Offshore Wind & National Security
How will offshore wind energy development impact our National Security?
Early Warning Radar
The entire US East Coast and Canada rely on a single early warning radar system located on Cape Cod at the Space Force Station. An analysis conducted by Westlope Consulting demonstrated that both SouthCoast and Revolution Wind will significantly interfere with the functionality of this system.
Line of Sight Analysis
Because of their height, the turbines are within the line of sight of the early warning detection array. The yellow region of the map demonstrates the turbines and areas of the leases that will be within the line of sight of the early warning radar (EWR). Anything within line of sight has the potential to significantly affect the performance of the system.
The Coast Guard
The Coast Guard has concerns that offshore wind energy developments will hinder search and rescue operations. Helicopters cannot fly within a field of turbines and ship radar cannot detect targets accurately. The presence of turbines will cause the Coast Guard to abort Search and Rescue operations during inclement weather sooner than they otherwise would. This will result in the loss of human life.