Trump admin halts 6 GW of offshore wind leases again

Trump Admin Halts 6 GW of Offshore Wind Leases Again

However, the White House has paused leases for five large projects, citing concerns over radar interference.

The affected projects include Revolution Wind in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, and Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind, both of which are in New York.

National Security Concerns Cited

Therefore, the Interior Department justified the action by citing unclassified government reports and “recently completed classified reports” from the Pentagon.

The department said it would give the government time to work with stakeholders to address national security concerns.

Radar Interference Mitigation

Moreover, researchers have been studying radar interference caused by wind turbines for over a decade, and they’ve developed strategies to mitigate problems.

Wind turbines present a unique challenge to radar operators due to their complex Doppler signature.

Adaptive Processing Algorithms

Meanwhile, radar systems can filter out signals that result from wind farms using adaptive processing algorithms.

These algorithms can learn the structure of a wind farm’s interference and suppress it over time.

Wind Farm Siting

Consequently, many wind farms are already built with radar installations in mind.

The most basic and widely employed mitigation method is wind farm siting, such as modifying the layout of a proposed wind farm to keep the wind turbines out of the line-of-sight of the radar.

Background on Radar Interference

In addition, researchers have developed a range of strategies to mitigate any problems caused by radar interference.

Wind turbines present a unique challenge to radar operators due to their complex Doppler signature.

Conclusion

However, the Trump administration’s decision to halt offshore wind leases again raises concerns about the impact on renewable energy development.

The Interior Department’s justification for the action is based on national security concerns, but critics argue that these concerns can be addressed through existing mitigation strategies.

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