Sec. 318. JOINT STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF WIND FARMS ON WEATHER RADARS AND MILITARY OPERATIONS

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## SEC. 318 JOINT STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF WIND FARMS ON WEATHER RADARS AND MILITARY OPERATIONS ###

(a)In General The Secretary of Defense shall enter into an arrangement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct a study on how to improve existing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Weather Service tools to reflect the latest data and policies to improve consistency in weather radars, with a focus on a research and development and field test evaluation program to validate existing mitigation options and develop additional options for weather radar impact, in collaboration with the National Weather Service, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Aviation Administration, and with input from academia and industry. ###

(b)Elements The study required pursuant to subsection

(a)shall include the following: ####

(1)The potential impacts of wind farms on NEXRAD radars and other Federal radars for weather forecasts and warnings used by the Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service. ####

(2)Recommendations to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate the potential impacts. ####

(3)Recommendations for addressing the impacts to NEXRADs and weather radar due to increasing turbine heights. ####

(4)Recommendations to ensure wind farms do not impact the ability of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service to warn or forecast hazardous weather. ####

(5)The cumulative impacts of multiple wind farms near a single radar on the ability of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service to warn or forecast hazardous weather. ####

(6)An analysis of whether certain wind turbine projects, based on project layout, turbine orientation, number of turbines, density of turbines, proximity to radar, or turbine height result in greater impacts to the missions of Department of Defense, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service, and if so, how can those projects be better cited to reduce or eliminate NEXRAD impacts. ####

(7)Case studies where the Department of Defense, the National Weather Service, and industry have worked together to implement solutions. ####

(8)Mitigation options, including software and hardware upgrades, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service have researched and analyzed, and the results of such research and analysis. ####

(9)A review of mitigation research performed to date by the Government and or academia. ####

(10)Identification of future research opportunities, requirements, and recommendations for the SENSR program to mitigate energy development. ###

(c)Submittal to Congress Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a).