This open access book provides an accessible, comprehensive introduction to military microgrids - explaining their design, purpose, and strategic importance - to educate allied defense professionals, guide engineers and decision‑makers, and strengthen energy resilience for critical missions.

This book reflects more than a decade of work by its authors and editors to strengthen the energy security, resilience, reliability, and efficiency of the United States Department of Defense. Its goals are to:

• support the education of students and professionals at US, Five Eyes, NATO, and other allied service academies and graduate institutions by introducing the fundamentals of military microgrids;
• serve as a practical reference for engineers and energy managers working on military installations;
• offer commanders and policy‑makers a clearer understanding of how electrical energy supports essential missions; and
• share knowledge about the relationship between military and civilian microgrids with the broader academic and practitioner communities.

This book is designed to be accessible to readers with only a general background in electricity, the military, acquisition and procurement, cybersecurity, or other fields relevant to microgrids. Prior coursework not required. The book provides additional reading for those who wish to explore these topics further. Although many resources examine microgrids in depth, this is the first text aimed specifically at making the subject approachable within a military context. Chapter 11 highlights several recent examples of military microgrids and the processes behind their development.

The authors hope this book encourages renewed attention to and investment in military microgrids as a means of enhancing energy resilience. Reliable, robust microgrids that continue to operate under stress can contribute to stability and help reduce the likelihood of conflict.

Dr. Douglas L. Van Bossuyt is an Associate Professor and Director of the Microgrid Innovations Research Center in the Systems Engineering Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). His focused research sits at the intersection of failure and risk analysis, conceptual system design, and resilient systems.

With over 100 peer-reviewed publications and several patents, Dr. Van Bossuyt's academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (with a minor in industrial engineering) and an M.S. in mechanical engineering, all from Oregon State University. His professional experience includes roles as an automation engineer, an assistant professor, and a probabilistic risk assessment engineer at NuScale Power. He has also held visiting scholar and intern positions at institutions including the University of Sydney, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Dr. Giovanna Oriti is a tenured Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). She received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Catania, Italy. Her expertise lies in the design, modeling, and control of power electronic converters.

Her career highlights include developing innovative power converter topologies at United Technology Research Center and launching her own consulting business focused on physics-based models for electromagnetic interference and control algorithms. She holds one U.S. Patent, with four pending, and has coauthored more than 90 papers. Her current research centers on electric ship systems, resilient military microgrids, energy management, and power quality.

Dr. Ronald E. Giachetti is a Professor in the Systems Engineering Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). His research and teaching focus on the design of enterprise systems, systems modeling, and system architecture. He is the author of a textbook on the Design of Enterprise Systems.

Prior to his current role, he was an Associate Professor at Florida International University. Dr. Giachetti’s academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Manufacturing Engineering from Polytechnic University, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Dr. William W. Anderson Jr. is the Microgrid and Energy Resilience Senior Subject Matter Expert for Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) in Ventura, CA, USA, where he is responsible for global energy security and microgrid solutions for U.S. Naval installations.

Before joining NAVFAC, Dr. Anderson had a distinguished career that included serving as a U.S. Naval Officer (Civil Engineer Corps), where he led SEABEEs supporting Special Forces. He also worked as a management consultant for Fortune 100 companies. His extensive education includes a Ph.D. in systems engineering from NPS, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley, an M.S. from the University of Southern California, an MBA from Claremont Graduate School, and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Virginia Military Institute.