Military, Gulf Power Partner On Solar Power Project

December 17, 2015

Beginning a unique new relationship between the Navy, Air Force and Gulf Power, a ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday at Naval Air Station Pensacola, marking the start of construction for three large-scale solar electric generating facilities.

Combined, these facilities will have approximately 1.5 million solar panels that could generate or 120 megawatts — enough to power about 18,000 homes on a sunny day. The endeavor will be one of  the largest solar energy projects east of the Mississippi River.

Gulf Power and its third party developer Coronal Development Services will construct three  facilities — one at NAS Pensacola, one at NAS Whiting Field and one at Eglin Air Force Base. On April 16 the Florida Public Service Commission, approved of all three project plans.

The Navy and the Air Force recently signed land lease agreements with Gulf Power. The energy farms will be constructed at Navy Outlying Landing Field Saufley near NAS  Pensacola (50 MW), Navy Outlying Landing Field Holley near NAS Whiting Field (40 MW),  and at Eglin Air Force Base near Fort Walton Beach (30 MW).

“Together, we can provide physical security to the assets, increase the regional grid resiliency and upgrade the energy infrastructure where our Sailors and aviators live and work, as well as  stimulate economic activity through development. Energy, the economy, the environment and our national security are bound together; you cannot affect one without affecting the others, and these projects have positive benefits in all four dimensions,” said Dennis V. McGinn, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment.

According to Gulf Power President and CEO Stan Connally, these solar projects help Gulf Power to further diversify its energy portfolio and support the mission to provide safe, affordable and reliable energy to its Northwest Florida customers.

“This is an important collaboration between Gulf Power, the Navy and Air Force,” said Connally. “Through careful planning, we¹ve been able to work alongside our military partners to help support solutions for them to meet federal renewable energy and energy conservation mandates, while Gulf Power pursues cost-effective forms of renewable energy at the same time.”

The parties anticipate these solar facilities to be operational by December 2016 and serve all  Gulf Power customers. The 50 megawatt facility at Saufley Fied will power about 7,400 Escambia County homes.

Pictured top: ilitary, government and industry officials break gournd for Florida’s largest solar energy project Wednesday aboard NAS Pensacola.  U.S. Navy photo by Ens. Anthony Junco. Pictured inset: Solar panels. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

6 Responses to “Military, Gulf Power Partner On Solar Power Project”

  1. David Huie Green on December 18th, 2015 7:27 am

    Nuclear. Liquid metal breeder reactors with Pyrometalurgical Reprocessing. Unaffected by wind, night, hail, vandalism. No hydrogen bubble if shut down. Uses up all transuranics. Thousand year supply already on hand. No mining fatalities or accidents with no mining. No buying from nations who sponsor terrorists. No plutonium separation.

  2. old man on December 17th, 2015 12:06 pm

    well would you rather have solar or nucler power i perfer solar either way the customer will pay for it

  3. bobinbusan on December 17th, 2015 9:31 am

    Beginning a unique new relationship between the Navy, Air Force and Gulf Power, a ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday at Naval Air Station Pensacola, marking the start of construction for three large-scale solar electric generating facilities.
    Sounds like we’ll be getting the shaft on this power by our power bill going up, now that’s solar without a shaft

  4. Oversight on December 17th, 2015 8:08 am

    You notice that the article is completely void of any costs projections in what you, the customer, will have to pay in ever increasing utility fees to support this boondoggle. Just last week in an article Gulf Power and the other big power companies are buying a ballot imitative. Isn’t this what the election ballot initiative is about – wanting approval to charge electrical customers more to “upgrade” the electrical system? The problem is that the general public, the sheep, will fall for this hook, line, and sinker, will vote for, and soon higher cost will be here. Stand by like “c.w” wrote… “good old gulf power is fixing to shock it to us again.”

  5. c.w. on December 17th, 2015 3:38 am

    Be ready folks, good old gulf power is fixing to shock it to us again.

  6. Jane on December 17th, 2015 3:03 am

    Here is a question for them: what happens when a hurricane comes on land? Are these solar panels going to be damaged or fly around causing damage? Just curious….

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News