News>President Obama visits Buckley Air Force Base
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President Barack Obama speaks to members of Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Jan 26, 2012. The president spoke about the Department of Defense's move towards clean energy usage. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcy Glass)
President Barack Obama holds a press conference at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., Jan 26, 2012. The president arrived here to speak about his new clean energy programs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcy Glass)
President Barack Obama, followed by Michael Hancock, mayor of Denver, Col. Daniel Dant, 460th Space Wing commander, Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, proceed to a hangar at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., hangers Jan. 26, 2012. The president arrived at Buckley for a press conference on clean energy programs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Marcy Glass)
by Staff Sgt. Kathrine McDowell
460th Space Wing Public Affairs
1/27/2012 - BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- President Barack Obama was greeted by Col. Daniel Dant, 460th Space Wing commander, and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley here Jan. 26, amidst a flurry of media and wing members as he spoke on energy conservation and renewable energy.
Buckley AFB is a fitting backdrop to the commander-in-chief's speech. Following initiatives passed by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, an act directing the federal government to move towards renewable energies, the 460th Civil Engineer Squadron proposed to install 5,040 solar panels on base across more than six acres of land to incorporate solar energy on the installation. Three years after that proposal, the panels yield more than 3 percent of the base's energy.
Buckley AFB is a reflection of its state. Colorado, home of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Solar Radiation Research Laboratory, was ranked eighth in energy output from alternative resources by Wall Street Journal.
Comments
1/30/2012 11:28:03 AM ET These solar panels are providing 3 percent of the base's energy. Not very much. Also, what cost to install and maintain and what is the total life cycle cost? After knowing that, what is the benefit during that life cycle? It seems like these feel good programs don't have a very good cost benefit analysis. I would think using that same money to retrofit some of the buildings with energy saving components would have yielded a greater savings than 3 percent at a much lower cost. Of course then that would have taken away the market from the boondoggle Energy Department loans to solar energy companies.
Jerry, Oklahoma
1/28/2012 9:57:54 AM ET Mr. President, when do you think you will visit the men and women at Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota?
