The Oregon Military Department is making a big investment on green energy.  The agency is building a million dollar solar instillation east of Christmas Valley.  The array is part of the agency’s plan to produce as much energy as it uses.

The Back Scatter Radar Site used to consume massive quantities of electricity when the Air Force used it to scan the horizon for incoming targets. 

Now the Oregon Military Department wants to use that same infrastructure to send  power back to the grid.

The agency helps equip and train the Oregon National Guard.

Stan Hutchison chief of planning and programming for the National Guard.  He says the agency is committed to meeting what it calls “net zero for energy” by the year 2020.

“100 percent of the amount of energy that the Oregon National Guard consumes, we would have a like amount in renewable energies,” Hutchison said.

The project will use 500 solar panels manufatured in Hillsboro by the company Solar World.  It will also use power inverters from PV Powered, based in Bend. 

The project is being funded through a grant from the 2009 federal stimulus bill.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.