{"id":14135,"date":"2015-08-26T18:29:46","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T22:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=14135"},"modified":"2015-08-26T18:39:08","modified_gmt":"2015-08-26T22:39:08","slug":"solar-power-for-military-bases-in-florida-gulf-power-a-southern-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2015\/08\/solar-power-for-military-bases-in-florida-gulf-power-a-southern-company.html","title":{"rendered":"Solar power for military bases in Florida: Gulf Power, a Southern Company"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nSouthern Company solar farms at military bases are not just\r\n\r\nfor Georgia<\/a> anymore;\r\nSO subsidiary Gulf Power is building more and bigger ones in Florida.\r\n

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nGulf Power,\r\nSolar Energy Farms<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\nGulf Power is partnering with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to build solar energy farms at three different facilities across Northwest Florida.\r\nThe projects could be in service as early as December 2016.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

“This is an important collaboration between Gulf Power, the Navy and the Air Force,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power president and CEO. “As military installations seek solutions to promote renewable energy generation, we have worked alongside our military customers to help provide cost-effective solutions — and all our customers will reap the benefit.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nHelioSage and Gulf Power, PRNewsWire, 22 January 2015,\r\n\r\nHelioSage & Gulf Power Announce 120 Megawatts of Solar in Florida:\r\nLandmark projects will span three sites through partnership with Navy and Air Force<\/a>,\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n

\r\nFollowing approval by the Florida Public Service Commission,\r\nHelioSage will develop, finance, and operate the solar projects. The\r\npower generated by the facilities will then be sold to Gulf Power\r\nunder a long-term Energy Purchase Agreement. Collectively, the solar\r\nfacilities will produce enough energy to power over 18,000 homes\r\neach year.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“HelioSage is honored and excited to be partnering with Gulf Power,\r\nthe Air Force, and the Navy on these landmark projects, which will\r\nbring renewable energy to Northwest Florida at rates competitive\r\nwith traditional energy sources,” said Chris Quarterman, Vice\r\nPresident of Strategy for HelioSage.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“These projects serve as another example that large-scale solar has\r\nbecome a cost-effective, proven technology, and one that will play a\r\nmajor role in the energy future of not only the Sunshine State, but\r\nthe nation. We congratulate Gulf Power and the Military for their\r\nleadership and vision, and look forward to working together on this\r\ncollaborative effort.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nAnd the Florida PSC didn’t take long.\r\nstuderi.org, 16 April 2015,\r\n\r\nRegulators approve Gulf Power solar plan<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\nThe Florida Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a plan\r\nthat would lead to Gulf Power Co. buying electricity from major new\r\nsolar facilities at Northwest Florida military bases….\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“We support this important partnership between Gulf Power and the\r\nU.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy that will play a major role in\r\nFlorida’s energy future,” Public Service Commission Chairman\r\nArt Graham said in a prepared statement Thursday.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“The solar facilities will diversify the utility’s power\r\nsupply and increase Florida’s emissions-free electricity\r\ngeneration.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nOK, where?\r\nBack to the press release:\r\n

\r\n

\r\nThe solar facilities will be constructed at Eglin Air Force Base in\r\nFort Walton Beach (30 MW), Holley Naval Outlying Landing Field in\r\nNavarre (40 MW), and Saufley Naval Outlying Landing Field in\r\nPensacola (50 MW). Construction is slated to begin early next year,\r\nwith the projects reaching commercial operation by the fourth\r\nquarter of 2016.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nAll the military solar projects in Georgia are 30 MW or smaller,\r\nso two of these Florida projects are larger.\r\n

\r\nThe base commanders like these projects because they help meet\r\nDoD requirements for renewable energy.\r\n

\r\nPensacola NewsJournal, 22 January 2015,\r\nGulf Power, military bringing large-scale solar power<\/a>,\r\n

Capt. Keith Hoskins, commanding officer of NAS Pensacola, said the project is part of the Secretary of the Navy’s Strategy for Renewable Energy and provides an opportunity to assist local and state industry partners in understanding the Department of the Navy’s overall strategy and commitment to renewable energy.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

“This project will provide a potential benefit to the U.S. Navy in providing energy security during outages to allow seamless operation of our critical assets,” Hoskins said.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

NAS Whiting Field’s commanding officer Capt. Todd A. Bahlau addressed the benefits of the solar projects.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

“NAS Whiting Field is excited to participate in the Secretary of the Navy’s plan to invest in renewable energy to diversify the Navy’s energy sources,” Bahlau said. “This is a win-win for everyone involved and another example of the tremendous partnerships between the military and the leaders of Northwest Florida.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n

The Air Force, also striving to meet new federal renewable energy and energy conservation goals, is excited to get the project started.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

“This project helps meet the DoD goal of 25 percent renewables by 2025 and the Air Force’s energy goal of 1 gigawatt of on-site capacity by 2016,” said Brig. Gen. David Harris, 96th Test Wing commander.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s strategic asset utilization division chief Dave Funk highlighted how the solar facilities will not only benefit the community, but will make good use of Air Force property.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“This project exemplifies how a regional utility provider like Gulf Power can effectively partner with the Air Force to achieve common renewable energy and asset-optimization objectives,” Funk said. “The proposed agreement is expected to optimize the value of 240 acres of non-excess Air Force real estate through the development and operation of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic facility, which will directly benefit Gulf Power, Eglin Air Force Base, and the local community.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nWin-win-win!\r\n

\r\nWith both\r\n\r\nGulf Power and Duke Energy Florida<\/a>\r\nbacking solar power in Florida,\r\nnot even FPL will be able to hold out for long.\r\n

\r\nThe sun is starting to rise on the Sunshine State.\r\n

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