Sat, Apr 17, 2010
Fears Wind Turbines Will Interfere With Radar
Pentagon officials have moved to
block what developers hoped would be the worlds largest wind farm
because the turbines that generate the electricity could interfere
with an Air Force radar system.
While Caithness Energy had hoped to begin building the 845
megawatt wind farm in north-central Oregon near Arlington in two
weeks, last month the FAA denied a needed permit because of
Pentagon objections to the project. The Washington Post reports
that the negotiations have reached the White House, with senior
administration officials lobbying to allow the wind farm to be
built. The White House says delaying the project could cost 16
thousand jobs in an area that is already economically depressed.
They say that the objections could put three other wind projects at
risk.
The Pentagon sys it has blocked the construction because the
spinning blades on the wind turbines will cause interference with a
radar array near Fossil, OR. An FAA notice said that the turbines
would be located in the Fossil radar's line of sight, and that the
over 2,000 turbines proposed for the Shepherds Flat site and three
others in the vicinity would "seriously impair the ability of the
[Department of Defense] to detect, monitor and safely conduct air
operations in this region." It goes on to indicate that there is no
overlapping radar coverage in the region, and that the facility
“already experiences significant clutter and target tracking
issues in this general area.”
Tall wind turbines can cause radar blind spots which can cause
aircraft to disappear from radar screens, and since the speed is
not constant, the clutter pattern is always changing.
The Associated Press reports that Caithness Energy and the
developers of the other sites say they had vetted the project with
the Air Force several years ago, and they are stumped as to why
objections would be raised as the project is about to break ground.
Air Force General Gene Renuart testified before Congress in March
that the military is becoming increasingly concerned about wind
farm interference with radar. Meanwhile, wind turbine manufacturers
say they are working on blades made of materials that do not cause
radar interference, but the current projects have to be completed
by the end of 2012 to be eligible for federal stimulus funding.
Local ranchers, too, are hoping for a financial windfall in lease
and royalty payments for allowing wind turbines to be erected on
their property.
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