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In the latest blow to the US offshore wind industry, the Trump administration announced Monday it is suspending the federal leases for all large offshore wind projects currently under construction, citing unspecified national security risks.
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It marks a major escalation in President Donald Trump’s attacks against offshore wind, a form of energy he has long railed against. The suspension could impact billions of dollars of investment and stall nearly six gigawatts of new electricity set to come online in the next few years.
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The new sweeping order impacts five projects being built in the Atlantic Ocean, including a massive Virginia offshore wind farm that could eventually be the largest such project in the nation. Set to be completed by the end of 2026, it would supply electricity to Virginia, the state with the world’s largest cluster of power-hungry data centers and skyrocketing energy costs partially tied to that growing demand. Other wind farms impacted are off the coast of New England.
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The exact national security risks of concern are unclear. In a news release, the Interior Department cited “national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports,” but didn’t say specifically what those risks were. The release also noted the potential for wind turbine movement and light reflectivity to interfere with radar.
In a Monday Fox Business interview, Interior Sec. Doug Burgum said the Department of Defense has “conclusively” determined that large offshore wind farms “have created radar interference that creates a genuine risk for the US,” especially “our east coast population centers.”
A Department of Defense official said it is working with Interior and other agencies to “assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects” but had no additional comment.
Last year, Sweden blocked the construction of new wind farms over concerns they could interfere with military radar, amid heightened tensions between the European Union? and Russia. But experts have noted the design of wind farms can be adjusted to account for the issue, and it’s something US government officials have been aware of for decades.
Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, who serve on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, respectively, said the administration had “failed to share any new information” justifying the sudden pause.
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- 26/1/20(火) 12:27 -
