Solar Power

The U.S. Navy has solar power projects in numerous locations. Commander Navy Region Southwest photovoltaic systems collectively produce 700 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. Commander Navy Region Hawaii has a 309 kilowatt solar electric rooftop on Ford Island Building 54. This system is the largest federal photovoltaic array in Hawaii, covering 31,000 square feet and producing more than 400 megawatt hours per year.

Construction of several additional photovoltaic arrays is underway at Navy east coast bases using funding received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Wind Power

Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has four wind turbines with a combined capacity of 3.8 megawatts, producing enough electricity to supply about 25 percent of the peak power needed to operate the base. The project reduces the consumption of diesel fuel by 325,000 gallons per year, reduces air pollution by eliminating sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, and greenhouse gases, and saves taxpayers millions in annual energy costs. Additionally, the Navy has three wind turbines on San Clemente Island, California with a combined production capability of 675 kilowatts.

Geothermal Power

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, has a 270 megawatt geothermal plant. Delivering an average of 1.4 million megawatt hours of electricity annually to California’s electric grid, this plant is the largest renewable energy producer in the Department of Defense and the third largest geothermal electricity producer in the United States.