US Department Of Defense Plots Renewable Energy Takeover

WASHINGTON DC – The US Department of Defense has been an early adopter of solar power at its own facilities, especially out West where abundant space is available. Now the agency aims to deploy its buying power towards parts East.

Earlier this month the DOD hooked up with the General Services Administration in a scheme to draw more renewable energy resources from a wide swath of the US, covering 65 million people in 14 Atlantic and Midwest states along with the District of Columbia, all with the aim of transitioning its facilities to 100% carbon free electricity.

DOD Hearts Renewable Energy

CleanTechnica has spilled plenty of ink over the Pentagon’s eagerness to push the renewable energy envelope since the early years of the Obama administration. Some of the activity has centered on military facilities that have room for on-site solar arrays. Other solar technologies, including foundational photovoltaic research, rooftop solar installations, portable solar devices, and solar-enabled microgrids are also in the mix (see more of our military coverage here).

The US military has also had a hand in fostering the emerging wave energy field, including the establishment of a wave energy test bed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Oahu.

Wind power has been a bit more of a mixed bag for the US military, partly due to complications arising from air traffic and weaponry operations, including nuclear missile silos. These concerns can result in adjustments to plans for constructing offshore wind farms as well as onshore projects.

Nevertheless, back in 2013 the US Army Corps of Engineers included 17 wind power contracts in a $7 billion soup-to-nuts renewable energy procurement round.

The new procurement plan takes it up to a whole new level by covering the entire PJM grid region, which covers all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

The new GSA plan indicates that more wind power is on the way, considering the massive offshore wind buildup taking place along the Atlantic coast.

In addition to sourcing electricity for defense agencies, the plan also covers other federal agencies in the PJM region.