MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Jim Costa, a congressman with California’s 20th Congressional District in San Joaquin Valley, along with other representatives and members from the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, visited the Combat Center Sunday to see how the base’s plans and procedures align with past, present and future alternative and renewable energy resources.
The visit was a new experience for the representatives and the rest of their staff. It served as a curiosity fulfillment for them about what goes on aboard the base, said Cynthia Lummis, a congresswoman representing Cheyenne, Wyo.
“It’s a very good operation, and the programs are all very conscious of the environment and wildlife,” she said. “It’s good to see the military setting an example by doing things this well for the earth.”
The tour was also the first of its kind for the Combat Center as well.
“The visit is the first one we’ve ever dealt with like this,” said Adam Clancy, a protocol specialist for the base. “The congressmen and woman, along with all the others in their staff, really took a lot from seeing the base and how we run things.”
The representatives took an aerial tour of the Combat Center, visited geothermal drilling sites, examined future locations for planned meteorological towers and wind turbines, and looked over the numerous current and future solar panel projects on base.
Clancy said the base is the leader in the Marine Corps for energy conservation, as well as an outstanding place for the preservation of wildlife.
“We’re at the top of the Marine Corps as far as energy conservation and clean energy production,” he said. “We also have an extensive program leading to the rehabilitation and preservation of species such as the desert tortoise.”
With the visit over, the base is still planning and preparing to take further steps to keep its power consumption and production environmentally friendly.