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Solar Farm at Nellis AFB
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The US Air Force Academy is having a 3 megawatt solar farm built on its campus in Colorado Springs, CO to provide solar electricity to the educational complex. Currently, all of the academy’s electricity comes from external sources.

USAFA’s 10th Contracting Squadron awarded a $18.3 million contract (FA700-09-F-0023) to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to provide renewable photovoltaic solar electrical energy through construction of the solar farm.

The CSU sent an interoffice memorandum to the Colorado Springs mayor and city council about talks it was having with the USAFA concerning the solar farm…

In the July 01/09 memorandum, CSU said it had been holding talks with the USAFA about the scope and objectives of the project. The utility explained the reasons for the USAFA’s decision to build the solar farm:

“The USAFA currently receives all electrical energy used from off-base electric generation sites. The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA Act 2005), federal Executive Order 13423 (EO 13423), and the federal Energy Independence and Security Act 2007 (EISA 07) require military installations to use increasing amounts of renewable electrical energy and also require that the source of that renewable energy be located on the military installation. In order to meet these legislative directives and policies, the USAFA desires to partner with CSU in developing a best business case for the generation and purchase of on-base renewable electrical energy. Through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the USAFA has available $18.3 million in funding to contract for solar electric service through a solar electric generating facility constructed by CSU (or its designee) on USAFA land.”