Mick Wasco is the utilities and energy management director at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. He is responsible for the installation’s energy and water efficiency, renewable, behavior, and resilience programs. At MCAS Miramar, the assets managed include over 1.7 MW of distributed PV systems, a 3.2 MW PPA for landfill power, central HVAC control system, advanced metering infrastructure, a base wide reclaimed water utility system, and smart irrigation controllers. The installation has recently commissioned an installation-wide microgrid system and proven capability to island the base as well as support the local community during recent rolling blackouts in California. Funded and in design is a large-scale energy storage system and enhanced load shed capability for demand response for complete flexibility and energy resilience at MCAS Miramar. This program has amounted to over $65 million in projects over the last eight years, and operates at an annual utility budget of $14 million per year. Mick has a BS in structural engineering from the University of California, San Diego. He is a licensed professional engineer in California for Civil, a Certified Energy Manager by the Association of Energy Engineers, and a certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute. In 2016, he received the Federal Engineer of the Year Agency Award for the United States Marine Corps from the National Society of Professional Engineers. He also received the award for Energy Manager of the Year in Region V from the Association of Energy Engineers. In 2020, he received Civilian of the Year for MCAS Miramar and received a Meritorious Civilian Service Award for accomplishments and devotion to duty.
