Federal Drive

Post-BRAC Walter Reed efforts face power issues

Vice Adm. John Mateczun, the commander of the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical joined the Federal Drive to discuss post-BRAc Walter Reed efforts...

Federal News Network Staff

September 12, 2011 10:58 am

1 min read

wfedstaff | June 4, 2015 10:58 am

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By Jack Moore
Federal News Radio

The deadline for BRAC — the Base Realignment and Closure plan — which saw thousands of defense personnel and facilities shifted around the region, officially ends Friday.

But one of the biggest shifts — transferring patients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a new, fully integrated Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. — won’t end Friday.

That’s because there are hundreds of millions of dollars planned for “post-BRAC” improvements to the center.

However, those plans, which are part of a master plan to create “world-class” facilities in Bethesda, could be stymied by an overtaxed electrical grid.

The Washington Examiner reported Aug. 29, that a power substation, shared by the facility and a National Institutes of Health building, had reached peak capacity, stalling ongoing improvement projects.

Vice Adm. John Mateczun, the commander of the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical, told Federal News Radio some reserve capacity remains to maintain ongoing operations, “but we cannot do any new projects in the future without expansion.”

Mateczun said expanding capacity at the substation, which is owned by Pepco, will cost about $5.4 million. The Examiner reported a much higher cost of $36.6 million to shore up the facility’s power supply.

Matczun said the current power infrastructure is sufficient for now.

“But as we expand the facilities’ infrastructure in the future, we will need more power,” he said. “Our electric bill’s going to go up.”