Alcatraz to go Solar

The Rock is going solar.

In its heyday, Alcatraz prison locked up mobsters such as Al Capone, “Machine Gun” Kelly and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis. Now, the famous penitentiary in San Francisco Bay will capture something new: the sun’s rays.

On Friday, the National Park Service announced it will fund a project to put about 1,360 solar panels on the main prison and laundry building at Alcatraz Island. The panels, which are scheduled to be installed later this spring, will provide 40 percent to 60 percent of the electricity for the iconic island, reducing the need for two aging diesel generators that currently keep Alcatraz’s lights on — yet also belch out heavy smog and cost $700,000 a year to fuel and maintain.

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http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_14524120?nclick_check=1