Portland Oregonian, AP, Wash. Post: Air Force worried about its radar, opposes huge Oregon wind farm
Ambitions to build in north central Oregon the largest American wind farm yet are on hold. The US Air Force fears its whirling turbine blades will fill some of their radar’s with meaningless chaff.
The news broke earlier this week in Pacific Northwest press, where its promise of hundreds of construction jobs starting May 1 had stirred local excitement. However, as the Portland Oregonian‘s Scott Learn reported, the Federal Aviation Administration has, with backing from the USAF, triggered a halt. Local Senators are doing their best to get it going again. And, some say and Learn reports, radar spoofing fears could crimp wind energy plans in other regions too. In today’s edition, Learn further reports that the state’s senators might put holds on selected, Obama administration nominees for Pentagon jobs unless they get a green light for the long-planned wind power installation.
The Associated Press quickly picked the news up. It went further national this morning in the Washington Post where Juliet Eilperin calls it a clash between national defense and government plans to foster alternative energy, creat American jobs and combat climate change. The Air Force’s worries, we learn here, could scuttle the project in short order. It construction does not start soon, it says here, the developer could lose a chance at federal subsidies vital to its financing.
A small outlet may best, succinct success in putting the affair in context with wind energy and national security worries generally. At the Colorado Springs Independent, a paper presumably with good contacts in the Air Force, Pam Zubeck reports the basic issue plus info from Congressional testimony and academic literature. She does not mention the troubles for the Oregon plan at all – evidence that it is just one example with potentially many more to come.
- Charlie Petit
