Off The Grid

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for May 6 at Ft. Knox, KY, to celebrate the installation's "complete energy independence," the Army announced Thursday.

Using natural gas mined from underneath the base, Ft. Knox is the first military post to go completely "off the grid," according to an April 30 service statement.

A 2009 ice storm in Kentucky helped spawn the project, as much of the state, including Ft. Knox, was without power for several days.

The Army estimates that the base's energy independence will bring annual cost savings of $8 million.