These include energy storage, bioenergy gasification, concentrating solar power (CSP), large electric military vehicles and a microgrid architecture called SPIDERS (Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security).
Vince Guthrie, utilities manager at the base, says many of the initiatives are in response to Pentagon concerns that mission-critical installations such as Fort Carson are vulnerable to commercial grid disruption.
Traditional diesel generators used for back-up can be expensive to operate — assuming fuel is available — and can sometimes fail to start.
