It was the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007 – passed in 2006 under a Republican Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush – that codified the military’s goal to “produce or procure not less than 25% of the total electric energy it consumes during FY2025 and thereafter from renewable energy sources.”

image via Borrego Solar

While solar and wind look to be big players in the Army’s drive, geothermal and biomass could get a boost as well. And then there’s the “alternative energy technologies.” What, exactly, is that? According to the RFP summary: “it includes but is not limited to such items as fuel cells, thermal recovery systems, ocean oscillation power generation systems, energy storage, batteries, micro-grids, low-head flow turbines and other hydroelectric technologies that do not require construction of a dam to implement.”

While big-energy developers figure to gobble up a lot of work available through this solicitation, the Army says it will make an effort to include smaller players: On projects between 4 and 12 MW, the “Contracting Officer will first consider reserving the Task Order for small businesses,” and projects less than 4 MW will be “reserved for small businesses.”

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