In an April 17th story out of Bloomberg News, the Pentagon is sounding alarms over the Biden administration’s plans to advance offshore wind projects along the central Atlantic coast. Maps apparently shared with industry stakeholders and seen by Bloomberg News show vast red areas that the Navy and Air Force have deemed “highly problematic.”
“The Defense Department’s concerns, which come on top of other conflicts identified by the US Coast Guard, have spooked renewable power developers and US East Coast states counting on mid-Atlantic wind farms to meet clean energy and climate goals,” noted Bloomberg’s Jennifer A Dlouhy, explaining how the breadth of the Pentagon’s opposition could imperil President Joe Biden’s bid to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power — equivalent to 30 nuclear reactors — by the end of the decade.
In response, Congressman Jeff Van Drew of Cape May County issued an official statement on how the development of offshore wind farms will affect our national security. “During my field hearing in South Jersey last month, my colleagues and I highlighted the adverse effects offshore wind development would have on various sectors and industries, from our environment to our national security,” said Congressman Van Drew.
“When whales and dolphins started washing up on our coast, and I called for a moratorium on these projects until adequate investigations were held, it was met with severe opposition. When fishermen indicated their concerns with how these projects will affect their livelihoods, their concerns were pushed aside. When I highlighted how the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) own environmental impact statement admitted that offshore wind will have no impact on climate change, there was no response from the administration. When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) OWN scientist raised concerns with how these projects could affect the endangered right whale, he was ignored. And when my hearing revealed that these massive turbines could interfere with radar systems and highlighted the warnings from our own military, this administration continued full steam ahead.”
“These warnings can no longer be ignored,” Rep. Van Drew said, adding “This President and this administration continue to disregard these valid concerns, and now the Pentagon is reiterating the potential impacts the industrialization of our coast will have on our national security.”
According to Bloomberg News, the Pentagon has identified challenges operating around wind turbines that would be installed into the seabed in Atlantic waters near many of its operations and facilities. In response, JC Sandberg, the chief advocacy officer for the American Clean Power Association told Bloomberg “Offshore wind can enhance national security…by providing a clean and affordable source of energy protected from the whims of global commodity prices.”
