Renewable Energy Opportunities at Fort Polk, Louisiana

Abstract

Executive SummaryThis document provides an overview of renewable resource potential at Fort Polk, based primarily upon analysis of secondary data sources supplemented with limited onsite evaluations. This effort focuses on grid-connected generation of electricity from renewable energy sources and also on ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling buildings. At this time, the only renewable technology that shows practical and economic potential at Fort Polk is a waste-to-energy plant consuming regional municipal solid waste. A biomass plant using wood waste shows marginal economics, but the feedstock is likely not available. There is also interest in developing geopressured-geothermal power from existing nearby gas wells. Project feasibility is based on installation-specific resource availability and energy costs as well as detailed economic analysis based on accepted life-cycle cost methods (Appendix A). Waste-to-Energy