Wind farm companies planning to build within a 25-mile radius of a military base with an aviation mission are no longer eligible for tax abatements from local governments thanks to a new bill recently passed by the 85th Texas Legislature.
A wind farm study by the U.S. Navy has finally been released, concluding wind turbines could affect nearby radar systems of airports and military air stations. The study could directly affect the Chapman Wind Ranch, already under construction just south of Corpus Christi.
Situated to make maximum use of the winds off the Gulf of Mexico, the proposed 86 wind turbines would sit with Naval Air Station Corpus Christi about 20 miles to the northeast, Naval Air Station Kingsville about 30 miles to the southwest and the Corpus Christi International Airport about 17 miles to the northwest.
According to the report, wind turbines can be perceived by radar as air traffic, while a secondary, or backup radar system, would not be affected by the turbines. The negative effects of wind turbines near air traffic will have to be mitigated, the report continued.
“The presence of non-cooperating aircraft in Navy operating airspace where primary radar is degraded poses a risk to naval aviation safety,” reads the report. “If the degradation is determined to be unacceptable, the Navy will have to mitigate the loss of radar performance in order to avoid negative impacts to naval aviation activities in South Texas.”
The project, which has changed in scope from 176 turbines to 86 over the past two years, was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in August.
Local government entities against the wind farm include the Corpus Christi City Council, Nueces County Commissioners and the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce.
U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold,R-Corpus Christi, another opponent, released his own statement on the results.
“The report released yesterday confirms what we’ve believed for a long time,” Farenthold said. “There is a real issue with wind farms interfering with radar. There are technological, regulatory and legislative solutions that can be used to solve these problems, including upgrading and networking radars, requiring transponders on all planes in the region or banning wind farms near airfields.”
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn introduced a bill in September that would end tax incentives for new wind energy projects located within a 30-mile radius of a military airfield. His bill would not affect the Chapman Ranch wind farm since it is already under construction.
A spokesperson for Enbridge Inc., which purchased the wind farm project from Apex Clean Energy in September, said the company would not be be able to comment until it has received the report.
