by Shane Henson — August 30, 2013—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, an enterprise charged with ensuring the safety, security and reliability of the nation’s nuclear stockpile, will soon be home to the federal government’s largest wind farm.
Located on 1,500 acres east of the Pantex Plant, the wind farm will generate approximately 47 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually—more than 60 percent of the annual electricity used for Pantex, or enough electricity to power nearly 3,500 homes. The five-turbine, 11.5 megawatt project is expected to complete construction and start generating electricity in summer 2014.
For the Pantex Renewable Energy Project, Siemens USA will construct the wind farm under a performance-based contract that uses long-term energy savings to pay for the project costs, avoiding upfront costs to taxpayers. In 2011, President Obama challenged federal agencies to enter into $2 billion worth of performance-based contracts within two years. Federal agencies have since committed to a pipeline of nearly $2.3 billion from more than 300 reported projects, including the Pantex wind project.
“As the largest energy user in the country, the federal government has a tremendous opportunity to lead by example in taking actions to improve energy efficiency and increase renewable energy usage to save taxpayers dollars and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. “Responsible development of America’s wind energy resources is a critical part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, and the Pantex wind project furthers our commitment to lead by example and to advance a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.”
