Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded a $7.8 million task order, Sept. 26, for the construction and expansion of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center's (MCAGCC) microgrid in Twentynine Palms, Califorrnia.

"This project is a great milestone for NAVFAC and the Marine Corps that will provide MCAGCC Twentynine Palms with the technologically advanced infrastructure it deserves, that will support their mission for many years to come," said William Moreno, NAVFAC Southwest project manager for this project.

The task order was awarded to Procal Electric Inc. of Twentynine Palms, under previously awarded multiple award construction contracts for construction of the microgrid expansion at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms.

Procal Electric Inc.'s microgrid expansion will include work on conductors, circuit breakers, substations transformers, SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) monitoring and control infrastructure, fiber communication lines, relays, high voltage breakers and associated software programming, and ancillary built-in equipment.

This project is an integral piece on the installation's long term plan toward energy independence which started in 2003 with the construction of the first cogeneration plant, and continued with the second cogeneration plant in 2010 and the entire modernization of the electrical infrastructure at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms over the last 10 years.

The installation currently has a microgrid with a total of 10 MW of combined power generation. The state-of-the-art project will expand the microgrid base-wide and will enable the installation to continue operations without any disruption or down time upon loss of utility power, by providing full integration and automation of both cogeneration plants and all renewable energy systems.

Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, and is expected to be completed by spring 2019. Fiscal year 2016 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $7.8 million are obligated to this award. NAVFAC Southwest is the contracting activity.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.