Air Force, Navy enhance grid's energy resiliency Published Dec. 23, 2015 By Breanne Smith Air Force Civil Engineer Center JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The Departments of the Air Force and Navy marked the beginning of construction for three large, utility-scale, solar electric generating facilities in Florida during a joint-groundbreaking ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola Dec. 16. The projects, which are planned for NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field and Eglin Air Force Base, are a result of public/private-sector collaboration between the services and energy developer Gulf Power. "Industry is a powerful partner," said Randy Brown, Air Force Civil Engineer Center director. "Leveraging our assets against industry needs is a collaborative approach that's crucial to mission readiness." AFCEC is leasing the 240 acres of underutilized, non-excess land at Eglin using an Enhanced Use Lease. In return for use of the land, Gulf Power will complete a number of infrastructure upgrades for the base. The solar EUL project at Eglin is the installation's fifth revenue-generating lease executed by AFCEC. "We have brought in millions of dollars through the EUL program that have funded about 60 pay-in-kind projects around the installation that would not have occurred otherwise," said Glenn Wagner, a realty specialist at Eglin. To date, the Air Force has received $79.7 million from AFCEC's value-based real estate transactions and expects to earn an estimated $258 million throughout the life of each project, based on net present value. In addition to offsetting budget constraints, the EUL program has the potential to fill an emerging need as the Air Force intensifies its focus on improving energy assurance. "Resilient, cost-effective, cleaner power is more important than ever for the Air Force," said Miranda Ballentine, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy. "By ensuring the resiliency and adaptability of our energy resources, by developing flexible approaches to funding, by increasing our inclusivity through strategic partnerships, we can develop innovative solutions that provide mission assurance through energy assurance." While the in-kind return for Eglin's solar EUL includes infrastructure upgrades to enhance energy resiliency, such as replacing a substation switch and transformer, AFCEC's real estate team is further grooming the EUL program to serve as another platform to improve energy security for critical Air Force missions. "The needs of each installation are unique," Brown said. "By combining the expertise of our energy and real estate professionals, we can evaluate energy opportunities across the service and determine the best method to boost base resiliency through energy security."