The US Department of the Navy (DON), Western Area Power Administration (Western), and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power hosted a ceremony Aug. 20 at Naval Air Station North Island, California, commemorating an agreement to construct a 210 megawatt (MW) direct current solar facility to benefit 14 DON installations.
The agreement, signed last month, is the largest purchase of renewable energy ever made by a federal entity.
Adding solar power to naval installations will help diversify the DON’s shore energy portfolio and provide long-term cost stability.
At 210 MW, the solar facility will contribute 21 percent of the power needed to meet Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus’ goal of bringing one gigawatt of renewable energy into procurement by the end of 2015.
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Image: US Navy