HR6930-119

What This Bill Does

The Protecting Military Readiness from Offshore Wind Industrialization Interference Act requires a Defense Department Inspector General study of offshore wind industrialization in the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic Planning Areas. The study must assess effects on Armed Forces radar and sonar, military air and maritime traffic, FAA, NASA, and MARAD radar or sonar, Coast Guard maritime safety and lifesaving operations, military aviation flight paths, low-level military airspace, maritime navigation off the Atlantic Coast, and agencies carrying out space launch programs. It must also audit approval applications and consultation processes involving BOEM, DOD, FAA, MARAD, and the Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse, and evaluate whether mitigation strategies from a 2016 DOD wind-energy report remain sufficient, achievable, and realistic. The Inspector General must report to Congress within 180 days in unclassified form, with a possible classified annex.

Who Benefits and How

Congress benefits from an independent defense oversight report before relying on agency assurances about offshore wind siting. Military radar, sonar, aviation, training, and maritime-navigation planners benefit if the report identifies interference risks and approval gaps. The Coast Guard benefits from analysis of whether projects affect maritime safety and lifesaving missions. FAA, NASA, MARAD, BOEM, and the siting clearinghouse benefit from a clearer record of consultation weaknesses or mitigation needs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Defense Department Inspector General must conduct a broad technical and process review within 180 days. Offshore wind developers in the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic planning areas face scrutiny and possible delay or mitigation demands if projects are found to affect military readiness or national security. BOEM, DOD, FAA, MARAD, Coast Guard, NASA, and clearinghouse staff may need to provide records and defend approval processes. Federal taxpayers bear the audit cost.

Key Provisions

• Requires a DOD Inspector General study of offshore wind effects on military radar, sonar, aviation, maritime traffic, and training.
• Requires review of FAA, NASA, MARAD, Coast Guard, BOEM, and siting-clearinghouse consultation and approval processes.
• Requires analysis of whether offshore wind affects flight paths, space-launch radar or sonar, low-level airspace, maritime navigation, and Coast Guard operations.
• Directs a report to Congress within 180 days, with an unclassified report and possible classified annex.