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Neptune Receives Energy Department Contract for West Valley Project Support
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Neptune Receives Energy Department Contract for West Valley Project Support

Neptune and Company will perform a range of services in support of a Department of Energy project in West Valley, New York, under a five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.

The contractor is tasked to work on the Phase 2 decommissioning decision making effort for the West Valley Demonstration Project and the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, DOE said Thursday.

Under the potential $8 million IDIQ, Neptune will develop a model for probabilistic performance assessment and analyze proposed decommissioning alternatives to come up with a statistical decision. Task orders will be awarded as part of the contract.

DOE and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority provided funding for the award. They also both manage the contract, which was awarded by the department’s Office of Environmental Management.

Neptune offers decision analysis, radiological performance assessment, environmental modeling, statistics and risk assessment as well as quality assurance to nonprofits and public and private customers.

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State Secretary Antony Blinken Announces Members of Foreign Affairs Policy Board
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State Secretary Antony Blinken Announces Members of Foreign Affairs Policy Board

Antony Blinken, secretary of the State Department and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, has named new members of an advisory board that provides advice on U.S. foreign policy concerns.

Thomas Donilon, chairman of the BlackRock Investment Institute who served as national security adviser during the Obama administration, and Cecilia Muñoz, former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, will co-chair the Foreign Affairs Policy Board, the State Department said Friday.

Donilon and Muñoz will lead the advisory board in assessing pressing foreign policy issues such as climate change, global health, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, international economics and strategic competition with China.

Members of the Foreign Affairs Policy Board are:

  • David Autor, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Sameer Bhalotra, co-founder and CEO of ActZero
  • Hal Brands, professor of global affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
  • Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
  • Mitchell Daniels, Jr., president of Purdue University
  • Janine Davidson, president of Metropolitan State University of Denver
  • Cathy Feingold, director of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations’ International Department
  • Dr. Margaret Hamburg, chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative’s Bio Advisory Group
  • Jon Huntsman, vice chair of Ford Motor Company
  • Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab
  • Ambassador Kristie Kenney, adjunct professor at Georgetown University
  • Gilman Louie, CEO and co-founder of America’s Frontier Fund
  • Katherine Maher, former CEO and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation
  • James Manyika, senior vice president at Google
  • Meghan O’Sullivan, former deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan
  • Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston
  • Vincent Stewart, chief inclusion and innovation officer for Ankura and the founder and CEO of Stewart Global Solutions
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DOE Awards $58M in Funding to Advance Clean Energy Technology Development
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DOE Awards $58M in Funding to Advance Clean Energy Technology Development

The Department of Energy has selected 30 projects to receive funding worth a total of $57.9 million from the Advanced Manufacturing Office to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector and advance clean energy manufacturing practices across the industry.

DOE said Thursday the research projects, led by industry partners, universities and the national laboratories, will result in the development of technological innovations designed to support the Biden administration’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Decarbonizing American industry while expanding our capacity to manufacture clean energy technologies is the surest way to meet the nation’s climate and economic goals,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The research projects will focus on three main topics: manufacturing process innovation, advanced materials manufacturing and energy systems.

In a separate announcement, DOE said 10 projects were awarded a total of $25.8 million to develop next-generation manufacturing processes for reducing carbon emissions of energy-intensive industries.

Fourteen projects were selected for a $24.6 million funding grant to develop and produce materials designed to reduce the operating costs of wind turbines and extend the life of hydrogen components.

The remaining six research projects will create “innovative manufacturing processes for lithium-ion batteries to enhance safety and reduce cost and time-to-market” under a $7.5 million funding grant.

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KBR JV Receives From BP Exploration to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Azerbaijan; Jay Ibrahim Quoted
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KBR JV Receives From BP Exploration to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Azerbaijan; Jay Ibrahim Quoted

KBR announced on Monday that the company’s SOCAR-KBR joint venture has been awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract from BP Exploration to develop the Shah Deniz Alpha (SDA) platform in Azerbaijan.

“KBR has been working in the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey region since 1993, which gives us unrivaled expertise with on- and off-shore greenfield and brownfield assets,” said Jay Ibrahim, president of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. 

