Under the proposed legislation, an ADLS installed on a wind turbine in Minnesota must be purchased from a vendor approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Minnesota Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, recently introduced a bill that would mandate radar-activated lighting systems on wind turbines in the state.
Bill 3792 would require wind companies to implement radar-activated lighting systems that turn blinking lights atop wind turbines and tall towers on and off, depending on whether aircraft is in the vicinity. These Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems can reduce light pollution by remaining dark most of the time, lighting up only when necessary to serve as beacons.
“I brought up this subject in the House because I hope the Minnesota wind industry will embrace ADLS technology and deploy it in all new construction,” Swedzinski said in recent press release. “It should be our goal that ADSL be deployed and retrofitted in all existing wind farms.”
Swedzinski said turbines are a major component in our future and 14 months ago the first operational radar-based lighting tech was launched in Wyoming. He added that two years ago, the FAA added a new Chapter 14 that introduced performing guidelines for radar-activated lighting technologies.
“I’m not big on mandates, so my goal is all about raising awareness,” Swedzinski said. “North Dakota has taken a strong stand and embraced this technology for the benefit of all its citizens. There is more technology available than the status quo in light systems and we should do more to implement new systems in Minnesota. I encourage citizens to contact their local, state and federal representatives to advocate for this technology and also urge folks to ask for the technology when visiting with wind developers.”
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