Pentagon opposes Md. turbine project
The Pentagon is objecting to a proposed wind energy project on the Eastern Shore of Maryland because the turbines could create a security risk by interfering with operations at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), whose district includes the base, released a letter from the Department of Defense and said officials concluded that the wind turbines pose “a significant threat” to the “world-class stealth radar system” used at the base.
Hoyer and other elected officials fear that the wind farm could jeopardize 22,500 jobs that the naval station supports in the region.
The project is also facing backlash from bird lovers who believe the turbines threaten bird populations and local landowners who say the turbines could lower property values.
Proponents of the project said the $200 million project would create clean energy, generate tax revenue and bring employment to one of the poorest areas of the state.
The developers of the project, including Pioneer Green Energy LLC, said they have been willing to work with the base. Last year, the Navy tentatively accepted an offer that said the company would turn off the turbines whenever the base wanted to operate its radar for stealth aircraft testing (Timothy B. Wheeler, Baltimore Sun, Oct. 30). — MH