Air Force: Green projects have cumulative effect

Whirling wind turbines.

Glare from solar mirrors.

The electromagnetic hum of high-voltage transmission lines.

It’s the kind of interference the Air Force wants to minimize when it’s training pilots and testing the nation’s most advanced warplanes at the Nevada Test and Training Range, formerly known as Nellis Air Force Range.

Just a short hop north over the Las Vegas Valley by fighter jet, the 2.9 million-acre range with its 12,000 square miles of airspace is the target of those rushing to meet the demand for putting Nevada’s green power on the grid.

Dozens of solar and wind power farms are proposed to go on and around the range. Any one could be the downfall of a pilot whose electronics are confused by radar signals, infrared signatures or wind turbines.

Supersonic booms from aircraft also have the potential to seriously damage costly solar panel arrays.

The volume of projects, including many that have been expedited to meet monetary incentives, “is exactly what we’re starting to grapple with,” said Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin Conaton.

“Any one particular project you can find solutions for. But, we’re dealing with a cumulative effect,” she said Tuesday, the first day of a Pentagon-sponsored forum in Las Vegas.

Today, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., will address the gathering of invited guests from government agencies and the renewable energy industry.

Conaton said she recognizes that “renewable energy is a critical issue, not only for the local economy and elsewhere in the country, but for the Air Force” as well.

Nellis Air Force Base, for example, plans to expand its solar-panel array, which helps power base operations. Solar projects also are up and running at other installations, helping to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and shrink its carbon footprint.

However, Nellis commanders are concerned that the type of solar array that focuses mirrors on a tower 800 feet high and the radar clutter from acres of wind turbines could impede training and testing operations.

Conaton said more research is needed to find out how much pressure from sonic booms photovoltaic cells can withstand, and if there are ways of reducing windmill interference on radar.

“We don’t want to be the cause of an eleventh hour concern that could jeopardize these projects,” Conaton said.

Nevada Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki said while Nevada has vast potential for solar and wind energy projects, “We want to make sure we don’t do anything to impede (the) training opportunity here in Nevada.”

Dorothy Robyn, deputy under secretary of defense for installations and environment, said the first step is to fix the process for siting renewable energy facilities. “We find out too late about projects.”

Solar and wind power industry representatives said they are obligated to proceed to meet federal renewable energy goals and they welcome dialogue on the Pentagon’s concerns.

“This growth cannot be achieved without resolving radar operations and testing issues,” said Tom Vinson, director of regulatory affairs for the American Wind Energy Association. “Radar operations and testing issues cannot be resolved without cooperation between industry and federal agencies.”

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.