THE us Navy and Pentagon are expressing concern about the Biden administration's plan to develop offshore wind projects along the central Atlantic US coast, reports Bloomberg.
They warn that almost all potential areas for development conflict with military operations, which could jeopardise the president's goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade.
Maps shared with industry stakeholders reveal vast areas marked as 'highly problematic' by the Navy and Air Force, covering prime real estate that the Interior Department had earmarked for leasing off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
The Pentagon's concerns, in addition to other conflicts identified by the Coast Guard, have spooked renewable power developers and US East Coast states counting on mid-Atlantic wind farms to meet clean energy and climate goals.
The Defence Department is worried about operating around wind turbines that would be installed into the seabed in Atlantic waters near many of its operations and facilities, including North Carolina's Dare County bombing range and a weapons station in Yorktown, Virginia.
The areas deemed the highest priority by the Pentagon span a large portion of potential lease areas off the Maryland and North Carolina coasts.
The clash represents the latest challenge for the fledgling industry, which is already struggling with supply chain challenges, inflation-stoked prices, and opposition from coastal communities.
The Interior Department emphasised that the US is well-positioned to meet state and federal offshore wind goals as it develops a clean energy economy.
However, the opposition from the Defence Department could result in significant delays and make it harder for developers to claim newly expanded tax credits for multibillion-dollar ventures that can take years to permit and build.
'Leasing in the central Atlantic is critical to growing the offshore wind industry to meet state and federal clean energy goals,' said American Clean Power Association chief advocacy officer JC Sandberg.
'The Department of Defence staff's maps serve as a stark reminder that there's work to do. We need a coordinated, all-of-government approach to offshore wind to ensure that the industry can grow while protecting national security interests at the same time.'
SeaNews Turkey
They warn that almost all potential areas for development conflict with military operations, which could jeopardise the president's goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade.
Maps shared with industry stakeholders reveal vast areas marked as 'highly problematic' by the Navy and Air Force, covering prime real estate that the Interior Department had earmarked for leasing off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
The Pentagon's concerns, in addition to other conflicts identified by the Coast Guard, have spooked renewable power developers and US East Coast states counting on mid-Atlantic wind farms to meet clean energy and climate goals.
The Defence Department is worried about operating around wind turbines that would be installed into the seabed in Atlantic waters near many of its operations and facilities, including North Carolina's Dare County bombing range and a weapons station in Yorktown, Virginia.
The areas deemed the highest priority by the Pentagon span a large portion of potential lease areas off the Maryland and North Carolina coasts.
The clash represents the latest challenge for the fledgling industry, which is already struggling with supply chain challenges, inflation-stoked prices, and opposition from coastal communities.
The Interior Department emphasised that the US is well-positioned to meet state and federal offshore wind goals as it develops a clean energy economy.
However, the opposition from the Defence Department could result in significant delays and make it harder for developers to claim newly expanded tax credits for multibillion-dollar ventures that can take years to permit and build.
'Leasing in the central Atlantic is critical to growing the offshore wind industry to meet state and federal clean energy goals,' said American Clean Power Association chief advocacy officer JC Sandberg.
'The Department of Defence staff's maps serve as a stark reminder that there's work to do. We need a coordinated, all-of-government approach to offshore wind to ensure that the industry can grow while protecting national security interests at the same time.'
SeaNews Turkey
