"Dozens of wind projects in Texas are in limbo after the U.S. Department of Defense paused issuing routine federal permits citing national security concerns, a move that experts say expands the Trump administration's crusade against wind energy. According to data collected by the American Clean Power Association, 54 Texas wind projects are waiting for the department to review development plans to ensure that turbines don't interfere with military operations. It's part of a broader nationwide logjam that has ensnared 165 onshore wind projects, a figure first reported by the Financial Times."
"Federal law requires any structure 200 feet or taller - such as antennas, smokestacks or wind turbines - to be reviewed first by the Federal Aviation Administration, then the military, which must determine whether a structure may interfere with military airspace. Federal law requires the Department of Defense to conduct those reviews within 60 days of receiving an application from the FAA. But "right now, the entire process has just ground to a halt," said Dave Belote, a wind energy consultant who helped design the review system when it was established more than 15 years ago."
"Normally, the defense department evaluates whether a turbine is within the line of sight of a radar or in a low-altitude military airspace. If so, the department and developer typically agree on mitigation options - a process that usually takes a matter of weeks. "In the past, those have been fairly trivial - you meet the requirements and you get the permit," said Jonathon Blackburn, an Austin-based energy consultant."
Dozens of wind projects in Texas are waiting for the Department of Defense to review development plans after the department paused routine federal permits, citing national security concerns. Data from the American Clean Power Association shows 54 Texas wind projects are awaiting review, and 165 onshore wind projects nationwide are caught in a broader permitting logjam. Federal law requires structures 200 feet or taller to be reviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration first, followed by the Department of Defense to determine whether the structure could interfere with military airspace. Reviews are required within 60 days, but the process has stopped, delaying decisions that normally take weeks when mitigation options are agreed.
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