NASM flips switch to solar farm

With a flip of a switch, Naval Air Station Meridian celebrated the completion of a 6-megawatt solar farm on base Sept. 10. The 38-acre farm consists of about 51,000 solar panels. The project is a partnership between the Navy, Tennessee Valley Authority, East Mississippi Electric Power Association (EMPA) and the Silicon Ranch, which will own and operate the project. The first two phases will supply power to the TVA. The third and largest phase will provide energy to Mississippi Power. NAS Meridian is EMEPA's biggest industrial customer. Capt. Brian Horstman, NASM commander, said the ranch will serve as a back-up energy source for the base, and allow the base to support the community by sending some of the energy produced to neighbors. Once functioning, it ranch could stabilize the local grid and supply energy to 15,000 homes regularly, he said. "Everybody wins out of this deal.” The operational, the solar facility will replace 80 percent of the capacity of NASM's electric system. (Source: Meridian Star 09/10/19) https://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/nas-meridian-flips-the-switch-on-solar-energy-farm/article_da25d929-6cf3-5027-961f-b76e79ace4de.html