Biden administration plans to cover the Pentagon in solar panels

"Selected projects include: Installation of rooftop solar panels, a heat-recovery heat pump system, and solar thermal panels to reduce reliance on natural gas and fuel oil combustion systems at U.S. Department of Defense’s Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia," a statement from the Department of Energy released.

The project at the Pentagon is a component of the department's initiative to modernize 31 federal facilities, aiming for net-zero carbon emissions from these buildings by 2045.

This endeavor is financed by the 2021 infrastructure legislation, complemented by an additional $361 million in private funding.

According to the Energy Department, the first year of this program will result in $29 million savings in energy and water expenses. Moreover, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions will be comparable to removing 23,042 gasoline-driven vehicles from the streets.

Additional initiatives in the program involve fitting the Department of Transportation's headquarters with LED lighting and occupancy sensors in areas with infrequent traffic. This will be complemented by the application of thin-film solar panels on certain windows of the building.

Brendan Owens, the Assistant Secretary for Energy at the Department of Defense, informed the Associated Press that the solar panels at the Pentagon will serve as a continuous power supply in the event of a cyberattack or any other form of outage affecting the building.

Days following a Senate hearing where Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) intensely questioned Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy, David Turk, about a $3 billion loan granted by the agency to a Texan solar energy firm accused of defrauding elderly citizens, the Department of Energy made an announcement.

In response, Turk clarified that the loan represented a "conditional commitment" and emphasized the department's ongoing efforts in "continuing to do our due diligence, continuing to do our homework."