Georgia Power has begun construction of a 30 MW solar project at the Naval Submarine Base (SUBASE) Kings Bay near St. Marys, Georgia.
The SUBASE Kings Bay project is expected to occupy 258 acres on the base and utilize approximately 136,000 ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels to deliver energy to the state’s electric grid. The facility is expected to come online by the end of 2016 and to be brought online at or below the company’s avoided cost, the amount projected it would cost the company to generate comparable energy from other sources. The solar project at SUBASE Kings Bay is estimated to represent a $75 million investment at the installation.
The is the fourth large-scale solar project with the military started by Georgia Power this year, joining three other 30 MW facilities currently under construction at US Army bases Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Benning.
Georgia Power is also working with the Department of the Navy (DON) to finalize details for a potential fifth solar project at the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany. In total, Georgia Power’s on-base solar projects are expected to add more than 150 MW of solar generation by the end of 2016.
In August, the DON announced the largest renewable energy purchase by a federal entity. The Mesquite 3 solar facility, which is being built by Sempra US Gas & Power, is located in Arizona and will have a maximum capacity of 210 MW direct current.
