Wyden, Merkley, Praise DOD Decision to Approve New Wind Farms in Oregon

Press Release

Announcement Greenlights Much-Needed Job Creation in Eastern Oregon

After months of working with the Department of Defense (DoD) to strike a balance between domestic energy and national security needs, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) praised the Department's announcement today that it will no longer block the development of eight new wind farms: six in Oregon and two in Washington state.

Earlier this year DoD halted new wind farm construction in Eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington after determining that the proposed Shepherds Flat wind farm in Eastern Oregon would impact an aging radar system near Fossil, Oregon. While the Shepherds Flat wind farm was ultimately allowed to move forward when DoD announced in April that it would upgrade its radar system, other projects remained on hold until now.

"From our earliest conversations about Shepherds Flat it was clear that the Pentagon had never been asked to factor domestic energy needs into their national security decisions, it literally wasn't on their radar," said Wyden. "But DoD deserves a lot of credit, not just for, clearing the way for the construction of more than 1,100 wind turbines and the hundreds of jobs that these projects will create, but for working to create a process that will now balance these two important national priorities."

"I'm grateful that the Department of Defense has given us the green light to allow six wind farms to be built in Oregon," said Merkley "These new wind farms will mean more jobs for Oregonians and that is exactly what we need right now."

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