Apex and MP2 will provide 100% of Fort Hood’s electricity through a combination of renewable solar and wind energy, and traditional grid power.
Houston-based power company, MP2 Energy, has been chosen to partner with Apex Clean Energy to supply renewable energy and traditional electricity to Fort Hood, a 340-square-mile base outside of Killeen, Texas. The region currently serves 218,000 military and family.
The U.S. Army signed a power purchase agreement with Apex for a hybrid wind and solar energy project consisting of 65.8 MW of electricity from a combination of large-scale renewable energy solar and wind facilities. It will serve 40% of Fort Hood’s electricity needs and is expected to save the U.S. Army about $168 million in electricity costs over the course of the 28-year agreement.
Now Apex and MP2 will provide 100% of Fort Hood’s electricity through a combination of renewable solar and wind energy, and traditional grid power from ERCOT.
Apex engaged MP2 Energy to provide retail services and serve as the Quality Scheduling Entity (QSE) to deliver the aforementioned 65.8 MW of solar and wind power. The solar power will be produced by the Phantom Solar facility on site at Fort Hood, and the wind energy will be produced by the Cotton Plains Wind Energy Facility in Northwest Texas.
MP2 will provide the remaining 60% of electricity needed to power Fort Hood through traditional electricity from ERCOT.
“This is the largest military renewable energy project to date, and we are proud to be providing our men and women in uniform and their families with their electricity needs,” said Jeff Starcher, Chairman and CEO of MP2 Energy. “Even more, we’re thrilled at the financial impact this agreement has had, as this cost savings will allow military budgets to go further.”
MP2, in conjunction with Apex, will be involved on the wholesale and retail sides of the agreement, which helps bring Fort Hood more efficient pricing and better risk-management.
“This is a unique, hybrid project for the market, and few suppliers in ERCOT have the capabilities and certifications to deliver renewable power to Fort Hood,” said Mark Goodwin, President and COO of Apex. “We partnered with MP2 due to their unique ability to manage renewable energy assets for Apex and manage the risk around integrating it directly with Fort Hood’s retail electricity supply.”
The largest consumer of energy in the U.S. is the federal government, costing the U.S. Army $1.3 billion in 2015. The Army uses around 35% of the Department of Defense’s budget on powering facilities. “Finding efficiencies to reduce the cost of energy and make a positive environmental impact is key to our company mission,” says Starcher. “We are thrilled to be doing this for Fort Hood and the U.S. Army.”
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