ReEnergy Black River to provide power to Fort Drum

Renewable energy producer ReEnergy Black River has been awarded a 20-year contract by the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to supply renewable energy to the Fort Drum army base in New York.

This contract is the largest renewable energy project in the history of the US Army. The federal government is increasing its demand for long-term renewable energy as a result of renewable goals established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Additionally, the Army has established a goal to achieve 1GW of renewable energy by 2025.

ReEnergy's Black River plant is built within the walls of Fort Drum and has a generation capacity of 60MW. It was originally established as a coal station before being closed by a previous owner in 2010. ReEnergy acquired the plant in 2011 and invested more than $34 million (€27 million) to convert it to fire biomass. It resumed operation in May last year and will use locally grown shrub willow as a fuel.

ReEnergy Black River submitted a proposal in Q2 2013 to the DLA to provide renewable power to Fort Drum, a US Army installation that is home to 37,000 soldiers and family members.

As of 1 November 2014, the plant will provide all of Fort Drum's electricity needs, which currently peaks at around 28MW. Under the terms of the agreement, ReEnergy will build an electric transmission line to directly connect the ReEnergy Black River facility to Fort Drum's two substations. Prior to the completion of that line, which is anticipated for late summer 2015, ReEnergy will arrange for bilateral deliveries to Fort Drum's substations through an energy service company