US Army Buys 65 MW of Wind, Solar for Fort Hood

The US Army has signed a contract for its biggest renewable-energy project yet, picking Apex Clean Energy Inc. to provide 65 MW of solar and wind energy at Fort Hood in Texas.

The Defense Logistics Agency signed a 30-year contract with Charlottesville, Va. based Apex for 15 MW of solar and 50 MW of wind, the company said in a statement. The Army will pay closely held Apex as much as $497.4 million over the life of the deal, about $168 million less than what it would pay for power from the traditional electricity grid. The solar plant will be built at Fort Hood, located about 60 miles north of Austin.

The wind farm will be built off-site in Floyd County, Texas. The agency expects 28 years of energy production from the farms, starting next year. The Army has as much as 600 MW of contracted renewable-energy projects in its portfolio. It also has 22 MW of rooftop solar and another 40 under development.

Source: www.renewableenergyworld.com