Generating power on site at the point of use reduces the cost, complexity, interdependencies, and inefficiencies associated with transmission and distribution of centrally-generated power. To ensure energy resilience and mission assurance, DoD has increasingly adopted on site, distributed-energy generation on its installations to provide reliability and flexibility and to increase integration of clean-energy sources.

The energy generated from distributed resources is not only used to meet load requirements. It can also provide benefits to the serving utility in times of peak demand or congestion in local distribution systems. When integrated with microgrids, distributed energy resources help installations maintain power to critical loads in the event of grid outages. ESTCP has demonstrated a variety of distributed energy generation technologies including renewable energy, waste heat recovery, combined heat and power, energy storage, and other distributed energy generation sources.