SOCAR-KBR will work to maximize local execution and significantly reduce SDA’s overall carbon footprint and increase operational efficiency to provide a robust, long-term, high-availability power supply. 

SOCAR-KBR will be responsible for the FEED services for decommissioning the existing five main power generators on the SDA platform. They will also create a power supply from the KBR-designed Shah Deniz Bravo platform. 

The workforce for the SOCAR-KBR team will feature 95 percent Azerbaijani engineers as well as specialist subject matter expert support provided from KBR’s London operations.

“Our SOCAR-KBR joint venture allows us to combine KBR’s proven tools, systems, procedures and project track record in the region with SOCAR’s operations knowledge and experience in the energy sector,” Jay Ibrahim added.

About KBR

We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 28,000 people performing diverse, complex and mission critical roles in 34 countries.

KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long- term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.

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Michael Baker International to Deliver F-35B Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at MCAS Cherry Point; John Alberghini Quoted
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Michael Baker International to Deliver F-35B Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at MCAS Cherry Point; John Alberghini Quoted

Michael Baker International announced on Monday that the global ladder in engineering, planning and consulting services has been selected to be a part of the design-team set to deliver a new F-35B aircraft maintenance hangar at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina.

“With the addition of this aircraft maintenance hangar to the installation, MCAS Cherry Point continues their progress in transitioning to the 5th generation capability F-35B Lightning II aircraft and securing U.S. air supremacy moving into the coming decades,” said John Alberghini, national market lead for the U.S. Navy at Michael Baker International.

Under the F-35 maintenance hangar project, where Michael Baker will serve as a subconsultant to Walsh Federal LLC, the work will include the design and construction of a two-story low-rise Type 1 maintenance hangar for the F-35B Lightning II aircraft. Michael Baker will provide design services through April 2023 and construction administration support through 2025.

The hangar’s special design and construction features will include aircraft maintenance workstations, hangar workstation kiosks, alarm systems, communication connections at aircraft parking locations, seismic construction, hazardous material storage areas, explosive material storage areas, sound attenuation and vaults.

“Michael Baker has a legacy of service to the U.S. federal government dating back to 1940 and our work on this project, in conjunction with our partners at Walsh Federal LLC, represents our latest effort in supporting the U.S. military’s stateside and global missions,” John Alberghini added.

The project will also include taxiway remarking and the renovation of existing aircraft parking aprons to provide electrical grounding, workstation kiosks and sunshades. 

About Michael Baker International 

Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services with practices that encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design, civil engineering, planning, architecture, environmental, construction and program management and design-build project delivery. 

For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner to commercial clients, all branches of the military and federal, state and municipal governments, providing comprehensive services and solutions. 

Marine Corps Posts RFI for Aviation Training System Support
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Marine Corps Posts RFI for Aviation Training System Support

The U.S. Marine Corps is seeking input from certified 8(a) small businesses on support services for aviation training systems needed by the Training & Education Command, Marine Air Ground Task Force, Training and Education Standards Division.

In a request for information notice posted on SAM.gov, USMC said the market research is for analytical, technical and operational support required during military aviation training operations.

The service branch is looking for potential sources of capabilities for tracking and analyzing operational and training data, using the Systems Approach to Training & Education, developing or revising Core Competency Resource Model products, coordinating operational and training requirements and leveraging web-based methods in support of Marine Aviation Training System Sites, among other needed capabilities.

Responses to the RFI are due July 13.

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Mitre’s Dave Powner, Mark Peters: FISMA Reform Should Align White House, Congress Cyber Policies
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Mitre’s Dave Powner, Mark Peters: FISMA Reform Should Align White House, Congress Cyber Policies

Dave Powner and Mark Peters, respectively an executive director and a cyber specialist at Mitre, said they believe Congress should align proposed legislation to reform the Federal Information Security Modernization Act with cybersecurity priorities and strategies from the White House.

“The top area where Congress and the administration need to align is zero-trust implementation,” Powner and Peters wrote in a joint guest piece for Nextgov published Friday.

