Aimed at increasing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has selected Honeywell and Washington Gas to jointly design, install and maintain a cogeneration plant and distribution system at the St. Elizabeths West Campus in Washington, D.C.
The onsite power generation plant at the new Department of Homeland Security Campus (DHS) will deliver nearly 25 megawatts of electricity for the 4.5-million-square-foot campus that is scheduled to be completed by 2016. The plant and distribution systems will provide thermal utilities, chilled and hot water, electrical services, and normal and emergency power for DHS and its agencies.
The plant is expected to meet 30 percent of the peak energy demand for the campus, which will serve as the DHS headquarters as well as its agencies: the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration.
In addition to running independently of the local grid for energy security, the plant is expected to reduce emissions by more than 50,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is comparable to removing nearly 10,000 cars from the road, according to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
