The contention by Republican Congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew that wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey would interfere with military radar was proven correct in a newly issued report by the Government Accountability Office.

The report issued Monday by the non-partisan organization states that “wind turbines can reduce the performance of radar systems used for defense and maritime navigation and safety in several ways. These include reducing detection sensitivity, obscuring potential targets, and generating false targets"

Smith said proponents of wind energy have downplayed an earlier report by the National Academy of Sciences in 2022 that first raised the concern.

"In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of all of this is the obfuscation, the degrading of radar for vessel or boats, big ships, little ships, helicopters, airplanes, jets, coming into LaGuardia, especially into Newark International," Smith told Eric Scott on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show. "We're going to have a reduction of performance of radar, and they have affirmed that, making it more dangerous, both to be on the water or in the air."

It also puts pilots who train off the coast at risk, according to Smith.

The GAO report noted that "some mitigation strategies exist, or are under development, to address radar interference."

"DOD also has agreements with lessees to temporarily curtail operations if needed. In addition, NOAA and researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute are developing software to reduce interference," the report says. "There is also ongoing research on radar software and systems and infill radar, or smaller radar systems placed within an offshore wind farm, to further mitigate impacts, according to one expert."

 

Concern for existing wind power projects

Smith praised President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting the licensing of new wind projects. He is concerned that the Empire 1 project off Monmouth County, which would install 50 turbines, could impact ships out of Naval Weapons Station Earle.

Smith said he spoke to Interior Secretary Doug Burgham, who Smith said is taking a "a close look at it."

Van Drew said that the report confirms that the wind energy projects were rushed with little regard for these issues. Shore towns that raised concerns were ignored, he said.

"Now we have an independent, nonpartisan report that makes it clear: these risks are very real. President Trump did the right thing by putting these projects on hold, and it is time to put an end to them once and for all before more damage is done," Van Drew said in a statement.