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The Military Turns to Microgrids for Climate Resilience

Summary

This NPR piece explores how the U.S. military is increasingly adopting microgrids to enhance climate resilience and combat global threats. The article focuses on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego, where a microgrid, powered by diverse sources including solar and methane gas from a landfill, enables the base to function independently for up to 21 days during grid failures, referred to as "island mode" or "aircraft carrier mode." The piece emphasizes the Department of Defense's goal for all bases to be "power resilient" and carbon-neutral by 2050, highlighting the strategic importance of local renewable sources in ensuring defense capabilities during extreme weather events or attacks on the power grid. The article also underscores how military microgrid initiatives contribute to civilian power-grid resilience and disaster response.

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