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Senate committee advances bill to require FAA-approved radar lighting for commercial wind farms
Summary
A Senate committee sent House Bill 146 to the amending order after testimony about radar-activated light-mitigation systems that would limit nighttime red-flashing turbine lights except when aircraft are present; the bill requires FAA approval and differentiates between new and existing projects.
An Idaho Senate committee voted to send House Bill 146 to the fourteenth order for amendment after Representative Jeff Ehlers and others described radar-activated light-mitigation technology intended to reduce nighttime flashing red lights on commercial wind turbines.
Representative Jeff Ehlers (R., Meridian), sponsor of HB 146, told the committee the technology "turns the lights off unless there's, like an airplane flying through the area, and then it will turn them on to flash for safety, and then when all is clear, the lights will go back off." He said similar systems are in use in at least 10 other states and on Navy ships.
Under the bill as presented, new commercial wind projects would be required to install an FAA-approved…
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