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Bill would require notice of meteorological towers near military installations and state roads
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Summary
House Bill 28 98 would require advance notice to the Texas Department of Transportation, relevant county judges and federal radar or military installations within 15 nautical miles when a meteorological evaluation tower is planned, aiming to reduce conflicts between wind development and military training routes.
House Bill 28 98, sponsored by Sen. Hagenbooth in the committee, would require notice of intent to build a meteorological evaluation tower to the Texas Department of Transportation, county judges and any federal-owned or operated radar or military installation within 15 nautical miles of the tower.
Supporters said wind farms and meteorological towers can encroach on military training routes and affect radar operations, potentially disrupting low-altitude training. The sponsor cited an example in which three of 17 training routes at Sheppard Air Force Base were closed in 2018 because of wind turbine encroachment.
Dan Harmon, director of the Aviation Division for the Texas Department of Transportation (resource witness), described current registration requirements for towers above 200 feet and said TxDOT maintains an ArcGIS map of registered towers. He noted that, as a practical matter, federal systems — specifically FAA obstacle and airspace evaluation systems — are the primary source used by DOD and FAA for safety-of-flight evaluations and NOTAM issuance.
Harmon said TxDOT has no role in airspace management or low-level route management; that authority rests with the FAA. He also noted federal rulemaking under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 is expected to address the registration gap for towers between 50 and 200 feet.
The committee left the bill pending and later reported it favorably to the full Senate 4-0.
