The U.S. government just made its largest renewable energy purchase to date.The U.S. Navy has invested an undisclosed amount in the Mesquite solar farm in sun-rich Arizona, allowing for an expansion of the facility that is anticipated to make it the world’s largest solar farm.
As the Climate News Network’s Paul Brown reports, the farm — located about 40 miles west of Phoenix — will provide 210 megawatts of direct power, a third of the energy needed to power 14 Navy and Marine Corps sites. The solar farm, slated to go online next year, is expected to save the Navy “at least” $90 million in energy costs over the course of the 25-year contract with Sempra U.S. Gas and Power, which operates it.
The Mesquite facility, which completed its first phase of buildout in late 2012, has a potential capacity of 700 megawatts, which would power up to 260,000 homes. It requires no water to operate and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, according to Sempra.
The investment marks a big step toward the Department of Defense’s Congress-mandated goal to either produce or procure 25 percent of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2025, the Navy announcement noted.
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