San Diego Navy Office goes to Sweden for wind power

BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA - The Marines are erecting the first large-scale wind turbine at its logistics base in Barstow, said the San Diego-based Navy unit that oversees design and construction of public works projects.

The purchase of the wind turbine from a Swedish manufacturer will allow Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow to generate an average of 3,000 megawatt hours of power each year for the base, complementing existing electric power, and translates to saving about $500,000 a year, said Monica Hernandez, contract specialist for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, the NavyÂ’s construction and real estate manager based in San Diego.

The Navy sought a wind generation system for the base starting in January 2006, but couldnÂ’t find a U.S. company to provide a system that met its specs, leading to the $4.5 million contract with the Swedish firm. The contract required a special waiver before it was signed in November, according to the command.

The Navy has installed solar panels at some of its bases, including Coronado and Point Loma, but this wind turbine is the first of its kind, said Navy spokesman Lee Saunders.

Rosemead-based Southern California Edison is providing design and construction services to the project, which is scheduled to be completed in November.