Georgia Power recently executed a real estate outgrant with the Department of the Navy (DON) that authorizes the company to use land on the base for a new 31 MW AC, or 44 MW DC, solar generation facility at Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany. The agreement is a significant achievement for the project, which will further diversify the company’s energy portfolio and increase DON’s energy security.
“As work continues at the Submarine Base Kings Bay project near Savannah, we’re excited to move one step closer to starting construction on our second Department of the Navy project at MCLB Albany,” said Norrie McKenzie, vice president of Renewable Development for Georgia Power. “Our continued partnership with the Navy is helping us grow solar in Georgia while strengthening our state’s military bases and stimulating investment in Georgia communities.”
The outgrant provides Georgia Power with access to 150 acres of land at MCLB Albany for the development of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to deliver energy to the state’s electric grid. The company expects to bring the facility online in less than a year at or below the company’s avoided cost, the amount projected it would cost the company to generate comparable energy from other sources. The solar project at MCLB Albany is estimated to represent an approximate $75 million investment at the installation.
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“MCLB Albany has a strong commitment to energy security. Through our recent adoption of cutting-edge technologies, to include landfill gas-to-electric generators and ground source heat pumps, and our current effort to construct a biomass steam-fed electric generator, we are on track to achieve ‘net zero’ status well ahead of the Secretary of the Navy mandate,” said Marine Corps Col. James C. Carroll III, commanding officer, MCLB Albany. “This project with Georgia Power will add to the base’s energy security and diversify the area’s power supply, making the grid and all who rely on it more resilient.”
Renewable energy serving Georgia electric customers today includes solar, wind and biomass. Georgia Power’s innovative solar programs, such as the Advanced Solar Initiative and new solar projects at five Georgia military bases, have been developed in coordination with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) and are adding thousands of solar panels to the state’s energy landscape with all of the company’s renewable energy being procured at costs designed to prevent upward pressure on customer rates. In addition, as part of the 2016 Integrated Resource Plan recently filed with the Georgia PSC, the company has proposed an additional 525 megawatts of renewable generation and studies for potential new future wind generation in Georgia.
— Solar Builder magazine
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