Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego Awarded $50M to Keep Power On in Case of Emergencies

The California Energy Commission approved $50 million in grant funding Wednesday to support energy storage projects at Camp Pendleton and Naval Base San Diego.

The bulk of the money, $42 million, will go to Camp Pendleton with the remainder set aside for Naval Base San Diego.

The installations’ Long-Duration Energy Storage projects will support infrastructure aimed at maintaining uninterrupted power at both facilities in the event of outages and other emergencies.

Officials with the commission and the Navy said the projects also support California’s clean-energy goals.

“Long-duration and multi-day energy storage is key to California’s clean energy future because it helps transform how we can capture and store excess power generated by renewable resources,” commission Chair David Hochschild said.

The Camp Pendleton project, described as the largest such energy storage project in the Department of Defense, is expected to provide electricity and backup power to the base for up to 14 days.

The Navy, in a statement, said the Naval Base San Diego project will provide officials with data regarding the integration of Long-Duration Energy Storage and non-fossil fuel backup systems for 24-hour military operations.

The Navy called the project “a blueprint for LDES system installations for renewable microgrids at naval facilities.”

Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy and chief sustainability officer, said the project and others like it “serve as a model for installations around the world to increase energy reliability and ensure mission success during unexpected grid conditions and natural disasters.”