NIMBY: More Blocking of the Cape Wind Farm

What a surprise, they have found that the original military study on wind turbine interference of RADAR was flawed. Bet there was nothing political in those findings.

Pentagon officials are calling for additional studies to determine whether the proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound would impair a crucial missile detection radar system located on Cape Cod.

In a special congressional report released last week, the U.S. Department of Defense found that wind turbines located within the line of sight of military radar can adversely affect its ability to track aircraft and other aerial objects. The results were based largely on military tests conducted by the U.S. Air Force and United Kingdom Ministry of Defence between 2002 and 2005.

The Pentagon report did not specifically determine whether the Cape Wind project would have such an effect, but it did find errors in an earlier March 2004 Air Force review that suggested the Nantucket Sound project would not pose a threat to the Cape Cod radar operation. The Defense Department said it would be unable to assess the Cape Wind impact until a more comprehensive investigation is performed, and called for the additional studies to begin as soon as possible.

"The analysis that had been performed for the early warning radar at Cape Cod Air Force Station was overly simplified and technically flawed," defense officials wrote in the 62-page report released last Thursday. "A more comprehensive analysis followed by development of appropriate offset criteria for fixed-site missile early warning radars should be performed on an expedited basis."

Wonder why the company proposing the wind farm doesn't just offer the Air-Force a platform for their RADAR systems that is outside the line of the turbines? Better position with less land interference would be a good thing for their system.

Cong. William Delahunt, a Democrat and Cape Wind critic whose legislative district encompasses the Cape and Islands, has called for further studies on the potential radar problems for more than a year. His chief of staff, Mark Forest, praised the Defense Department report yesterday for addressing the issue.

"We had been concerned that these questions were out there, but nobody treated them seriously until now," Mr. Forest said. "Obviously the report identifies a number of concerns that ought to be addressed."

In particular, the report notes the proximity of the proposed Cape Wind project to a unique radar system located in the Cape Cod Air Force Station. One of only three early warning missile systems in the country - the other two are in California and Alaska - the so-called PAVE PAWS radar, according to Mr. Forest, plays a significant role in national defense.

Yeah, right. Funny how the FAA doesn't see any problems with the turbines, and other countries have figured out how to mitigate any issues.

PAVE PAWS radar looks down to around three degrees of the horizon according to this.

The large fixed antenna array, using its beam focusing, improves system sensitivity and tracking accuracy. A phased array antenna, as any other directional antenna, receives signals from space only in the direction in which the beam is aimed. The maximum practical deflection on either side of antenna center of the phased array beam is 60 degrees. This limits the coverage from a single antenna face to 120 degrees. To provide surveillance across the horizon, the building housing the entire system and supporting antenna arrays is constructed in the shape of a triangle. The two building faces supporting the arrays, each covering 120 degrees, are therefore able to monitor 240 degrees. The array faces are also tilted back 20 degrees to allow for an elevation deflection from three to 85 degrees above the horizon. The lower limit provides receiver isolation from signals returned from ground clutter and for environmental microwave radiation hazard protection of the local area.

Guess I'm a touch skeptical about these sudden concerns over the turbines.