Air Force officials are poised to begin negotiations with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures of San Francisco, a leading global independent solar power producer, on a lease deal to develop the largest crystalline photovoltaic solar project in North America on the grounds of Edwards AFB, Calif. The Air Force Real Property Agency said in a release Tuesday that Kathleen Ferguson, USAF’s installations chief, selected FRV as the offeror of choice with which to enter the negotiations following a competitive evaluation of proposals by a USAF team. Once negotiations are finalized and an enhanced use lease is signed with FRV, development of the 3,288-acre solar farm will commence. According to AFRPA, it will deliver enough energy to power nearly 89,000 homes. “This is a great achievement for the Air Force, renewable energy, energy security, and all of our community and commercial partners,” said Bob Moore, AFRPA director.
Air Force exercises in the Indo-Pacific may soon get even bigger and more robust, as lawmakers move to invest more than $620 million in such efforts. The bulk of that money, contained in a $150 billion reconciliation package currently making its way through Congress, is $532.6 million for earmarked for…