Reese Technology Center is a research and business park located on the grounds of former Reese Air Force Base in western Lubbock at the unincorporated community of Reese Center.
In 1995, Reese Air Force Base was placed on the Pentagon’s list for base closures via the BRAC process despite opposition from community members and leaders. The Lubbock Reese Redevelopment Committee (LRRC) was created in 1995, just two weeks after the base was recommended to be closed.[1]The base was formally closed on September 30, 1997.[2] The Lubbock Reese Redevelopment Committee was renamed the Redevelopment Authority (LRRA) and could now execute contracts for base property. This committee was composed of local government officials and area businesspeople. [citation needed]
In the years since Reese AFB closure, investigations have occurred to look into the per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) around the former base. Before Reese Air Force Base closed, it was home to training Air Force Firefighters to extinguish life-threatening fires using foam containing PFAS. After using this substance for many years at the base, it began seeping into the groundwater. The Air Force is continually checking bases for PFAS to this day. Past Reese AFB residents are entitled to compensation if found to the following toxins: Testicular cancer, Renal (kidney) cancer, and Prostate cancer.[3]
The Reese Technology Center is presently home to the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) Facility, a collaborative research facility with the following research partners:[4]
Along with the SWiFT Facility, the center also houses the following for the National Wind Institute's research: