The Department deals with the deployment of wind farms at both a strategic and project-specific level as part of renewables policy and the consenting regime under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. In this context, the Department has regular meetings with companies, organisations and associations, formally and informally, to discuss issues relevant to Ministry of Defence radar concerns.
At a strategic level my Department works to facilitate the resolution of concerns raised by the aviation bodies in respect to the deployment of wind turbines. We have established groups that are attended by organisations such as developers, CAA, NATS, airport operators and the MOD. The outcome has been an improvement in the understanding of the issues and the establishment of a programme of work to identify and develop mitigation solutions to reduce the impacts of wind turbines on radar.