"The pause, effective immediately, is the latest step the administration has taken to hobble offshore wind in its push against renewable energy sources. It comes two weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump's executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful. The administration said the pause will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess the possible ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects."
"The Interior Department said unclassified reports from the U.S. government have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called "clutter." The clutter caused by offshore wind projects obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets in the vicinity of wind projects, the Interior Department said."
The Trump administration ordered an immediate pause on leases for five major East Coast offshore wind projects, citing national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The pause affects Vineyard Wind (Massachusetts), Revolution Wind (Rhode Island and Connecticut), Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind (New York). The Interior Department will coordinate with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess mitigation options. Interior officials cited unclassified reports that turbine blade movement and reflective towers produce radar "clutter" that can obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false targets. Wind proponents condemned the action as a setback for clean energy. The statement did not detail specific risks.
Read at www.npr.org
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