The U.S. Department of Transportation under then-Secretary Pete Buttigieg overrode more than 30 safety warnings to fast-track wind energy projects near critical transportation infrastructure, newly revealed documents and department sources confirm. The decisions—made between 2023 and 2024—cleared the way for turbines to be built dangerously close to highways and railroads, raising concerns over potential interference with radio communications essential to transportation safety..
According to a current DOT official, at least 33 safety recommendations were ignored or withdrawn during Buttigieg’s tenure, despite internal analyses warning of “undue risk” posed by turbine proximity. A prominent example involves the Heritage Prairie Wind Energy Project in Illinois, where the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) initially flagged turbine placement within one to three miles of major railways as hazardous. But just nine months later, that warning was quietly retracted—without public explanation.
Safety Concerns Brushed Aside
In a January 2024 letter, the Commerce Department claimed that DOT “continues to review and analyze” interference risks and “reserves the right” to offer future recommendations—effectively reversing the prior red flag. The about-face came as the Biden administration was ramping up support for renewable energy through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which offers hundreds of billions in tax incentives for green energy projects, including wind farms.
Critics argue that political priorities were placed above public safety.
“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg put climate religion ahead of safety — blatantly ignoring engineers who warned of the danger of constructing wind turbines near railroads and highways,” said current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has since launched a department-wide review of wind turbine proximity regulations.
New Safety Standards Enacted
In response to the revelations, Duffy has introduced stricter guidelines, including a mandatory 1.2-mile buffer zone between wind farms and critical transportation routes.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also been asked to investigate potential interference with American airspace operations, following concerns noted in internal Commerce Department correspondence.
Meanwhile, a deeper review found that 140 other wind projects greenlit during Buttigieg’s tenure were never subject to a formal safety review at all—raising additional questions about regulatory oversight and the influence of climate policy on infrastructure decisions.
Equity Goals vs. Safety Mandates
Much of the push for green energy and rapid project approvals traces back to policy priorities laid out by Robert Hampshire, then the principal deputy assistant secretary of DOT’s Office of Transportation for Research and Technology. In his 2021 Senate confirmation hearing, Hampshire emphasized that the department would work to “advance equity” and mitigate climate change, including by promoting wind energy in rural and underserved areas.
However, it appears those goals came at the cost of practical safety.
The DOT under Buttigieg had also come under fire for prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, with over $80 billion allocated to DEI-related initiatives. Duffy has accused the former secretary of “focusing on ideological agendas while safety was ignored.”
Buttigieg Responds
In a recent NPR interview, Buttigieg defended his overall record, citing his department’s regulatory efforts in the airline sector and broader transportation safety reforms. But he did not directly address the new claims regarding wind turbine project approvals.
Buttigieg’s representatives have so far declined to comment on the specific allegations.
Moving Forward
With new regulations now in place and investigations underway, Secretary Duffy has pledged to restore common-sense safety standards and ensure that infrastructure decisions prioritize public welfare over political ambitions.
“What the past administration did is a shame,” Duffy said. “But it’s a pattern for Biden and Buttigieg—ideology first, safety second. That stops now.”
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