Wiktor Wise
Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas, is a military microgrid that has access to an Energy Storage System (ESS) from Princeton Power Systems. This system serves as a back-up energy source and provides support services such as Power Factor Correction and Area Frequency Regulation to the local electrical grid. Fort Bliss has also been working towards becoming a net zero energy installation by reducing its energy consumption and increasing its use of renewable energy sources. As a result, the U.S. Army approved the development of a solar farm in El Paso, which will be the largest renewable energy project in the U.S. military. This solar farm is expected to produce enough electricity to power 7,600 homes across the city.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | El Paso, Texas |
| Energy Source | Solar |
| Energy Provider | El Paso Electric |
| Energy Usage | 3 megawatts |
| Energy Goal | Net zero |
| Energy Project | 20-megawatt solar farm |
| Energy Project Cost | $46 million |
| Energy Project Contractor | Lockheed Martin |
| Energy Project Subcontractor | Princeton Power Systems |
| Energy Project Funding | Department of Defense |
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What You'll Learn
Fort Bliss's solar farm project
Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas, is the largest US Army installation by physical size, covering an area of about 1,700 square miles. In 2010, Fort Bliss announced a $120 million project to be completed by 2015, consisting of the largest solar farm within the US military.
The US Army approved the construction of a solar farm in El Paso, which will be the largest renewable energy project in the US military. Fort Bliss provided 200 acres of empty desert beyond the city's easternmost edge for the solar farm. El Paso Electric is building the $46 million solar farm, which is expected to be plugged into the grid by November 2016. The 20-megawatt solar farm will produce enough electricity to power 7,600 homes across the city.
The solar farm project is a significant step towards Fort Bliss's goal of becoming energy self-sufficient. The fort has been making efforts to reduce its net energy and water usage and waste. Solar panels have been popping up across Fort Bliss, with a large field of solar panels expected to double the existing solar capacity. The panels are located outside a building that provides medical care for wounded soldiers, and they are also installed on the rooftop of the Ft. Bliss Army installation.
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The US Army's Fort Bliss microgrid
Fort Bliss is a US Army installation located in El Paso, Texas, covering 1,700 square miles, making it the largest installation in the United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). In recent years, Fort Bliss has made significant efforts to reduce its energy consumption and increase its use of renewable energy sources. As part of this initiative, the Army base has turned to solar power as a logical choice, given its sunny location in El Paso.
The Fort Bliss microgrid is part of the US Army's broader Climate Strategy, which includes a pledge to implement a microgrid at each of its 130 bases worldwide by 2035. This strategy aims to decarbonize non-combat military operations and increase energy resiliency. The Army recognizes the complexity of this undertaking, with each installation presenting unique challenges and opportunities.
In addition to the microgrid, Fort Bliss has invested in solar panels and a solar farm to further its renewable energy goals. The solar farm, built by El Paso Electric, covers 200 acres of empty desert and generates enough electricity to power 7,600 homes. This project, costing $46 million, is expected to help Fort Bliss achieve its ambitious goal of energy self-sufficiency.
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Fort Bliss's energy self-sufficiency goals
Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas, has embarked on an ambitious journey towards energy self-sufficiency. The fort, which is the largest army installation by physical size in the United States, has set its sights on achieving "net zero" energy status. This entails significantly reducing its energy consumption and transitioning to renewable energy sources to generate as much energy as it consumes.
In line with this goal, Fort Bliss has embraced solar energy as a logical choice given its sunny location in El Paso. The fort has installed solar panels on rooftops and in large fields, with plans to expand its solar capacity. In 2012, a $1 million solar panel system was installed outside a medical building, and solar panels have been appearing across the fort since then. Fort Bliss also approved the development of a solar farm in partnership with El Paso Electric, which will be the largest renewable energy project in the U.S. military. This $46 million, 20-megawatt solar farm is expected to provide power for 7,600 homes across the city.
To further its self-sufficiency goals, Fort Bliss is also working to reduce its water usage and waste generation. The fort's net zero targets, however, do not currently account for military training operations, such as fuel used in tanks. Nevertheless, the base is committed to exploring sustainable solutions for these operations as well.
The challenges faced by Fort Bliss in its quest for energy self-sufficiency include the high upfront costs of renewable energy projects and managing increased energy demands due to a growing number of soldiers at the base. Despite these challenges, Fort Bliss remains dedicated to its environmental initiatives, with the understanding that reducing energy consumption in army equipment also brings tactical advantages, such as smaller loads for supply convoys.
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El Paso Electric's role in solar farm construction
Fort Bliss, located in Texas, is the second-largest installation in the US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). In 2010, the fort announced a $120 million project to be completed by 2015, consisting of the largest solar farm within the US military.
El Paso Electric is playing a significant role in the construction of this solar farm, which will be the largest renewable energy project in the US military. The company is building the $46 million solar farm on 200 acres of empty desert beyond El Paso's easternmost edge. The solar farm is expected to be plugged into the grid by November 2016, providing power across the city and producing enough electricity to power 7,600 homes.
El Paso Electric broke ground on the Felina solar farm in Fabens in April 2024. The 150-megawatt facility, named after the woman in Marty Robbins' famed 1959 Old West ballad "El Paso," will be the largest solar farm from which El Paso Electric receives power. The utility estimates the cost of developing this solar farm to be around $233 million.
El Paso Electric is also constructing a 10-megawatt community solar farm in San Elizario in far East El Paso County. The $23 million solar farm will allow the utility's customers to subscribe and receive solar energy. Once completed, an additional 5,000 customers will be able to subscribe to solar energy from the site.
The company is also developing four separate, large solar farms across the Borderland, with the region's first major solar farm coming online just outside Chaparral, New Mexico, in 2023. El Paso Electric's clean energy push is aimed at meeting surging demands and convincing businesses to come to El Paso.
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Fort Bliss's solar panels
Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas, has been working towards becoming a "net zero" energy installation by reducing its net energy and water usage and waste. As part of this initiative, Fort Bliss has been installing solar panels across the base. In 2012, solar panels were installed outside a building that provides medical care for wounded soldiers, with the $1 million system paid for by the Army. In 2012, it was also announced that solar panels would be installed on 4,700 military homes at Balfour Beatty-managed residential communities at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the adjacent White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This project, known as SolarStrong, is the first and largest phase of a 5-year plan to build over $1 billion in solar energy systems for up to 120,000 military homes across the United States.
In 2015, plans for a larger solar project at Fort Bliss were announced. El Paso Electric had proposed building a $46.7 million, 20-megawatt solar farm on 218 acres of land at Fort Bliss, which would have been the largest in El Paso County. This project was expected to be completed by November 2016. However, the plans were cancelled as El Paso Electric could not reach an agreement with the Army for the land needed for the project.
Despite this setback, Fort Bliss continued to pursue its goal of becoming energy self-sufficient. In 2024, Fort Bliss announced a $46 million solar farm project, which will be the largest renewable energy project in the U.S. military. This project is being built by El Paso Electric and is expected to produce enough electricity to power 7,600 homes.
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Frequently asked questions
El Paso Electric is responsible for building the solar farm that will provide electricity to Fort Bliss.
Fort Bliss is working towards becoming a "'net zero' energy installation" by cutting its net energy consumption. It is doing so by investing in solar energy.
The solar farm at Fort Bliss is a 20-megawatt solar project that covers 200 acres of land.
The U.S. Army approved the construction of the solar farm in El Paso.
The solar farm was expected to be completed and plugged into the grid by November 2016.
