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Jul 23, 2007: CONGRESSWOMAN KAPTUR DESIGNATES $7.1 MILLION TO SHOWCASE OUR LOCAL NATIONAL GUARD FACILITIES AS NATIONAL MODELS FOR ALTERNATIVE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY |
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Goal is Energy Security and Base Energy Independence
Representative
Kaptur announced she has secured $7.1 million from the U.S. Department
of Defense to make two area National Guard bases production sites for
renewable energy technologies with the goal of securing base energy
independence. Kaptur said she hopes the bases will serve as national
models as the first energy self-sufficient Guard bases in the country.
Congresswoman Kaptur made the announcement at the 180th Ohio Air
National Guard Base at Toledo Express Airport along with Guard
officials and representatives of the University of Toledo. Both the
180th Fighter Wing facility at Toledo Express and the 200th Red Horse
Squadron at Camp Perry near Port Clinton will serve as prototype sites
for base energy conversion, she said.
"Our nation's security and our homeland military base security
depend on energy independence from fossil fuel imports and, for our
bases, from the public utility grid as well," Kaptur said. "By first
focusing on the energy security of our military, we advance alternative
and renewable energy forward for our region's economic wellbeing and
for our nation's health and safety."
Kaptur has been spearheading defense energy independence as a member
of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. The demonstration
project at the 180th Fighter Wing will not only enhance facility
operations but also improve internal base security and promote cost
savings. Phase I involves technical evaluations of the site for
stationary power from photovoltaic sources. Phase II will implement
first phase recommendations to construct a photovoltaic-based system to
reduce use of and dependence on fossil fuel public utility sources, to
reduce base expenditures on electricity, and to reduce harmful
emissions. The federal financial commitment from Fiscal Years 2006 and
2007 is $5.1 million.
Federal support will also allow a demonstration project through the
200th Red Horse Squadron at Camp Perry with similar goals but exploring
a different alternative energy technology. Phase I of this effort will
evaluate operational, safety, environmental and energy requirements of
stationary wind power at the facility. After evaluation, Phase II will
implement a technical path forward of either a 600 kilowatt wind
turbine or a solar installation. The federal financial commitment from
FY 2006 and 2007 is $2.0 million.
Guard officials at both bases will work together with local public
and private sector entities to explore wind, solar, hydrogen fuel cells
and other alternative energy options, and to explore environmental
impacts, particularly of wind turbines. Chief among these partners is
the University of Toledo with its Photovoltaic Innovation and
Commercialization Wright Center and its Center for Photovoltaic
Electricity and Hydrogen, a Wright project.
Both projects anticipate developing expandable systems for follow-on
capability to produce hydrogen for fuel cells and power support
equipment such as low-speed vehicles and generators.
Since public funds are involved, Kaptur said cooperative agreements
with local governments are possible so that any excess energy produced
by these alternative means would be made available to supplement energy
distributed across the local grid.
Kaptur said she hopes the projects evolve beyond facilities
management to include fleet management as well. She noted that the
Defense Department purchases more energy than any other buyer in our
nation and operates one of the largest fleets of vehicles in the
government.
"The use of ethanol, biodiesel and hydrogen vehicles should
eventually be part of these demonstration projects to see how we can
convert vehicles and provide biofuels to displace the use of petroleum,
much of which is imported from unstable regions of the world. My goal
is to empower the Department of Defense as a leader in making the U.S.
energy independent," concluded the Congresswoman.
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