White Sands Missile Range Host Micro-Grid Groundbreaking

Official Statements

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: “White Sands Missile Range, N.M. (Nov 13, 2026) - White Sands Missile Range held a groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 10 for a $27 million energy and water microgrid at Stallion Base Camp, located on the northern part of the range. Funded through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the microgrid project is part of the range’s enduring commitment to strengthening installation energy and water resiliency while reducing risks to missions posed by utility disruptions.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: "This project is about mission assurance," said Col. Michael Lueckeman, White Sands Missile Range garrison commander. "It is about guaranteeing that White Sands Missile Range can continue to execute some of the nation's most important testing, regardless of what happens to the commercial power grid. This project will provide the ability to operate independently from the commercial grid for up to 14 continuous days while maintaining electrical power and water distribution to critical facilities across the complex."

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: “Funded through the Energy Resiliency Conservation Investment Program, the project will install a 600-kilowatt photovoltaic carport, a 700-kilowatt generator, a 600-kilowatt battery system, new electrical distribution lines, fiber connectivity, and security infrastructure. When complete, the microgrid will provide critical facilities at Stallion Base Camp with 14 days of energy and potable water during an extended power outage. Lueckeman emphasized that the microgrid helps guarantee testing continuity.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: "Whether the mission involves directed energy systems, counter-UAS technologies, long-range precision fires, missile testing, or hypersonic capabilities - reliable power is a foundational requirement," Lueckeman said. "This investment ensures that critical test data is collected, test schedules remain intact, and operational readiness is maintained." The project also directly supports the secretary of war's vision under Project Fortress to build installations that are more resilient, self-sufficient, and capable of operating through disruption.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: “Craig Collins, WSMR installation energy manager, said the project will enable the installation to meet the U.S. Army’s requirement of 14-day energy and water independence. The Army has set a service-wide goal of sustaining water and power on installations for up to two weeks without depending on civilian supplies. The Army established the 14-day requirement after studying past power outages and water shortages, matching those patterns to critical mission requirements. "When complete, we won’t have to worry about power outages affecting our energy needs or water supply," Collins said.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: "This microgrid represents how we will fight and win tomorrow," said Lt. Col. Brian Williams, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District. "By integrating clean solar and tactical storage, we directly support Installation Management Command’s resiliency objectives. We are reducing operating costs while hardening installations against physical, cyber, and grid disruption." In 2025, WSMR held a ribbon-cutting for a microgrid that provides backup power to four groundwater wells on the southern range.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: “That microgrid is equipped with a solar photovoltaic array, a natural gas generator, and a lithium-ion battery system to energize local water wells during an extended power outage. These microgrids will ensure White Sands Missile Range can continue critical missions without a disruption to energy and potable water needs on the northern part of the range. The projects demonstrate WSMR’s continued efforts to nest future construction with Army Directive 2020-23 and the Installation Management Command Energy and Water Initiatives.”

• White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, November 13: "At White Sands, we don't have the luxury of hoping critical infrastructure works when we need it," Lueckeman said. "Our job is to ensure it works every time. This project helps guarantee exactly that."