U.S. Government Partners with Duke Energy to Expand Solar Energy at Military Bases

As part of its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the U.S. Government is accelerating its adoption of solar energy across military installations. In collaboration with Duke Energy, the Department of Defense (DoD) has finalized a partnership valued at approximately $248 million to establish two new solar facilities in South Carolina. These facilities will exclusively supply clean electricity to five military bases spanning North Carolina and South Carolina: Fort Liberty, USMC-Camp Lejeune, USMC-Cherry Point, USAF Seymour Johnson, and USAF Shaw.

Andrew Mayock, Federal Chief Sustainability Officer at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “DoD is leading by example on climate change in ways that will spur new clean electricity production, create good-paying jobs, increase our resilience to climate change, and enhance our national security.”

Duke Energy estimates that the two solar installations will collectively provide 135 MW of renewable energy and deliver approximately 4.8 million MW-hours over a 15-year period. According to DoD projections, these installations will satisfy 75% of their 2030 carbon-free energy requirements. For instance, Fort Liberty aims to reduce its electricity emissions by 27% compared to 2022, potentially achieving cost savings by 2040.

Scheduled to commence operations in 2026, the solar facilities will be developed, owned, and operated by energyRe, a subsidiary of Duke Energy.

Colonel Jennifer Neris of the Defense Logistics Agency highlighted the project’s alignment with Executive Order 14057 and the federal government’s clean energy objectives: “DLA Energy is committed to supporting the administration’s clean energy initiatives and helping the military services and whole-of-government partners achieve their climate change goals.”

Duke Energy currently manages over 5,100 MW of solar power in the Carolinas, enough to supply nearly 1 million homes annually. The utility underscores its commitment to a diversified energy portfolio that includes nuclear, hydro, and renewable sources, with more than half of its energy mix in North Carolina being carbon-free.

Looking ahead, the DoD reaffirmed its dedication to seeking additional partnerships with utility companies to advance President Biden’s carbon-free energy goals and foster a resilient and sustainable electricity supply chain by 2030.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment, Rachel Jacobson, emphasized the importance of these collaborations in enhancing energy resilience for military installations: “Our partnerships with utility companies are essential to delivering energy resilience for the Army, including the deployment of microgrids with carbon-free energy generation and storage.”

The ongoing collaboration with Duke Energy, Jacobson noted, strengthens the reliability of commercial grids in defense communities, ensuring consistent access to electricity critical for national defense efforts.