Navy signs solar energy deal

The U.S. Department of the Navy has announced an agreement for the development of a 210 megawatt (DC) solar project to supply electricity to Navy and Marine Corps facilities in California.  The Navy described the deal as the largest purchase of renewable energy by a federal entity to date.

Solar photovoltaic panels in Utah - much smaller project than the Navy project.

The Navy has expressed interest in renewable and alternative energy for some time, buying biofuels and renewable electricity.  According to the website for Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy - Energy, Joseph Bryan:

The Navy's energy strategy takes the "long view" necessary to keep our Navy and our nation strong. Bottom line: incorporating energy initiatives now will allow us to more effectively carry out our mission in the future.

In 2009, Congress mandated that 25 percent of the energy used in Department of Defense facilities come from renewable sources by 2025.  Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus then set an accelerated goal for his branch of the military: 1 gigawatt of renewable energy procurement by the end of 2015.  In the Navy's view, resources like solar power can help diversify its shore energy portfolio and provide long-term cost stability, which ultimately contributes to the Navy's overall energy security priorities.

In furtherance of this goal, last year the Western Area Power Administration issued a request for proposals for renewable energy projects to supply power to Navy facilities in California.  Through a competitive process, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power LLC was selected to develop the Mesquite 3 Solar project.  Sempra is a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy, a major energy services holding company. It has developed a variety of solar and wind energy generation projects, including the existing Mesquite 1 Solar project about 60 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona.

The Navy announced that it had signed the agreement on August 20, at a ceremony co-hosted by Western Area Power Administration and Sempra.  Under the Navy deal, Sempra will develop the Mesquite 3 project as an expansion of the existing Mesquite site.  Mesquite 3 will feature over 650,000 photovoltaic panels on ground-mounted, horizontal single-axis trackers.  Construction is scheduled to begin in August, with completion expected by the end of 2016.  While pricing terms have not been disclosed, the Navy reports that it will save at least $90 million over the life of the project.

Will other units of federal government follow the Navy's model in contracting for renewable energy in this manner?  How will solar project business structures change if federal entities start playing a larger role as buyers?

November 11, 2010 - Veterans Day, and US military energy

Happy Veterans Day.  In honor of the day, let's peek at what the US military is doing on one energy issue: preparing for changes in fuel availability.

[Photo: a reminder of summer, Monhegan Island, Maine.]

Did you know that this year, the US Navy successfully completed tests in Norfolk on a 49 foot-long riverine command boat powered by a 50/50 mix of diesel and algae-derived biodiesel?  In the wake of this spring's Joint Operating Environment report noting possible future scarcity of oil (as in "peak oil"), the military is predicting that it may need to have assets that can run on a variety of fuels.  This spring's report predicted the possibility that the the world's surplus oil production capacity might be sucked up within two years, resulting in a potential excess demand of nearly 10,000,000 barrels a day within the next five years.  In addition to ships, the Navy's interest in adding flexible fuel capacity has also led to biofuels and coal-derived synthetic fuels to power jet engines as well.

Military applications add a national security aspect onto the basic arguments in favor of biofuels as part of a fuel portfolio.  While initial algae-derived biofuels delivered to the military were relatively expensive (reportedly $424 per gallon), the price has already fallen significantly as production capacity responds to the increased demand.  Will the predictions in the Joint Operating Environment report come true?  If so, being able to run on a variety of more cost-effective fuels including biofuels may prove invaluable.