Wind power finds two powerful foes
WASHINGTON, Aug 27, 2010 -- UPI
The push for greener energy sources has run into a sizable roadblock
with U.S. aviation experts opposing wind turbine construction, a trade
group said.
The American Wind Energy Association said a survey of its members found
scores of projects in 2009 ran into interference from the U.S. Defense
Department and the Federal Aviation Administration, despite a push from
the U.S. Energy Department to produce energy from renewable sources, The
New York Times reported Friday.
Wind turbines, some of them 400 feet tall, reportedly confuse air
traffic controllers, as they resemble storms on weather radar systems.
They can also cause planes in some spaces to drop off radar screens
entirely, the Times reported.
Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense recently testified
that wind turbines create a high risk for planes and compromise national
security.
Gary Seifert, a researcher with the Energy Department, called the
collision course between Defense Department interests and energy needs
"the train wreck of the 2000s."
"The train wreck is the competing resources for two national needs:
energy security and national security," he said.
The wind energy group said the Defense Department and the FAA stalled or
stopped 9,000 megawatts worth of projects in 2009, equal to the amount
of wind energy projects constructed during the year.
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