The House of Representatives on Thursday passed an amendment that would force President Joe Biden to certify that offshore wind development will not interfere with civil or military aviation.
Written by Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey. fixThe bill would require Biden or a designee to verify that offshore wind development “does not weaken, degrade, sabotage, or disable radar on which the Federal Aviation Administration and the military rely.” The amendment was part of a series of amendments that passed the House 348-57. vote Thirty-four lawmakers did not vote on Thursday.
Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland co-sponsored the amendment.
The amendment also requires the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to examine and report to Congress “the impact of industrialization of offshore wind in relation to radar, the impact on commercial aviation and military traffic, and the adequacy of the review and approval process for offshore wind projects in the North and Mid-Atlantic Planned Areas.” (Related: The Biden Administration’s Latest Offshore Wind Lease Sale Was Primarily Aimed at Foreign Energy Companies)
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Conservation groups have quietly warned Senate Democrats that offshore wind farm development may need to be “stopped” to save endangered whales.
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In addition to assessing radar impacts, the DOT report will also require an audit of the licensing process for offshore wind development. The report should also examine whether the concerns of the Federal Aviation Administration and the military were properly considered before receiving the federal go-ahead.
Marine Energy Management Agency Radar Interference in 2020 analysis It found that the proposed wind development project was “within the line of sight of 36 radar systems, indicating that normal atmospheric conditions would cause interference with these radars,” adding that “future offshore wind energy installations on the Atlantic coast could impact onshore radar systems.”
In June, Smith successfully asked the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the impacts of offshore wind, including those related to commercial and military aviation. The GAO study is ongoing and will also assess other commercial and ecological impacts of offshore wind.
The amendment will now be submitted to the Senate for a vote.
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