General to Make Fort Bliss a Solar-Powered Army Post

Fort Bliss, the United States Army post located in New Mexico and Texas, will attain energy sufficiency in another five years before December 31 2015 if the new commanding general is allowed to have its way.

Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard, who took over the army post as commanding general, during his first meeting with the news reporters, said that he wanted the army post to produce more energy than what it consumes before December 31, 2015. He has announced his plans to venture in wind and solar energy as well as for a geothermal power plant on the McGregor Range. The general is looking forward to investing in energy efficiency projects and reinvest the money saved on energy costs in other projects at the military post and also wanted to generate more money by retailing the extra power to the grid. According to Pittard, the city of Texas concentrated more on wind energy and wanted it to concentrate on solar energy that is available copiously.

The general was previously posted in California, a state that leads the solar energy program with a good amount of incentives from the government that has made the companies to switch over to solar energy. Pittard wanted the government of Texas to extend such credits to the companies for increased renewal energy usage. He also explained the option of partnering with New Mexico, a state that is moving towards implementing more solar energy projects. The congress which is supporting the cause of Fort Bliss has allocated a total of $1.6 million for the budget year 2011. Most of the projects proposed under the scheme are in the embryonic stages.