Skip to main content

Electric Microgrid to Bring Fort Hunter Liggett to its Energy Resilience Goal

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. – Fort Hunter Liggett is conducting a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 27 at 10 a.m. to build a $21.6 million electrical microgrid, which will enable it to reach its goal of energy resiliency to critical facilities by 2022. This will make it the first Army installation capable of generating and distributing electricity off-grid for at least 14 days throughout the entire cantonment. It is an important first step in scaling this type of energy self-sufficiency throughout the Department of Defense. “Resiliency comes when you can disconnect from the grid and continue to operate mission and/or facilities in the absence of grid power,” said Jarrod Ross, Resource Efficiency Manager for Fort Hunter Liggett. “If we have a public safety power shutoff (to prevent electrical wires sparking wildfires) that’s going to validate why this whole thing is necessary to begin with.” A microgrid is a self-contained electrical distribution system capable of operating in the absence of the utility grid. New solar arrays will be added to the existing ones at the Equipment Concentration Site, and photovoltaics will be included for generation of electricity. Power will be stored in batteries so the electricity generated during the day can be distributed at night. Power will be delivered by medium voltage lines that were buried underground in the cantonment several years ago in anticipation of this resiliency project. It will all be governed by an automated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that can respond in 1/30th of a second to switch microgrid power on or off when needed. Once up and running, the system, designed and installed by Ameresco, Inc., will generate more electricity than FHL can consume over a 12 month period, said Ross. “The Army and DoD calls that Net Zero, so we will have achieved Net Zero,” he said. “During the day when the sun’s out, we will generate more electricity than we use, so we will export it onto the electrical grid.” Because it’s renewable energy, it’s not JUST a 14-day system, said Ross. “The sun makes electricity and we store it. We could go on ad infinitum as long as none of the systems fail.” The start of the microgrid project “is the culmination of more than a decade of projects, development and planning,” said Col. Charles Bell, FHL Garrison Commander. “The idea began here, and was not tasked to us from higher up. It shows how forward-thinking our team is to generate DoD-wide projects at the grassroots level. It is a huge win.” The event will be live-streamed on the FHL Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FortHunterLiggett. For the last 10 years, FHL has been working with partners such as Schweitzer Engineering Labs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Solutions, and others to get to this point. Ameresco, Inc. is a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. “Working with the team at Fort Hunter Liggett has been an immensely rewarding experience as the improvements implemented at their base set a precedent for future green resiliency enhancements at federal Army bases across the country,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president of Federal Solutions at Ameresco. “We’re eager to continue building on this success by utilizing the most current energy technologies available and creating a cleaner and sustainable future.” The installation is recognized as a leader in its energy, waste, and water resiliency and sustainability programs, and has won several Army awards. In the past decade, FHL has eliminated the need for fuel oil, reduced energy consumption intensity by 63 percent, severely reduced propane use, and has incorporated ground source heat pumps. This was accomplished by replacing inefficient boilers, furnaces, and lighting, replacing them with modern high-efficiency equipment. Media interested in covering event will: · Read/sign FHL PAO Form 2 to request post access found here: https://home.army.mil/liggett/application/files/8016/0219/6981/FHL_PAO_FORM_2_-_MEDIA_GROUNDRULES.pdf · Have media identification clearly visible at all times · Meet escort at the Visitor Center on May 27 at 9:15 am

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monterey County DA Releases Preliminary Information Concerning an Officer Involved Shooting Incident that Occurred Outside of Soledad on December 16

  SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni on December 19 released preliminary information concerning the officer involved shooting (OIS) which occurred at about 1:20 a.m. outside the city of Soledad on December 16, 2025. Just before 1:00 a.m., Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputy Carlos Pina, who has been a peace officer for 10 years all with MCSO, and Deputy Blain Councilman, each in separate patrol cars, were dispatched to 32097 McCoy Road. A resident at the farm labor camp reported a suspicious individual with a handgun whose white Honda 4 door sedan was parked in space 18 at the complex. Before parking there, the suspect drove around and around, stopped in front of the reporting party’s (RP’s) truck, and got out. The RP could hear music. Deputy Pina drove the lead patrol car and arrived just after 1:20 a.m. His dashcam video, which does not record sound but which he installed on his own and at his own expense, depicts the following: He drove down ...
Post a Comment
Read more

King City City Council Announces Selection of José Arreola as New City Manager

  January 7, 2025-Following an extensive recruitment process, José Arreola has been selected by the King City City Council to be its next City Manager. Arreola will replace Steve Adams, who is retiring after serving in the position for the past 10 years. Arreola was selected from 31 applicants and 8 finalists for the position. The King City City Council will formally consider the proposed city manager contract at its meeting on Tuesday night, January 13. Arreola's first day on the job is scheduled to be February 23.    José Arreola has a distinguished career of serving the community with a particular commitment to youth. He has worked for the City of Salinas for 12 years as their Community Safety Program Manager, Community Safety Administrator and Assistant to the City Manager. Among other responsibilities, Arreola has led several programs to eliminate gang violence which aligns well with the City of King’s efforts and priorities. Prior to that, Arreola worked as an Educa...
Post a Comment
Read more

King City CHP is searching for person of interest who fled the scene of a fatal crash in Greenfield

On Monday, September 16 at approximately 3:50 pm, a fatal traffic collision occurred on Metz Road south of Elm Avenue in Greenfield.  The driver who caused the collision fled on foot and is currently outstanding.  The California Highway Patrol King City Area is currently seeking the whereabouts of 31-year-old Agustin Santana-Moncada of King City who has been identified as a person of interest in the case.  The King City Area is requesting assistance from the public in locating Santana-Moncada.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the King City Area office at (831) 385-3216.
1 comment
Read more