We’ve been talking a lot about the need for emergency backup systems and the ways in which onsite power can provide reliability and efficiency to any existing power system. Clearly great minds think alike, as this week, it was announced that the US General Services Administration (GSA) has decided to install a cogeneration and distribution system at the Department of Homeland Security Campus (DHS) in Washington DC. DHS is home to the Coast Guard, Immigration, Border Protection, the TSA, and FEMA—so it makes sense that the St. Elizabeth Campus will be outfitted with an onsite power system suitable for backup services, as well as a primary power source for the facility.
Honeywell and Washington Gas are set to jointly design, install, and maintain the cogen plant, which—once it’s up-and-running—will meet 30% peak energy demand for the campus. Of course, the cogen plant will run independently from the local energy grid—thereby providing much needed energy security for DHS. As an added bonus, it is estimated that this cogen facility will help DHS cut its carbon emissions by more than 50,000 metric tons.
So what do you think? Is a 50,000-metric-ton reduction a nice added bonus, or should we expect even greater emissions control from our onsite power systems? And is the installation of this cogen plant an indication that the federal government is aware of the need for reliable, secure onsite power in the face of ever-increasing hype surrounding the smart grid?