DVIDS – News – Energy Revolution: DOD Partners with East Coast Utility Company for Carbon-Free Energy in the Carolinas

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – In a ceremony held at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, on June 18, 2024, Duke Energy Progress LLC unveiled a first-of-its-kind agreement that will provide 4.8 million megawatt hours of carbon-free energy to the five largest military facilities in the region by 2041

In a landmark announcement, officials revealed a groundbreaking agreement between the Department of Defense and an East Coast utility company. The goal of this partnership is to usher in a new era of sustainable energy practices by providing carbon pollution-free energy to military installations in North and South Carolina.

“This is a significant step forward,” said Brendan Owens, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment and director of the Department of Sustainability. “By supporting the construction of new, clean, renewable energy, we increase our resiliency to support the warfighter and the mission of the Department of Defense.”

 
The decision to switch to carbon-free energy sources is a key moment in the fight against climate change. By reducing carbon emissions, these installations in the Carolinas are contributing to a cleaner environment and setting a precedent for sustainable energy practices.

“No matter what happens to the network externally, whether it’s climate change or whether it’s an adversary, we can still operate because Fort Liberty will be ground zero for any response in the event of a national security threat,” said Paul Farnana , principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy, and the environment.

In partnership with the Department of Defense, the East Coast utility will provide a number of benefits to installations in North and South Carolina. These benefits include significantly reducing your carbon footprint, improving air quality and long-term savings.

“We are living in a time of record: record heat, record drought, record flood,” said Andrew Mayock, who leads the White House climate action as federal sustainability director. “We have to be resistant to all these provisions.”

Using carbon-free energy, military installations in the Carolinas are taking a proactive stance toward environmental protection and sustainability. This shift towards cleaner energy sources underscores the commitment to preserving the region’s natural beauty for future generations.

The announcement of the new partnership took place near the 1.1-megawatt floating solar system at Fort Liberty on Big Muddy Lake. It was the first facility of its kind for DOD, built in 2022. Combined with a 2-megawatt battery energy storage system, the floating solar array provides emission-free power to the local grid and backup power to Camp Mackall during power outages while protecting valuable land area for military training.

“Instead of taking up eight to nine acres of training land, it only took two acres of water, which now floats in the water, which keeps it cool and gives us some efficiency in terms of energy return, which is fantastic, and it also provides a haven for the fish,” he said Col. John Wilcox, commander of the Fort Liberty garrison.

The partnership impacts military installations and impacts communities throughout the Carolinas. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of collective action in tackling climate change and supporting a more sustainable future for all.

“When President Biden challenged the federal government on zero-emission electricity production, we knew the Department of Defense would be ground zero in many cases,” Owens said. “DOD is the largest energy consumer in the federal government and one of the largest energy consumers in the world. So we knew we had to step up.”