DoD Siting Clearinghouse
The Impact of Energy Development on National Defense Missions
Expanding the production and transmission of renewable energy and ensuring a modern and resilient commercial electrical grid can impact military readiness and operations, including the Department of Defense’s research, development, test, and evaluation activities.
Energy production facilities and transmission projects – tall structures such as wind turbines and solar power towers as well as electrical transmission towers sited in or under designated low-altitude military training routes and special use airspace – may present a serious collision hazard to military aircraft operations. In the national system of ground-based surveillance radars, the creation of “clutter” generated from close-by wind turbine projects can present a hazard to air safety and surveillance. Likewise, wind turbines located near military test and training ranges can impact airborne military radar capability. The momentary “glint” or longer duration “glare” reflecting off of solar systems can present a hazard to aircraft and air traffic control tower operations. Finally, the electromagnetic interference from electricity transmission lines can have an impact on critical DoD test activities.
The DoD established and Congress endorsed and empowered the DoD Siting Clearinghouse to coordinate a comprehensive mission compatibility evaluation process.
Mission Compatibility Evaluation Process
The DoD’s mission compatibility evaluation process provides a timely, transparent, and science-based analysis to identify the mission impacts from energy development projects in order to prevent, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts on military readiness and operations, including test and evaluation activities.
Established in June 2010, the Clearinghouse acts as a single point of contact for Federal agencies, State, Indian tribal, and local governments, developers, and landowners, and provides a central forum for internal staffing. This website provides a central location for information and is a resource to help interested individuals and organizations understand the mission impact of proposed energy projects near military activities, and the Department’s mission compatibility evaluation process, procedures, and mitigation opportunities.
Our systematic process is defined in Part 211 of Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Mission Statement
Protect the DoD’s mission capabilities from incompatible energy development by collaborating with the DoD Components and external stakeholders to prevent, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts on military readiness and operations, including test and evaluation activities.
