The rapid whop, whop, whop of a wind turbine outside the New Mexico National Guard headquarters hints at a new mission for the military: Going Green.
One of the first sites greeting visitors to the New Mexico Guard’s compound near Santa Fe sees is a slender, 43-foot tall white wind turbine near headquarters. It generates 300 to 400 kilowatts a month.The electricity goes into the energy grid and the Guard receives credit on its electric bill. The turbine needs winds of at least 14 mph and can operate in winds up to 200 mph. In its first month, December to January, it operated at about 25 percent efficiency, but the National Guard expects that to increase with the spring winds.
And energy conservation doesn’t end with the wind turbine. The 15-vehicle commercial fleet uses biofuels and ethanol…… and the general drives a hybrid electric-gas vehicle.
