The military prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba has become a lightning rod for critics of the Bush administration’s handling of “enemy combatants.”
But as a proving ground for alternative energy, the controversial prison has turned out to be a success story, says Joseph Sartiano, head of the Defense Department energy security task force.
Three wind turbines supply up to 3 percent of the energy needed to run the prison, Sartiano said. Gitmo costs the U.S. government $100,000 a day just for fuel.
Without the wind turbines, that bill would be higher. “The commander is pretty proud of the wind turbines,” Sartiano said.