Fort McCoy leaders, community partners, and distinguished guests gathered May 19 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the official opening of the installation’s new $1.4 million Main Gate Microgrid with Battery Backup Project, a major investment in installation resilience, readiness, and energy modernization.
The project, completed through a partnership between U.S. Army Garrison-Fort McCoy and Xcel Energy, is designed to ensure uninterrupted operations for critical facilities near Fort McCoy’s Main Gate in the event of a commercial power outage. Installation officials said the microgrid can provide a minimum of 14 days of continuous operations and allows the Main Gate and surrounding mission-essential facilities to continue functioning independently in “island mode” when the primary electrical grid is unavailable.
In addition to enhancing emergency preparedness, the system is expected to generate approximately $20,000 in annual energy savings by reducing electricity use during Xcel Energy’s peak demand periods and offsetting utility power imports when the commercial grid is operating normally.
Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Director Liane Haun served as narrator and emcee for the ceremony, welcoming attendees and describing the project as a milestone in the installation’s history.
“Today we mark a significant milestone in our installation’s history, a testament to our commitment to energy resilience and innovation,” Haun said during her opening remarks. “This project, the first of its kind at Fort McCoy, and a pioneering effort within the Department of the Army, ensures that our critical operations continue without interruption, regardless of external conditions.”
Fort McCoy Chaplain (Maj.) Walter McCall delivered the invocation, offering a blessing for the installation, those who serve there, and the new infrastructure supporting Fort McCoy’s mission.
Featured speakers included Fort McCoy Senior Commander Maj. Gen. Joseph Ricciardi, commanding general of the 88th Readiness Division, and Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Sheyla Baez Ramirez.
Ricciardi highlighted the strategic significance of the project, calling it far more than a facility improvement.
“Today we celebrate a landmark achievement, the successful completion of Fort McCoy’s first microgrid,” Ricciardi said. “This is not just a technological upgrade — it is a fundamental enhancement of our strategic readiness.”
Ricciardi also noted the project’s innovative financing structure, describing it as the first in the Army to use third-party financing for this type of energy resilience infrastructure.
Baez Ramirez emphasized the project’s role in strengthening installation security and readiness.
“This microgrid directly supports our mission and readiness,” Baez Ramirez said. “Its independent island mode capability is a critical portion of our continuous security.”
She also recognized the work of Fort McCoy’s Directorate of Public Works, project lead Brandon Gronau, and Xcel Energy for helping bring the project from concept to completion.
Following the remarks, leaders and project partners participated in the ceremonial ribbon cutting, including Command Sgt. Maj. James Riddle, Xcel Energy representatives, and Gronau.
Attendees were then invited to view the new microgrid installation and attend a reception in the nearby inspection building.
The new microgrid supports Fort McCoy’s ongoing efforts to modernize infrastructure, strengthen installation resilience, and ensure uninterrupted mission support for training, mobilization, and homeland defense operations.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”