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.

FMI: www.doe.gov, www.dod.mil