEnergy, the MHA Turbine was constructed in September, 2005 and was fully commissioned in early October.

This single turbine project is the MHA Nation's first step in wind development, like the Alex Little Soldier Wind Turbine was for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Its purpose is to facilitate its development of a 10 MW wind farm as phase 2. This 10 MW wind farm will be one of eight 10 MW wind farms comprising the 80 MW Intertribal Council On Utility Policy distributed wind project. The MHA turbine is expected to produce about 144,593 kWh per year.


Toksook Bay Alaska Native Village Wind Turbines (back to top)

NativeEnergy's customers have helped fund a two-year operations and maintenance reserve for three Northwind 100 kW turbines built in the village of Toksook Bay, Alaska, which began operations in July, 2006. Owned and operated by the non-profit Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, these three turbines are expected to produce about 643,633 kilowatt-hours per year. Every kilowatt-hour they produce means one fewer kilowatt-hours is generated by the diesel generators that otherwise provide power for this village. To be competitive with the diesel generators, the turbines need to be able to produce power for 15 cents per kWh or less. As the turbines need to operate in extremely harsh conditions, and are only accessible by air, weather permitting, our funding of the operations and maintenance reserve is helping avoid the significant periods of "down time" that the Coop's prior projects had experienced due to inadequate O&M funding. As "first of their kind" projects in this region, the projects will set precedents for -- or against -- broader implementation. Our goal was to provide sufficient O&M funding to ensure that these projects demonstrate that wind power is economic in Alaska Native villages, and so worth replicating. Any of our funding that is not needed to cover O&M expenses will be used for additional wind development.


Kasigluk Alaska Native Village Wind Turbines (back to top)

NativeEnergy's customers have helped fund a two-year operations and maintenance (O&M) reserve for three Northwind 100 kW turbines built in the village of Kasigluk, Alaska, which began operations in July, 2006. Owned and operated by the non-profit Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, these three turbines are expected to produce about 595,595 kilowatt-hours per year. Every kilowatt-hour they produce means one fewer kilowatt-hours is generated by the diesel generators that otherwise provide power for this village. To be competitive with the diesel generators, the turbines need to be able to produce power for 15 cents per kWh or less. As the turbines need to operate in extremely harsh conditions, and are only accessible by air, weather permitting, our funding of the operations and maintenance reserve is helping avoid the significant periods of "down time" that the Coop's prior projects had experienced due to inadequate O&M funding. As "first of their kind" projects in this region, the projects will set precedents for -- or against -- broader implementation. Our goal was to provide sufficient O&M funding to ensure that these projects demonstrate that wind power is economic in Alaska Native villages, and so worth replicating. Any of our funding that is not needed to cover O&M expenses will be used for additional wind development.



Schrack Family Farm methane project (back to top)


This 12th-generation family farm project started operations in late August 2006 in Loganton, PA, thanks to consumer and business purchases of all of its lifetime renewable energy credits and CO2-equivalent methane emission reductions. Our customers purchases have helped build the Schrack digester by providing guaranteed funds with which Schrack was able to secure additional capital needed to make the project go.

The Schrack's family farm's anaerobic digester is capturing methane gas from cow manure, and is producing electricity with a 200 kW generator while recovering the waste heat to both heat the digester and reduce the use of oil-fired water heating required on the farm. The farm system will displace electricity on the grid, keeping more than 630 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution out of the air annually, and will also destroy methane that would otherwise have escaped from its manure storage lagoons equivalent to an additional 31,000 of CO2 out of the air over the next 20 years. That's like keeping 4000 SUV's off the road for a year.


Dovan Family Farm methane project (back to top)


The Van Gilder family in Berlin, PA also recently celebrated starting up their new anaerobic digester on the Dovan Farm, which is generating electricity using manure-based methane from their 450 cows and food waste from a nearby manufacturer. Both waste streams are being digested together in the system, helping to create significant biogas and avoiding the dumping of the food material into a landfill.

A major portion of the Dovan's farm's CO" the energy impacts in production of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's film about global warming and his book. Their 85 kW generator will supply all the farms needs, and surplus power is being purchased by their rural electric co-op. Over its 20-year lifetime, the Dovan digester will keep an estimated 7000 tons of CO2 from being emitted, and will prevent fugitive methane from manure storage equivalent to an estimated 22,000 tons of CO2 from the cow waste alone.


Penn England Family Dairy Farm Methane Project (back to top)

Following our success helping build manure digester projects on the Schrack and Dovan family farms, Fred and Cindy England ramped up a manure digester on their 700 cow family dairy farm in Williamsburg, PA, which powers a 160 kW generator and displaces onsite fossil fuel use and emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. All but 4 farm workers are related family members (pictured here). Penn England is a member of the Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, and is known for its environmental practices. The Englands have been involved in Pennsylvania dairy for over 100 years.


Essex Junction Municipal Biogas Generator (back to top)
NativeEnergy's customers helped build a renewable biogas generator constructed in the summer of 2003 at the Essex Junction Wastewater Treatment Facility in Vermont. This project captures methane gas and uses it to fuel two 30 kW electricity generating turbines. The methane is produced through the anaerobic digestion of municipal sewage sludge. Just over half of it had been being burned to provide necessary heat to the digesters, and the rest was simply burned away to avoid release of the methane into the atmosphere. Instead, the project now burns all this methane to generate approximately 350,000 kWh of electricity per year, which is used to power pumps, grinders and other process equipment. It also captures the heat produced when the methane is burned for the turbines, and uses it to heat the digester tanks, getting two benefits - electricity and heat - from the same methane. All the electricity the turbines generate would otherwise have been drawn from the grid. By producing this electricity, the project reduces the total amount of electricity generated for the grid, much of which would have been generated by burning fossil fuels.


Stonyfield Farm Solar Array (back to top)
In the summer of 2005, we helped build New Hampshire's largest solar array, a 50 kW system on the roof of our long-time partner Stonyfield Farm's manufacturing facilities. The system was developed and is owned and operated by Vermont-based Solar Works, and was financed primarily by Stonyfield Farm's purchase of the expected life-of-project REC output, and without state funding as is available for solar power installations in many Northeast states. Stonyfield Farm's visitor center is equipped with a real-time power monitoring computer and information describing how the system generates clean energy and fights global warming.

"This project is another step for us on our journey toward our dream of freeing Stonyfield Farm from the impacts and risks of fossil fuels." says Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm President and CE-Yo. "After witnessing the devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina, we are more motivated than ever to not only be free from fossil fuels but also committed to halting global warming. As business leaders we have to start taking steps toward energy independence for both our businesses- financial success and our nation's economic vitality and national security."