H.R. 6930 — Protecting Military Readiness from Offshore Wind Industrialization Interference Act

This section requires the President, or designee, to certify in writing within 90 days of enactment that offshore wind projects in the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Planning Areas (i.e., federal waters off the U.S. East Coast designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for renewable energy leasing) will not weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify Armed Forces radar and sonar capabilities or limit Armed Forces combat operations, training, or rescue missions. If the certification cannot be made, the President must halt all such projects presenting a national security threat.

This section directs the Inspector General of the Department of Defense to conduct a study on the effects of offshore wind projects in the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Planning Areas (i.e., Bureau of Ocean Energy Management offshore wind leasing areas off the U.S. East Coast) on military radar and sonar, air and maritime traffic, and the sufficiency of project review and approval processes. The study must (1) investigate potential interference with radar and sonar used by the Armed Forces, Federal Aviation Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States Maritime Administration; (2) audit Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse approvals concerning radar, sonar, threat identification, navigation, training, flight paths, and Coast Guard operations; (3) assess impacts on low-level military airspace, maritime navigation, capability development, and national security; and (4) evaluate mitigation strategies from the 2016 Department of Defense report on wind energy impacts. (Thus, the study could identify risks to military readiness from offshore wind industrialization.) The Inspector General must submit a report to Congress within 180 days of enactment, in unclassified form with a possible classified annex.