Military Jumps On Global Warming BandwagonPosted: 2014-04-23 Military's largest U.S. solar installation will be in Arizona
Ryan Randazzo, The Republic | azcentral.com7:24 p.m. MST April 21, 2014
The Department of Defense will break ground Friday on a solar power plant at Fort Huachuca that will be the largest installation on a U.S. military base, demonstrating the military's increasing reliance on alternative energy.
The 18-megawatt plant being built by E.ON power will be owned and maintained by Tucson Electric Power, which has a state requirement to get 15 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025.
The Defense Department and individual branches of the military also face myriad requirements to use alternative energy, which increasingly is viewed as a matter of security.
"The project goes beyond the megawatts produced," said Maj. Gen. Robert Ashley, Fort Huachuca commanding general. "It reflects our continued commitment to southern Arizona and energy security. The project will provide reliable access to electricity for daily operations and missions moving forward."
It is a joint effort between the U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Task Force, Fort Huachuca, The General Services Administration, TEP and E.ON.
"Army chose this route in this instance because it provides a way to procure renewable energy at the price of conventional energy," said Kyle Smith, an attorney with the Army Legal Services Agency, in a letter to state regulators regarding the project.
The solar panels will cover about 68 acres and are expected to generate about one-fourth of the electricity used by the base in a year. Their peak output of 18 megawatts will be just shy of the peak demand at the base of 23 megawatts, according to project details.
The installation is an example of the Defense Department's increasing reliance on alternative energy. The Defense Department is the largest single user of energy in the country.
The day before the groundbreaking at Fort Huachuca, US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus will speak at Arizona State University on the importance of the global presence of the Navy and Marine Corps in maintaining and promoting energy security.
In 2009, Mabus set energy goals for the Navy and Marines to use to develop alternative energy sources and conservation techniques to strengthen their combat capabilities. That has led to increased use of biofuel blends in ships and aircraft and solar power deployed in Afghanistan, as well as solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative energy development at bases.
The same day Mabus gives his talk at ASU, retired Lt. Gen. Dirk Jameson of the U.S. Air Force will give a presentation at the University of Arizona on national security and climate change.
His presentation will address the Defense Department's investments in renewable energy, including a large solar array at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/2014/04/21/militarys-largest-us-solar-installation-will-be-in-arizona/7970605/
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