pentagon sticks bloody nose into wind farm business [View All]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/4/17/857834/-Air-Force-bombs-large-wind-farm-in-Oregon


Air Force "bombs" large wind farm in Oregon


The Pentagon has blocked the start of a large wind farm in an economically depressed community in Oregon because the Air Force is concerned about potential interference with a radar facility.

The Pentagon is threatening to scuttle what promises to be the world's largest wind farm, in eastern Oregon, arguing that the giant turbines could interfere with an Air Force radar system.

Caithness Energy had planned to break ground two weeks from now on the 845-megawatt, $2 billion Shepherds Flat wind farm near Arlington, Ore., an economically depressed rural community. But last month, Pentagon officials moved to deny the developer its final Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permit.

Washington Post article by Juliet Eilperin

The project is economically important to the community, which serves as the dumping ground for Seattle's trash.

Shepherds Flat will provide 706 construction jobs, Caithness says, and millions in royalty payments for farmers and ranchers in Gilliam and Morrow counties.

The Oregonian article by Scott Learn

The specifics of this case are disturbing for a number of reasons. First, Caithness Energy notified the Pentagon three years ago at the start of the permitting process, but the Pentagon did nothing until the permitting process was nearly complete and ground was scheduled to be broken. In short, the Pentagon acted in bad faith, although the Department of Defense (DoD) pleads incompetence. Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, described the approval process as "flawed." "It is by definition an 11th-hour process," she said, "and that is not satisfactory." Does the Air Force have an objective reason for their concerns? Not really. It was only when the Air Force instructed the FAA to delay the last permit necessary to start the project did they instruct Lincoln Laboratory to formally evaluate potential interference issues with the turbines.

Caithness Energy has already signed the contract with GE to build the turbines and the fabrication process is underway. Because the incentives for clean energy in the Energy Act of 2006 are temporary (in contrast to the permanent subsidies for fossil fuels build into the tax code), the company stands to lose the incentives if the project is delayed for any significant period. The company tried without success for a month after receiving the notice of the delay to get the DoD and the FAA to specify conflicts and resolutions. The delay threatens to jeopardize financing for the project while the technical fixes for any conflicts, if they even exist, are simple.

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But the larger story is that Pentagon is obstructing wind farm development at this site and others.

The Pentagon's objections could put at risk three other major wind projects in the same region, along with proposed farms in states from Illinois to Texas. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the dispute "is not about one project. It's about the future of renewable, domestic, clean power."

Washington Post article by Juliet Eilperin


It bogles the mind. The Senators from Oregon have put holds on several DoD appointments to pressure the Obama administration to intervene and keep this large wind farm and two others in the state on track. It comes at a time when America needs clean energy and jobs. And the obstacle is coming from the most extravagantly-funded agency in America. Ridiculous.
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the pentagon brass should be sent to work elsewhere doing base toxic waste clean up and the pentagon turned into an apt. bldg.

may the wind farm win this battle.