- [Narrator] The Department of Defense is keeping
America safe by promoting projects
that provide self-sufficiency and resiliency.
The Air National Guard on Joint Base Cape Cod
is about to complete construction of a state of the art
wind powered microgrid that will keep
the mission of the 102nd Intelligence Wing
up and running even if the power goes out.
Team Lead Major Sean Doyle
explains the importance of the project.
- We have a 24/7 intelligence mission that needs
to stay completely powered up all the time.
We can't afford to let the power go down.
- [Narrator] Major Doyle went on to describe
how energy resiliency is critical for mission success.
- Unmanned aerial vehicles that are flying
in various areas of concern around
the globe, and then those UAVs link back
to our organization here on the base
with their sensor outputs and their video feeds.
If any one part of that chain loses power,
then the entire thing gets disconnected,
which means we lose capability to provide surveillance
and in some cases real time connection with people,
with soldiers that are on the ground.
- [Narrator] The Otis Microgrid is on the cutting
edge of innovative technology, as the first
operational wind powered microgrid in the DOD.
In addition to providing a reliable source of renewable
energy, the Otis Microgrid is also the first
to insure a cyber secure connection to the regional
electrical power grid, and it will save the government
an estimate of over a half a million dollars a year.
I'm Air Force Staff Sergeant Thomas Swanson,
reporting from Joint Base Cape Cod Massachusetts.
(light music)