Army beefing up resilience of Dugway Proving Ground with solar array

The U.S. Army is building a $7.7 million solar power array at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground, which will convert sunlight to provide electricity to the homes, buildings and test areas on the nearly 700,000-acre remote site.

The project, which began this summer, is the first step toward the Army's plan to make the facility more resilient so that the installation -- including its systems, organizations, workforce and residents -- can adapt to changing conditions while being environmentally friendly. 

"Energy security is vital for the Army mission at Dugway," Don Smith, Dugway's new garrison manager, said. "With aging infrastructure of the commercial power grid and frequent power outages, it's critical we look at alternate methods to ensure an uninterrupted power source. Solar power is an excellent way to achieve a degree of energy independence and protect the Army's mission."

The Dugway project is part of a wider Army goal for environmental sustainability in all its facilities. The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act requires that the Army consume 25 percent of electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2025.

"Energy security underwrites our unique ability to rapidly deploy, employ and sustain military forces around the globe," Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment, said. "It's for that reason the Army is moving toward building resilience into our installations."