Plans for a Wind Farm in Corpus Christi Could Clash With Navy Base

“The base is still a very large part of the local economy, but it is no longer the only part.”

By Michael MarksAugust 30, 2016 10:01 am

Since the Naval Air Station opened in 1941, the Navy has been big business in Corpus Christi. Leaders in the south Texas city have defended the installation and all the economic firepower that comes with it.

But a proposed wind farm south of the city has raised a few concerns among leaders in Corpus Christi. Some are asking whether a wind farm is even worth the risk.

Nick Jimenez, a columnist for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, says the Navy has been in the area for 75 years. “You don’t mess around with the Navy here,” he says. “You try to do everything you can… to keep the Navy here. It’s been a good relationship and it means a lot in bucks.”

Jimenez says the city’s proximity to Eagle Ford and its growing research university of Texas A & M University at Corpus Christi.

“We’re getting billions of dollars of new investment,” he says. “The base is still a very large part of the local economy, but it is no longer the only part.”

The Navy asked for a report on how the potential wind farm could affect their operation, Jimenez says.

“Local officials were thrown for a loop when the Federal Aviation Administration more or less gave the turbines the go-ahead,” he says.

Post by Hannah McBride.