Nearly two years of
planning and negotiations recently came to fruition for a project to build as
many as 100 wind turbines north of Naval Air Station Kingsville.
Officials from the
Navy, Department of Defense and E. On Climate & Renewables signed an agreement
to foster renewable energy in South Texas and to offer a better understanding
of its effect on military radar.
The turbines are
slated for a site near Petronila, about halfway between Naval Air Stations
Corpus Christi and Kingsville.
E. On Climate &
Renewables has agreed to give the Department of Defense $750,000 toward
research on wind turbine effects on base radar.
The site has been
named the Patriot Wind Farm in honor of area military members, company
officials said.
In April, a similar
agreement was reached with developers for a wind farm with nearly 80 turbines
near Riviera. It came a year after base officials initially touted the
turbines' potential for radar interference.
Surrounding school
district officials also voiced concerns in September about added noise and
potential to lower property values, though a 2009 federal study found no direct
impact.
Company officials
said the project could bring as much as $150 million in investments and jobs to
the area, with as many as 200 construction and 10 full-time positions expected.
They are some of
the first agreements of their kind since developers began eyeing the Coastal
Bend, long known for its gusts.
Tuesday's agreement
outlines plans to study more the effects the turbines will have on base radar,
and for pilots making dozens of approaches to the base each day.
Construction is
expected to break ground next year, company officials said.
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