The Air Force is installing two giant wind turbines at Cape Cod AFS, Mass., a part of the Joint Base Cape Cod complex, to power the Pave PAWs early warning radar system that the 6th Space Warning Squadron operates there, according to a service release. “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate how renewable energy can be used in line with mission operations,” said Steve Mellin, the squadron’s support officer. The Air Force anticipates that the turbines will be ready to go by January, after which they will be capable of producing a combined 3.2 megawatts of power, states the Oct. 22 release. When the winds are active, the turbines will produce more electricity than the station needs, so the Air Force has an arrangement to sell the excess energy to the local electric company. Air Force officials except to save more than $600,000 annually by using the wind turbines, recouping more than 50 percent of the station’s annual electricity bill. The renewable energy project is expected to pay for itself within 12 years, states the release. (Peterson report by Randy Pieper)
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.