NAT’L GUARD: INVENTING THE FUTURE W/SOLAR, WIND
Congresswoman Kaptur: “We literally are inventing the future…"
Wind, solar to help fuel 2 National Guard bases
Meghan Gilbert, July 24, 2007 (Toledo Blade)
WHO
Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing (Lt. Col. Bill Giezie) and the 200th Red Horse squadron (Maj. Michael Hrynciw); U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo); Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, University of Toledo (Robert Collins, interim co-director/ physics professor)
Camp Perry is at the edge of Lake Erie with lots of wind and sun.WHAT
The National Guard unit bases will receive $7.1 million in Department of Defense (DoD) funding to develop wind and solar energy sources.
WHEN
- Presently: 20% of 180th streetlights are solar-powered.
- Goal: Making the bases self-sufficient in 2 steps. (1)By the end of 2007: evaluate operational, safety, environmental, and energy requirements. (2) Spring/Summer 2008: Implementation.
WHERE
Northwest Ohio: near the Toledo Express Airport and at Camp Perry near Port Clinton
WHY
- Research and implementation assistance: Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, University of Toledo
- 180th -- solar energy to power base via ground-mounted 1-megawat photovoltaic (PV) array converting sunlight to electricity.
- Aiming for a 600-kilowatt wind installation (with solar back-up), Camp Perry will study winds off Lake Erie (monitoring, wetland evaluation, avian/bat risks).
- $5.1 million to the 180th, $2 million to the 200th.
Solar and wind energies will be riding the Red Horse into the New Energy era.QUOTES
- Kaptur: "Toledo can help America become energy-independent again…Our country is strategically vulnerable because we import two-thirds of the energy that we use, the petroleum we use. And we're getting it from the most dangerous and undemocratic places in the world…We literally are inventing the future…"
- Professor Collins: "Projects like this, if they can be done at low cost, they're demonstrations that show what can be done on all scales from the small homeowner to the large businesses in the area…"
- Major Hrynciw: "This is really a cutting edge project…We've done a lot of energy reduction, but now we will be producing energy."
posted by Herman K. Trabish @ 7:12 AM
2 Comments:
It is great to hear that a town like Toledo, who is constantly battling with job loss and car plant factory strikes, might be taking the first steps into developing a solar and wind powered industry in the community. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy ACEEE recently recommended that an alternative renewable energy source be passed by Congress, that would have the potential to add more than 355,000 new jobs and save consumer more than $49 Billion on their electric and gas bills by 2030.
I am working with a coalition to make sure the energy bill doesn't get derailed. We need your help in making sure that the final bill makes America stronger and more secure. Go to http://www.energybill2007.org and sign our petition. Tell Congress: don't back down.
Hi kwolph,
Your link seems to be broken - let's try this:
www.energybill2007.org
Y'all, please click through and sign the petition - and help kwolph (and the planet) out on this. This is the type of action we need!
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