Title
Consider a memorandum/resolution of support for the selection of Railhead Energy Resiliency as the FY 2024 Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) project.
Summary
DATE: September 19, 2023
TO: Kent Cagle, City Manager
FROM: Kent Cagle, City Manager
SUBJECT: FY 2024 Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) Project
BACKGROUND AND FINDINGS:
At the September 7, 2023 DEAAG Review Board Meeting, the board selected the Railhead Energy Resiliency which converts one of the six Fort Cavazos' diesel locomotive switch engines to an electric locomotive switch engine for Fort Cavazos' Rail Operations Center improving deployment rail operations, reducing operational costs, and providing back-up power for rail operations as the proposed FY 2024 DEAAG project.
This project improves capability by converting Fort Cavazos' one diesel switch engine to an electric engine with lithium-ion batteries for increased availability while reducing operations cost by 60% and reducing maintenance cost by 40%. The lithium-ion batteries provide 2.4MW of battery storage that will provide emergency back-up power in the event of a power loss at the railhead. This capability would be especially critical during deployment operations to maintain continued flow of equipment and forces while providing a hedge against power loss from extreme weather or adversary attacks on the electrical infrastructure.
Fort Cavazos is home to the Army's only Armored Corps and 27% of the active-duty armored brigades along with multiple enabling brigades. As a power projection platform, Fort Cavazos must be able to rapidly deploy and mobilize units. Fort Cavazos is one of two Army Mobilization Force Generating Installations that mobilize and deploy all Army Reserve and National Guard units. Since 2002, the installation deployed over 1.2 million Soldiers and averages 5,737 Soldiers deployed monthly. Consequently, Fort Cavazos is #2 in rail traffic volume for Army installa...
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