Lt. Gov. Murray calls for $1.5m energy initiative for all six Massachusetts military bases

  • Published
  • By PA3 Adam Stanton
  • U.S. Coast Guard First District Public Affairs
CAPE COD, Mass. --  To announce new energy initiatives on Massachusetts's military bases, Lt. Governor Timothy Murray visited the Massachusetts Military Reservation on Cape Cod, Mass., Jan. 17, 2013. The MMR is home to Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and is a full scale, joint-use base home to three other military commands: Army National Guard, Air National Guard and Air Force.

Murray spoke about a plan to increase energy efficiency on all of the state's six military bases including MMR, Westover Air Reserve Base, Barnes Air National Guard, Natick Soldier Systems Center, Fort Devens and Hanscom Air Force Base.

Following Lt. Governor Murray's funding announcement, Capt. David Throop, Commanding Officer of Air Station Cape Cod, lead the Governor on a tour of the new energy efficient Coast Guard hangar and its geo-thermal system. Geo-thermal systems use the earth as a heat source and cooling system for facilities. The tour continued with a visit to the future sites of solar and windmill projects, which have the potential to be the most productive energy projects in Massachusetts.

The announcement called for a $1.5 million co-funded initiative between state, local and military grants. The grant will fund all six military installations and will provide significant benefits to the environment, create new jobs and provide a haven to the public during emergencies.

Furthermore, the initiative will save a combined $3 million annually with 25 percent of those savings coming from energy created from the solar and windmill projects.
Over the course of these projects, an estimated 72,000 jobs will be created to build and maintain each system.

After completion, each military base will become self-sustainable locations in times of state emergencies. The local community will be able to take refuge in these energy efficient bases while communities get restored after natural disasters. For example, in a hurricane communities can relocate to local bases until power is restored.

"We have a federal responsibility, we have a state responsibility and we have a community responsibility," said Lt. Governor Murray. "If we pull back and drive this forward we will be like the rubber band of the nation leading more initiatives across the country."