Coast Guard awards contract to build resilience to climate threats at Petaluma training center

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $ 48 million Energy Saving Performance Contract (ESPC) that will complete a $ 36.1 million capital investment in the service’s largest training facility on the West Coast , the Petaluma Training Center in Northern California.

The project will protect the remote campus from recurring climate threats, including forest fires, high winds, drought and power outages, and is designed to provide ten days of self-sustaining operation to the Petaluma campus using conservation measures. Energy.

“This contract award allows for the continuity of operations in a climate risk environment and will ensure that the Petaluma training center remains adaptable to the Coast Guard’s need for a total mission-ready workforce,” said Captain Steve Ramassini, commander of the Petaluma training center. “The project will also provide the means to establish predictable quality of life standards for the 450 students and 127 families who reside aboard the training center, thus keeping us the best place to live, work and train.

The strengths of this ESPC include the clean power generation and operational resilience provided by a 5 megawatt ground-based solar panel and a new 11.6 MWh battery energy storage system installed at the Petaluma campus. The project will also upgrade building controls, improve lighting, install low-voltage transformers, and provide new heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. The project includes the repair and replacement of key energy resilience equipment and systems, including full operation and maintenance for the 21-year performance period following a two-year construction implementation.

The Coast Guard has partnered with three Department of Energy National Laboratories, the Federal Energy Management Program, and the Defense Logistics Agency Energy to plan this project. This is the third Coast Guard energy performance contract to include a micro-grid component and the first to be designed with the primary objective of achieving full and sustained “off-grid” capacity within minutes.

“Fulfilling the Coast Guard’s mission requires not only working with organic resources, but also leveraging expertise found in other areas of government and the private sector,” said Rear Admiral Carola List, deputy commander of engineering and logistics. “I am very proud of the strategic partnerships the Coast Guard has established to meet the unique needs of TRACEN Petaluma and create a roadmap for how we can take advantage of similar opportunities at other Coast Guard locations. “

The start of work is scheduled for fall 2021.