Weapons Complex Monitor Vol. 33 No. 09
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Weapons Complex Monitor
Article 5 of 9
March 04, 2022

Los Alamos considers hosting solar power project

By Staff Reports

The Department of Energy and its semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration are window shopping at this stage for a ground-mounted solar-electric system at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) posted a request for information Thursday on the SAM.gov federal procurement website for help “in determining the optimal contract mechanism” for a privately-owned and operated solar photovoltaic system capable of generating up to 10 megawatts of electricity at Los Alamos.

The request for information says responses are due by 6 p.m. Eastern Time on March 31 and should be emailed to contract officer Matthew Barela (matthew.barela@nnsa.doe.gov).

The “carbon pollution free electricity” produced by the solar project would be purchased by Los Alamos National Laboratory for on-site use, according to the notice. The development would also help DOE comply with executive order 14008, which President Joe Biden issued in January on “ Tackling the Climate Challenge at Home and Abroad.”

The solar system would likely be built on a 40-to-50 acre parcel within Technical Area 16 and directly adjacent to Highway 501. National Environmental Policy Act reviews have already been done on cultural and biological concerns and yielded a “finding of no significant impact,” according to material accompanying the notice.

The laboratory’s average cost of electricity for fiscal 2021 was $67 per megawatt hour, according to the notice. The NNSA is responsible for procuring electricity for the laboratory through its contract with Los Alamos County. 

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