They noted a codification of zero trust principles would drive a sustainable and consistent approach to cybersecurity across the federal government and urged lawmakers to simplify auditing, reporting and oversight of security practices at agencies.

Powner and Peters cited an October 2021 technical paper that suggested eight ways government could transform system implementation, maintenance and protection.

“As H.R. 6497 moves toward the floor, there are opportunities to incorporate these recommendations into the bill and to work for their inclusion into any negotiated conference bill.”

They added that cyber defense, supply chain risk management and threat-hunting efforts are key to improving the prevention and detection of security incidents in the government.

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Luci Holemans: FAA Shifts to Zero Trust, Evaluates Enterprise Cybersecurity Capabilities
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Luci Holemans: FAA Shifts to Zero Trust, Evaluates Enterprise Cybersecurity Capabilities

Luci Holemans, Air Traffic Organization cybersecurity group manager at the Federal Aviation Administration, said FAA is transitioning to a zero trust strategy that involves network monitoring and authentication and segmentation of resources and users to maintain safety and resiliency amid a rapidly evolving threat environment, Via Satellite reported Friday.

She noted that FAA is assessing several enterprise cyber capabilities to safeguard mission critical systems, including National Airspace System software security management, security enterprise asset management and managed enterprise security monitoring.

“Instead of having the different systems and programs take something that’s been developed and putting it into an operational environment, we’ve created an environment within the operational area that allows those systems and services to get those new pieces of software where it’s already been tested and checked for any kind of malware,” Holemans said of NAS software security management.

Holemans highlighted the need for cybersecurity requirements to be embedded early into the system; the importance of cyber collaboration between government, academia and industry; the need to accelerate acquisition processes to address cyberthreats; and FAA’s plans to ensure cybersecurity with unmanned aircraft systems.

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Chris Inglis Hosts Forum on Cybersecurity in Public Health Sector
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Chris Inglis Hosts Forum on Cybersecurity in Public Health Sector

National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, hosted a roundtable discussion on Wednesday with senior U.S. government officials, health care CEOs, and other executives to discuss the state of cybersecurity within the public health sector and health care industry.

Andrea Palm, deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, offered an update on HHS’ efforts to come up with an incident response plan specific to the sector, according to a readout of the forum published Thursday.

Nitin Natarajan, deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, provided information on CISA resources that could help leaders manage cybersecurity risks in health care and other critical infrastructure sectors.

Senior health care executives talked about the investments they have made to counter cyberthreats and shared their experiences in safeguarding their patients, systems and products from cyber vulnerabilities.

“We look forward to building on this discussion as we continue improving the cybersecurity of the healthcare sector through robust collaboration with our partners,” Inglis said in a tweet.

Officials from the White House National Security Council and executives representing organizations on the Health Sector Coordinating Council Cybersecurity Working Group Executive Committee also participated in the event.

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OMB, GSA Announce $100M in TMF Funding for Customer Experience Projects; Clare Martorana Quoted
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OMB, GSA Announce $100M in TMF Funding for Customer Experience Projects; Clare Martorana Quoted

The General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget announced that $100 million of the Technology Modernization Fund will go to projects aimed at improving customer experiences.

The funding is part of the $1 billion allocated to TMF through the American Rescue Plan Act, the White House said Thursday.

“Federal service delivery has not kept pace with the needs and expectations of the public. The American people deserve a Government that puts people at the center of everything it does,” said Clare Martorana, federal chief information officer and chair of the TMF Board.

“With this funding, we will deploy secure technology that reduces costs for agencies, eliminates burdens for the Federal workforce and those it serves, and powers services that meet the public’s expectations,” added Martorana, a 2022 Wash100 Award winner.

The TMF Board will prioritize projects that are backed by customer data and research; address security gaps; enhance the public’s ability to manage and access government services; cut across systems and agencies; have technology systems and teams that can design, prototype and field digital services and tools based on human-centered design; and have measurable goals to ensure that investments address gaps in equity and accessibility.

Federal agencies delivering public-facing services, benefits, programs and information can apply for TMF funding for an expedited consideration by Aug. 1 or on a rolling basis by the end of September.

To date, TMF has made investments valued at nearly $400 million in 12 projects.

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