MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Marine Corps Air Station Miramar is currently preparing to be powered 51 percent by renewable energy generated at the Miramar Landfill.
Powering the air station with renewable energy will benefit both the installation and San Diego by cutting back on the consumption of fossil fuels.
It will also bring MCAS Miramar closer to reaching the goal of having a self-sufficient installation that runs separately from the city’s energy grid.
“The energy benefit from the landfill really takes a step in the right direction toward the use of clean energy,” said Mick Wasco, an engineer with the Public Works Center.
The air station plans on being completely energy self-sufficient by 2017. Miramar will also work as an emergency response center in the case of a black-out. Removing MCAS Miramar’s energy consumption will also, make the San Diego grid more reliable. Energy generated by the landfill is an effective way to make use out of something that is looked at as an environmental problem.
“Using the landfill gas powered generation is taking something useless and essentially an environmental problem, and turning it into a resource that can generate power with,” said Wasco.
Power generated by methane gas given off inside the landfill will power up to 51 percent of the installation through newly laid pipes and wires.
This renewable energy used to power the installation is set to be on-line on June 14.