Letter: No missions affected by turbines

The wind industry agrees that national security is paramount.

Despite the impression given in John Ingle’s June 19 article, the Department of Defense (DoD) already has a robust review process to ensure wind farms don’t harm military operations.  

The Navy study Ingle cites doesn’t say anything new.  Yes, in some instances wind farms can cause clutter on radars.  However, this can be mitigated, something the Navy study didn’t analyze.  In South Texas, wind project developers have committed millions of dollars toward mitigation.   

Both DoD and local base commanders review any wind farm proposed near military facilities. If concerns exist, private developers and DoD discuss whether they can be addressed. If not, developers move on to other projects, even before DoD needs to formally object through the federal review process.

No project opposed by DoD has ever been built.  And no missions at bases have moved because of the tens of thousands of turbines deployed today.
In fact, many wind projects sit near bases without issue: wind turbines have been generating electricity near Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota since 2009, and near Travis Air Force Base in California for over a decade.

As a former fighter pilot, I know safety comes first.  And, as a former base commander and first executive director of the DoD Siting Clearinghouse, I know the current DoD regulations and processes are extremely effective in ensuring wind farms are built in a way that is compatible with DoD training, readiness and operational needs.

- Dave Belote, Col (ret), USAF, managing partner and CEO, DARE Strategies, LLC