Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN] OIL UTI ARO
[SU] EXE
TO ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND NATIONAL EDITORS:
U.S. Military Breaks New Ground with Largest Solar Installation
WASHINGTON, April 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S.
General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Army marked the
start of a major renewable energy project at Fort Huachuca, Arizona
that will be the Department of Defense's largest solar installation.
The 155-acre project leverages private financing and is expected to
exceed 18-megawatts of clean power and provide 25 percent of the
military base's power. Officials kicked off the project with a
groundbreaking ceremony at the base where construction is set to begin
in the next few days.
"These kinds of projects are vital to building a sustainable
infrastructure for our nation," said Ruth Cox, GSA Regional
Administrator. "It is important for the federal government to lead by
example in reducing our carbon footprint. This project serves as a
model for innovative partnering between the government and private
industry while also easing our impact on the environment."
Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations,
Energy and Environment added: "The Army is partnering with the private
sector for renewable energy in many ways. The Fort Huachuca project is
greater than the sum of all projects developed last year-quite an
accomplishment!"
"We're very proud to provide Fort Huachuca with a cost-effective solar
power resource that will contribute to the base's long-term energy
security," said David Hutchens, President and Chief Operating Officer
of Tucson Electric Power (TEP), Fort Huachuca's electric provider.
"This new, productive partnership will benefit our customers while
helping both the base and TEP make significant progress toward our
respective renewable energy goals," Hutchens said.
The project is a collaboration between GSA, the Army Energy
Initiatives Task Force, Fort Huachuca, TEP and its developer E.ON
Climate & Renewables. The deal was struck using a GSA areawide public
utility contract, which allows federal agencies to get the utility
services they need to serve the American people. Under the agreement,
TEP will fund, own, maintain and operate the project, and contract
with E.ON for the design, engineering, procurement and construction.
The new solar panels will ease stress on the local power grid. Beyond
providing Fort Huachuca electricity options, the project promotes the
U.S. Army's energy security objectives. The base will now have the
ability to "island" and run electric power completely off the grid
using its solar power source when needed.
Project details:
-- The PV solar panels will be installed on a 155-acre parcel of land
on Fort Huachuca.
-- The project will utilize the existing GSA areawide public utility
contract, and TEP will provide electric service at Arizona Corporation
Commission approved rates.
-- TEP will fund, own and operate the solar PV project and has
contracted with industry partner E.ON for the system's design,
engineering, procurement and construction management.
-- As the utility provider, TEP is uniquely positioned to streamline
the interconnection process through the TEP-owned Fort Huachuca
substation, thereby reducing interconnection costs and improving
system reliability.
-- Construction is set to begin immediately and the PV panels will
begin providing clean, renewable energy to the base this fall.
About the U.S. General Services Administration: The mission of U.S.
General Services Administration is to deliver the best value in real
estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the
American people. One of the agency's key priorities is making
government more sustainable and reducing energy use in federal
buildings.
About the U.S. Army's Energy Initiatives Task Force: The U.S. Army's
Energy Initiatives Task Force is instrumental in achieving the U.S.
Army's commitment to the President of deploying one gigawatt of
renewable energy by 2025. The task force is currently working
projects in New York and California, as well as projects in Alabama,
Hawaii, and Maryland. For additional information on the U.S. Army's
Energy Initiatives Task Force and Fort Huachuca, please visit
www.armyeitf.com and http://huachuca-www.army.mil/.
SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration
-0- 04/25/2014
/CONTACT: Dan Cruz (GSA), dan.cruz@gsa.gov; Traci Madison (GSA), traci.madison@gsa.gov, 202-441-0607
/Web Site: http://www.gsa.gov
CO: U.S. General Services Administration
ST: District of Columbia
IN: OIL UTI ARO
SU: EXE
PRN
-- DC13276 --
0000 04/25/2014 16:15:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
