Duke Energy wins contract to install floating solar facility at Fort Bragg
Duke Energy has been awarded a contract to develop the largest floating solar plant in the Southeast at the Fort Bragg army base in North Carolina.
The $36 million Utility Energy Service Contract (UESC) is for a 1.1-megawatt (MW) floating solar installation, paired with a 2-MW battery energy storage system. The system will supplement power to Fort Bragg from the local grid and provide backup power during outages.
“As a leader in solar energy, we’re excited to bring this unique project to Fort Bragg,” Melisa Johns, vice president, Distributed Energy Solutions at Duke Energy, said. “This project takes a comprehensive look at the way energy is being used at Fort Bragg and will lead to more efficient energy use and significant cost savings.”
The floating solar PV system will be built on the Big Muddy Lake located at Camp Mackall by Ameresco, Duke Energy’s prime contractor. Construction is expected to start in November. Fort Bragg will own and operate the system once construction is completed.
“We approached Duke Energy with the idea of a floating solar array unsure of how they would respond to the innovative concept,” Audrey Oxendine, Fort Bragg Energy and Utilities Branch Chief, said. “However, Duke Energy was excited to take on the challenge and work with us to make an idea into reality.”
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers estimate that installing floating solar photovoltaics on the more than 24,000 man-made U.S. reservoirs could generate about 10 percent of the nation’s annual electricity production. Currently, floating solar accounts for about one to two percent of the world’s solar capacity, about 90 percent of which is in Asia.
North Carolina is second in the nation for overall solar power capacity. Duke Energy owns and operates 40 solar facilities in North Carolina, including a 13-MW facility at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Onslow County.
Fort Bragg has the largest population of any military installation in the Department of Defense, with more than 50,000 active-duty personnel. It is the headquarters for both the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). The post is also home to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the XVIII Airborne Corps, and the headquarters of U.S. Army Reserve Command, and the 82nd Airborne Division.
