Two U.S. Air Force installations were announced among the winners of the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards, June 25: Edwards Air Force Base, California; and Tyndall AFB, Florida.
The Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards recognize federal agencies and employees who have made transformational efforts to advance sustainability and climate resilience and lead by example to deliver on President Biden’s goal to slash emissions from federal operations.
Edwards AFB’s Sanborn Solar Storage Project won in the Advancing Carbon-Free Electricity category. Its solar array became one of the world’s largest solar and battery storage projects, spanning more than 4,000 acres of public and private lands. This record-setting project marks the largest private-public partnership in Department of Defense history and reflects DoD’s commitment to a more resilient, clean energy future.
Tyndall AFB won an award in the Advancing Climate Adaptation and Resilience category. In 2018, Tyndall AFB sustained a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, which destroyed almost 500 buildings on the base. The DoD used the reconstruction of Tyndall AFB as an opportunity to redevelop the base into a resilient, sustainable “Installation of the Future.” This includes pioneering the use of nature-based coastal resilience solutions into the rebuild plan, serving as a model for other coastal federal facilities that need to adapt to the changing climate.
The awards were presented at the White House on June 25. Awardees were selected from a pool of over 140 nominations and represent domestic and international facilities or projects spanning 10 federal agencies.
To learn more about the Presidential Federal Sustainability Award winners, read here.