… Our country should have a serious conversation about alternative non-military uses for now useless military bases (as if they were ever useful!), such as the air base at Niagara Falls NY….the base has a lot of tree-less space that could be devoted to solar/wind energy production. In this case the clean, renewable energy coming from Niagara Falls could be increased by a whopping %60 …

Solar Power Generation Plan to Replace Jobs and Income
from Maintenance and Piloting of Military Planes or Drones

• Option 1:
  • Entire Airport/Air Base used for solar power generation (area bounded by: Packard Rd, Porter Rd., Niagara Falls Blvd, Walmore Rd., Lockport Rd.)
    
  • Approx. Area: 8 million square meters….80% covered by solar panels
  • Assuming 0.15 KW peak output per square meter (15% solar panel efficiency)
  • Total peak capacity: 960,000 kW at high noon
  • Assuming 3.0 full-sun hours per day (3 kWh/m2/day of solar radiation)
  • Total annual output = 960,000 kWh X 3 sun hours/day X 365 days/year = 1,051,200,000 kWh/year
  • Cost to build: approx. $3 billion (@ $3.3/Watt),
  • or, 10.1 days of our current spending on war (@ $200,000 per minute)
  • Annual income generated: $115,600,000 (at $0.11/kWh)
  • Cost to Operate/Maintain: $45.5 million (@$50/kW/year)
  • Number of Jobs to maintain solar array: 546 (@$50,000)
  • Enough power for 110,000 homes (at 700 kWh/home/month); Disadvantage: no more airport!

   

• Option 2:
  • Niagara Falls Air Base, military section only (Area bounded by: Tuscarora Rd, Lockport Rd., and Walmore Rd.)
  • Approx. Area: 2 million square meters (80% covered with solar array)
  • Total peak capacity: 240,000 kW (at high noon)…assume 3 hours sun each day for 365 days per year……
  • Total annual output = 240,000 kW X 3 sun hours/day X 365 days = 262,800,000 kWh/year
  • Cost to build: $800 million (at $3.3/Watt), or 2.8 days of our spending on war
  • Income generated from annual output: $28,900,000 per year (at $0.11/kWh)
  • Cost annually to Operate/Maintain: $11.4 million
  • Number of Jobs to maintain solar array: 136 (@$50,000/each)
  • Advantage: More than enough solar power to supply all 22,000 homes in the City of Niagara Falls
  • Another Advantage: Civilian Airport Retained
• 
  
• Option 3:
  • Cover the Lewiston Pump Storage Reservoir with a solar array
  • Area: approx. 7.7 million square meters (80% covered by solar array)
  • Total peak capacity (at high noon): 924,000 kW>
  • Total annual output: 1,011,780,000 kWh/year (assume 3 sun hours/day x 365 days/year)
  • Cost to build: $3.0 billion (@ $3.3/Watt — but needs underwater structural support)
  • Income generated from annual output: $111,296,000 (at $0.11/kWh)
  • Cost annually to Operate/Maintain: $44 million>
  • Number of Jobs to maintain solar array: 528 (@$50,000)
• • ——————————————————-
• Current Lewiston pump storage capacity: 300 million Watts
• Pump storage capacity + solar array: 1,224 million Watts (increase of 400%)

• Option 2 + Option 3:
  • 1460 million Watts added generating capacity (at a cost of $3.7 billion)
  • Total annual income: $140,196,000
  • Current hydroelectric capacity: 2400 million Watts (Robert Moses Plant) + 300 million Watts
    (Lewiston Pump Storage).
  • With added solar capacity — approx. 60% increase in clean energy generating capacity coming from Niagara Falls…
  • Total number of jobs to maintain solar arrays: 664 @$50,000 each (Total: $33 million)
•           ————————————–
  • Current Pentagon Spending at Niagara Falls Air Base: $168 million annually; $88 million payroll for 3,500 jobs (BN, Jan 26, 2012) – average: $25,000 per job
  • If we borrowed $3.7 billion @ 4.5% interest, we would pay $168 million
    annually in interest payments.
• 
  
• Bottom Line:
  • We are already spending the equivalent money to build option 2 + option 3 solar arrays in Niagara Falls….. the money is directed at wars, instead of green, clean energy.

Sources:

1. http://www.nrel.gov/rredc2./pvwatts/
2. Google Earth (for land areas)
3. Cost and Performance Data for Power Generation Technologies, February 2012 ….. cost estimates to build large scale solar arrays, (page 38)….Name of document: nrel-cost-report.pdf
4. JEDI tool at www.nrel.gov
5. quickfacts.census.gov/
6. Niagara Falls Solar Power Generation July 10 2012.docx

You can get a pdf of this document  **here**.
July 10, 2012