The Air Force
Center for Engineering and the Environment - Wind II

The Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) manages the Installation Restoration Program (IRP) at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). To address the groundwater contamination, AFCEE constructed nine treatment plants that at one time treated approximately 18 million gallons per day (MGD) of contaminated groundwater.

Through optimization and plume remediation, AFCEE is currently treating 12.4 MGD. The treatment systems are energy intensive and have an environmental impact due to the use of fossil-fuel based power to run the treatment plants.

Annual energy costs range from $1.5-2.0 million and over thousands of tons of air emissions are produced each year from the power source. To reduce the electricity costs and environmental footprint of the IRP, AFCEE has implemented a robust optimization program including energy conservation and renewable energy technology. Following the success of their first turbine, AFCEE initiated planning for Wind II, two additional 1.5 MW wind turbines. The wind turbines were constructed in June/July 2011 and began operation in October 2011. Operation of all three wind turbines will eventually offset the energy use and associated air emissions of the Installation Restoration Program by 100%.

Interactive Map of Wind Turbines in Massachusetts