50The Military Engineer l November-December l 2009 Environment & Energy News (continued) in the river, and an environmental research ?rms pre-in- stallation model estimated that 97.5 percent of ?sh passing through the turbine would survive the journey. Actual results of a June test, not yet publicly released, were higher, the com- pany says. A second turbine with increased power and ef?- ciency is slated to be operational by next spring. Air Force, NASA Launch Environmentally-Friendly Rocket The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Air Force Of?ce of Scienti?c Research recently announced the launch of a rocket using an environ- mentally-friendly, safe propellant. Comprised of aluminum powder and water ice, the propel- lant known as ALICE, was developed through collaborative research with Purdue University and Pennsylvania State Uni- versity. ALICE has the potential to replace some liquid and solid propellants that cause environmental damage. A prom- ising propellant energetically, when optimized ALICE could have a higher performance than conventional propellant and could also potentially be manufactured on the Moon or Mars. (Contributed by Maria Callier, Air Force Of?ce of Scienti?c Re- search) First Commercial U.S. Solar Power Tower Launched The ?rst commercial solar power tower in the United States was unveiled near Lancaster, Calif., by eSolar. Located about 50-mi north of Los Angeles in Californias Antelope Valley, the Sierra SunTower solar power plant uses advanced computer software to precisely align thousands of ?at mirrors, or he- liostats, to concentrate the suns heat on a receiver mounted at the top of a tower. Water pumped through the tower is boiled to steam, and the steam drives a turbine to produce up to 5-MW of electricity. The system employs two modules, each covering 10 acres of land, with 12,000 mirrors directing sunlight to a single tower to generate up to 2.5 MW of power per module. Power generated at the new facility is being sold to Southern Cali- fornia Edison. The eSolar approach involves several innovations, includ- ing the use of small, mass-produced mirrors for the heliostats. The company also chose to build the facility on private land designated for heavy industrial use, an approach that simpli- ?ed the permitting of the facility. (Contributed by eSolar) Metering Program Helps Army Reduce Energy Costs In the past, Army facilities did not have meters to measure electricity or natural gas use like private homes; each instal- lation received one energy bill that was not broken down by individual buildings. However, with the passage of the En- ergy Policy Act of 2005, which requires metering in all federal buildings by Oct, 1, 2012, the Army Metering Program is in- stalling advanced meters capable of remotely reporting data to a central database accessible via the Engineering Knowl- edge Online website. The metering systems will enable Army installations to measure and track electricity, water, natural gas and steam consumption at the facility level. The Army now requires the installation of advanced utility meters on all military construction projects and for renova- tion or energy projects with a programmed cost of $250,000 or more that include electrical, natural gas, water or steam components. The Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Ala., is responsible for managing the execution of Army metering and other energy programs for the Installa- tion Management Command. Installation of electric advanced meters began last year on San Antonio Boston Honolulu www.MOCASystems.com Expertise. Technology. Results.